Downtempo Music: Album, Track and Artist Charts

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Description of Downtempo

Less a precisely defined style than a mood, Downtempo embraces all things chilled-out, and can include mellow versions of Techno, Electro, Breakbeat, House and IDM. Downtempo tracks are characterized by relaxed rhythms, smoothed-out melodies and poetic vocals. The music is often warm, occasionally unsettling, and probably represents the most accessible branch of Electronica yet. The genre was widely influenced by the hip-hop instrumentals of Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez and the early sounds of Acid Jazz. Downtempo's elastic boundaries are demonstrated by the diverse artists who qualify for the label, from the hip-hop-influenced DJ Shadow, through the sleepy House musings of Miguel Migs, and on to the Acid Jazz flavors of United Future Organization.

Downtempo Key Tracks

Play/Add All

Play/Add	Track	Artist
	1. Destiny	Zero 7
	2. At The River	Groove Armada
	3. Before Today	Everything But the Girl
	4. All I Need	Air
	5. Beautiful Otherness	Bent
	6. Beat Box (Diversion One)	Art of Noise
	7. Ramblin' Man	Lemon Jelly
	8. Protection	Massive Attack
	9. Over	Portishead
	10. Don't Leave	Faithless

Downtempo Key Albums

Subgenres

Filed Under

Electronica/Dance > Downtempo

Downtempo Key Artists

Air

Nicolas Godin and
Jean-Benoit Dunckel of
Versailles, France create
space-lounge electronica at
its best. Their debut, "Mo...

Alex Gopher

One of France's rising
House stars, Gopher
emphasizes blues and jazz
over funky club grooves.

Bent

The English duo Bent
engage in song-based
electronic experiments
filled with vocals and
domesticated beats. The...

Beth Orton

In addition to her
singer/songwriter
accomplishments, she has
worked as a guest vocalist
for many great electronic...

Everything But the Girl

With EBTG, Tracey Thorn
and Ben Watt combine the
latest production
techniques, classic pop,
and introspective songwri...

Fila Brazillia

This duo uses too many
electronics to be called
jazz, yet their arrangements
and creative mood often
resembles the genre. Stev...

Groove Armada

London's Tom Findlay and
Andy Cato make up the
jazz-influenced dance and
downtempo outfit Groove
Armada. Groove Armada's...

Kid Loco

Kid Loco's ambient,
atmospheric style has
prompted critical
comparisons to fellow
French artists, Air and DJ...

Koop

This soulful group from
Sweden keeps Vocal Jazz
alive with a touch of Acid
Jazz, a la the productions of
Gilles Peterson. Koop craf...

Lamb

Producer Andrew Barlow
and vocalist Louise Rhodes
formed this drum'n'bass
tinted trip-hop duo in
Manchester, circa 1994. L...

Massive Attack

Bristol-based Rapper 3D,
Daddy G, and Mushroom
make up this massive
Trip-Hop outfit formerly
known as the Wild Bunch...

Morcheeba

Paul and Ross Godfrey,
ex-producers for David
Byrne, made Morcheeba
the grooviest of the
mid-1990s electronic pop...

Sneaker Pimps

This Trip-Hop trio from
Reading, England, helped
define 1990s Alt Dance
alongside of Morcheeba and
Portishead. A blend of ro...

Talvin Singh

Tabla player/drum 'n' bass
producer Talvin Singh
ventured through jazz, pop,
and punk before becoming
a solo artist.

Thievery Corporation

Washington D.C.'s Rob Garza
and Eric Hilton started
creating dubbed-out
electronica in 1995. Duo
clears the path for new di...

Zero 7

Hailing from London and led
by Henry Bins and Sam
Hardaker, Zero 7 create
beautiful, soul-influenced
electronica. Zero 7's Bins...

Downtempo

Description of Downtempo

Downtempo Key Tracks

Downtempo Key Albums

Subgenres

Filed Under

Downtempo Key Artists

Electronics

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