Tranquility Bass

Tranquility Bass' Mike Kandel is one of the originators of Trip-Hop and Ambient music. His singles on his own Exist Dance Label, "They Came in Peace" and "Cantamilla," are absolute classics of the form. Combining languorous House breaks with dub basslines and soothing vocals, these records are luscious, weightless confections that strike the perfect balance between being laid-back and relaxing, but also catchy and substantial enough to dance to and remember. Endlessly anthologized (most notably on Mo Wax's epochal Headz), these tunes form the blueprint for much of the Trip-Hop that was to come. Spending most of the '90s underground, Kandel returned in 1997 with his debut LP, Let The Freak Flag Fly, which broadened his palette to include Funk, blues and psychedelia.