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| Downtempo | |
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| Other names | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Mid-to-late 1980s, United Kingdom |
| Derivative forms | |
| Other topics | |
| Electronic music |
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| Experimental forms |
| Popular styles |
| Other topics |
Downtempo (ordownbeat)[4] is a broad label forelectronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found indance music (downtempo tracks are usually around 90 BPM).[5] Closely related toambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm,[6] the style may be played in relaxation clubs or as "warm-up or cool-down" music during aDJ set.[5] Examples of downtempo subgenres includetrip hop,ambient house,chillwave,psybient andlofi hip hop.[5]
The style emerged in the late 1980s with the UK'sBristol scene that birthed artists likeMassive Attack,Portishead, andTricky.[5] In the 1990s, the style was heard internationally in artists such asHooverphonic,Kruder & Dorfmeister,Fila Brazillia, andThievery Corporation.[5] Other prominent artists to emerge in the style includeUnderworld,Orbital,Fluke,Boards of Canada,Nicolas Jaar, andBonobo.[5]
Downtempo music is a broad genre but is united by several characteristics:
Downtempo emerged from the UK's late-1980sBristol sound, which developed a slow,psychedelic fusion ofhip hop withelectronic music known as "trip hop" and birthed artists such asMassive Attack,Portishead, andTricky.[5] The 1990s brought on a wave of slower paced music which was played throughout chillout rooms—the relaxation sections of the clubs or dedicated sections at electronic music events.[7] UK actNightmares on Wax helped to pioneer downtempo electronica in the early 1990s, drawing ondub reggae andhip-hop.[8] Downtempo music also started to surface aroundIbiza, when DJs and promoters would bring down the vibe with slower rhythm and gentler electronic music upon approaching sunrise. At the end of the 1990s a more melodic instrumental electronica incorporating acoustic sounds with electronic styles emerged under its own umbrella name of downtempo.[9]
In the late 1990s, theAustrian duoKruder & Dorfmeister popularized the style with their downtempo remixes of pop, hip-hop, and drum and bass tracks with influences of the '70ssoul jazz.BritonsSteve Cobby and Dave McSherry, producing under the nameFila Brazillia, released a handful of downtempo,electronica andambient techno albums that propelled the style further. Meanwhile, theWashington, D.C. locals Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, better known asThievery Corporation, have introduced the Brazilian sound into the style after discussing the music ofAntonio Carlos Jobim, and enriched it further by combining elements of Jamaicandub andreggae.[10]
In 2010, "downtempo pop" was described byThe Atlantic as a variety of music styles from the 2000s characterized by mellowbeats, vintagesynthesizers, and lo-fi melodies. In other words, anumbrella term that includeschillwave,glo-fi, andhypnagogic pop.[3] Later in the decade, another form of downtempo music, tagged as "lo-fi hip hop" or "chillhop", became popular amongYouTube music streamers.[11]
Media related toDowntempo at Wikimedia Commons