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As we continue our look back at 1994 and its cultural influence on today’s artistic outlets, we once again turn our attention to music.
To tie in with our previous piece on Trip-Hop in Bristol in 1994, we decided to take a look at the resurgence of Trip-Hop in bands today.
Ink Project
Consisting of Melanie Dymond on vocals/production and Jez Lloyd on keys and production, this London duo are fresh on the scene.
Their ambient electronica screams early trip-hop whilst still sounding fresh.
They released their debut single ‘Call on Me’ back in June of 2011, followed by their full length studio album ‘Inside the Sun’ in November.
They played a number of festivals over the summer, including Barcelona’s Sonar festival. They’ve also received high acclaim from the press and seem to be making quite a stir on the trip-hop circuit.
Burial
Who could forget this guy? Londoner William Bevan has been causing quite a fuss ever since his debut release in 2006 and that Mercury Music Prize nod.
Perhaps not directly influence by Trip-Hop, there’s no doubt of Burial’s dark undertones and slow tempo that adhere to the early workings of the genre.
In October of 2011, Burial and Trip-Hop kings Massive Attack collaborated for a very limited 12 inch release.
‘Four Walls’ and ‘Paradise Circus’ brought Trip-Hop back to life and Burial has also been involved with the remixing of the band’s latest release ‘Heligoland.’
This month, Burial is gearing up for his latest E.P. release ‘Kindred.’
Devastating beats and smouldering bass make it one of the most hyped releases of 2012.
Little Dragon
A Swedish electronic band doesn’t immediately scream Trip-Hop but a mixture of sultry vocals and down-tempo offerings make Little Dragon one the most exciting Trip-Hop babies of recent times.
Their debut 7 inch featuring ‘Twice’ and ‘Test’ in 2006 was astoundingly refreshing and paved the way for Little Dragon’s deserved success.
Latest album ‘Ritual Union’ gave them a string of live shows and the band developed an unconditional following along the way.
Little Dragon have managed to take elements of Trip-Hop and incorporate into a sound of their very own.
Jamie Woon
A man who received much high acclaim at the beginning of 2011 thanks to the BBC, Jamie Woon incorporates Trip-Hop perfectly.
Releasing his debut album ‘Mirrorwriting’ in April of last year, it was single ‘Night Air’ that really caught our attention.
Coincidentally, Burial produced the track, solidifying the two as the fore-runners of the Trip-Hop inspired offerings.
Woon’s soulful vocals echo those of early Portishead whilst incorporating an R&B style groove.
Whilst many of these band’s may now be described as ‘post-dubstep’ or ‘indie electronica,’ there’s no doubt that 1994 and the explosion of Trip-Hop in Bristol had more than an effect on this bunch.
Once again, we see 1994 making its mark on music of today and 2012 welcomes it with open arms.