What is Trip-Hop?

Trip-Hop is the true opposite of the Pop genre. Trip hop originated in the United Kingdom and became trendy during the mid-nineties. If you think you've never heard a trip-hop song before I can guarantee that you absolutely have but didn't know it. The usage of Trip-Hop music throughout the media reaches from almost every episode of the CSI franchise, to commercial ads, and even to movies. The black comedy Fight Club is an example because the entire score was composed by the trip-hop duo The Dust Brothers now known as The Chemical Brothers.

The unique sound of trip-hop employs the usage of jazz instruments and melancholy themes mixed with the world of keyboards to create break beat rhythms. The sound of a trip-hop artist is very laid back "Somersault" by Zero 7 comes to mind when I think of a laid back trip-hop song. But there are times when trip-hop can me upbeat and catchy "Trip Like I Do" by The Crystal Method is one source for upbeat trip-hop music while Soulstice's "Fall Into You" is another. Sometimes this genre can be very haunting an example is Zero 7's mix of Radiohead's "Climbing Up The Walls" or Sia's "I Go To Sleep".

Tricky's "Excess" is a song that's been used numerous times throughout the entertainment media it even served as the theme song for the short-lived television series "Glory Days". This song was also used during the films "13 Ghosts" and "Queen of the Damned".

Trip-hop has slowly crept into the American consciousness. Many times a trip-hop song is used as transitional background music. If a character is doing important computer work or doing important lab tests trip-hop and split-screen montages are used to make the scene more entertaining.

If you want a closer listen into the trip-hop field a few staples of this underground musical base include Zero 7, Massive Attack, Morcheeba, Portishead, The Crystal Method, The Chemical Brothers, Tricky, Thievery Corporation, Sia Furler and Gorillaz.

The Pop genre on the other hand lives up to its name: Popular Music. A name that's a bit presumptuous but the music itself is a type of 'look at me' type of music. You can't ignore pop music with the catchy lyrics, attractive front singers, and it's infiltration into every form of entertainment there is.

When you turn on the radio you may hear a singer, you then turn on the tv and that same singer is now acting in a movie, if you turn the channel that same singer who is now an actress is now selling you a hair product or cosmetics, once you leave the house and driving down the street you might see a billboard with that same actress/artist/spokesperson and when you finally get to where you're going you'll see a magazine with the singer/actress/spokesperson/model on the cover.

With trip-hop the situation is simple: You buy the song, play the song, listen to it, enjoy it and move on to the next part of your day. The chance to have a rest from the constant bombardment of any kind of a genre jumping at you all day long is the nice kind of break beating rhythm people need in life rather than the 'get up and go look at me' fast paced rhythm of pop music.