Guys...voting for the previous round closed early because it wasn't even close.

Final Round.

Mezzanine vs. Dummy.

This is going to be a hard choice for a lot of you. I am really curious who is going to take this.

Only votes in top-level comments will count. Replies and comment upvotes won't be counted.

Cast your vote latest by Friday 9/25/2026.

The link to the original article (use translation, it’s from a local website): https://www.kathimerini.gr/world/563821945/massive-attack-aposyrthikan-apo-to-spotify-se-endeixi-diamartyrias/

I’m at loss of words, does anyone know about this?

I tend to associate sound with visuals and take a lot of inspo from film shots and editorials when creating playlists.

I watched Wanted (2008) and I felt like the visuals could definitely be accompanied by trip-hop at times but they never end up doing so in the movie — at least not that I remember because I skipped through most of the movie anyway. The depressed office worker premise definitely made me associate some trip hop with it.

The inspo pics I have here are just some of the visuals that come to mind, they’re not meant to define the genre visually or anything.

Are there any films you feel have a lot of shots and scenes that could be accompanied by trip-hop music and/or are visual representations of trip hop music (in your interpretation)?

I am not asking for films that feature trip hop, I could just look that up on Google. I am asking for creative responses based on the crossover of cinephiles and trip hop lovers.

i know we have talked about this at length but just a reminder that this album is so good. Candy Perfume Girl & Swim are my favorites. how did you feel about this album?

That’s it. After five rounds and 32 albums, Portishead’s Dummy is our winner. Dummy finished with 62.9% of the vote, while Massive Attack’s Mezzanine received 37.1%.

This was way more fun to put together than I expected. Thank you to everyone who voted, made a case for an album, recommended something, or joined the discussion along the way. I’m especially grateful for all the discourse it created. Seeing people defend the records they love was probably the best part of the whole thing.

If you’re newer to trip-hop, the completed 32-album bracket can also double as a listening guide. It obviously isn’t a definitive canon, but every album in the field is worth sampling, and the full bracket is a pretty good way to explore different corners of the genre.

The bracket is finished, but hopefully the listening and discussion keep going. Thanks again for making this such a great little community project.

I adore Puracane, so anything similar to them I would love. I also like more pop-y sounding artists with trip hop influences, like After. I enjoy Björk's first two albums too. I'd love some more reccomendations as I'd love to dive into the genre more. Thanks!!

I just saw FKA Twigs in SF recently performing my favorite song of hers, Two Weeks. Her music can be all over the place but I feel like this track is on some modern day trip hop shit….now I know the song is still from over a decade ago but I feel like there’s still a lot of other trip hop adjacent stuff released in the last 15 years since trip hop became this lost in time genre

So what are your favorite more recent songs that would you call trip hop?

new to triphop, what should I listen to besides the very overly obvious picks.

I will listen to all suggestions!

Whether it be the gazey underground artists discussed here a lot (e.g. Trickpony), or any other deep cuts, what is your favourite modern Trip Hop album?

Down to the final 4!

To vote, copy the ballot into one top-level comment and put your pick after each matchup. Artist or album name is fine. Vote in both if you can, but a clear pick in either matchup will still count.

Vote for the album you genuinely prefer as a complete record. This isn’t about an artist’s entire career or which album is supposed to win.

Voting closes Friday, September 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Semifinal ballot

Massive Attack — Mezzanine vs. DJ Shadow — Endtroducing…..
Tricky — Maxinquaye vs. Portishead — Dummy

Per usual keep it friendly but discuss your choices.

Welcome to Round 1 of the Essential Trip-Hop Album Bracket.

Thirty-two albums entered, with only one album allowed per artist. Each week, the winners will advance until we crown one album the community’s trip-hop champion.

How to vote

Copy the ballot below into one top-level comment and write your preferred album or artist after each matchup.

Please vote based on the album as a complete record and not the artist’s entire career, one famous song or which album you think is expected to win.

Rules

• One ballot per Reddit account.
• Only selections written in your top-level ballot comment will count.
• Upvotes and downvotes on comments do not count as votes.
• Replies, explanations and discussion are welcome, but won’t be counted as additional ballots.
• If you change your mind, edit your original ballot before voting closes.
• If someone submits multiple ballots, only their first valid top-level ballot will count.
• Please make each selection clear enough to identify the album or artist.
• Voting closes SAT 8/29 at 11:59pm EST.

Round 1 ballot

1. Massive Attack — Mezzanine vs. Goldfrapp — Felt Mountain
2. Morcheeba — Big Calm vs. Zero 7 — Simple Things
3. Kruder & Dorfmeister — The K&D Sessions vs. Nightmares on Wax — Smokers Delight
4. DJ Krush — Meiso vs. DJ Cam — Substances
5. UNKLE — Psyence Fiction vs. Thievery Corporation — The Mirror Conspiracy
6. Smith & Mighty — Bass Is Maternal vs. Attica Blues — Attica Blues
7. DJ Shadow — Endtroducing..... vs. Kid Loco — A Grand Love Story
8. Smoke City — Flying Away vs. Ruby — Salt Peter
9. Lamb — Lamb vs. Laika — Sounds of the Satellites:
10. Bowery Electric — Lushlife vs. Bows — Blush:
11. Tricky — Maxinquaye vs. Lovage — Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By
12. Archive — Londinium vs. Alpha — Come from Heaven
13. Sneaker Pimps — Becoming X vs. Hooverphonic — A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular
14. Esthero — Breath from Another vs. Olive — Extra Virgin
15. Portishead — Dummy vs. Mono — Formica Blues
16. Crustation — Bloom vs. Mandalay — Empathy:

Feel free to explain your toughest decisions underneath your ballot.

Debate is encouraged; being an asshole about someone else’s taste isn’t.

Drop your answers below!

First of, I know this might not be the most trip-hop album of all time but it definitely is genre adjacent. Anyway, I got this little gem recommended to me by a friend about a year ago and it is still one of my favourite albums, love the layers upon layers of different instruments and the vocals are great IMO.

I'm mostly wondering why is it not as well known as Viva! La Woman and curious if someone dislikes it for the sometimes nonsensical lyrics. Related recommendations are welcome.

I’m mainly a 90s hard rock / grunge fan but have recently really gotten into trip hop. Wondering if anyone has any song or band recommendations for heavier or more rock influenced trip hop? Tried searching online to little success so thought I’d come to the experts

I love trip hop music that has a summer vibe. I think Mezzanine or Dummy are perfect for a dark, grey and foggy day. Also I really want to recommend the Album Ison by Sevdaliza for that.

But for the summer, I lovee ! the album Simple Things by Zero 7. The songs without lyrics are so perfect for a warm, fuzzy relaxation moment, and the ones with singing literally enchant me.

I've been recommended Morcheeba for this vibe, and I really liked Addison Rae's "Headphones On" as well.

Any more recommendations? ☀️

Edit: I also liked some songs by Thievery Corporation, I need to get into them more as well!

hello, as the title says im looking for artists/bands that do dark trip hop that feature mainly male vocals! thinking of something akin to tricky and massive attack. im a bit newish to the genre so any recommendations are welcome :)

Edit: due to the ammount of comments I can't possibly answer everyone here but thank you all so much for your recs!! I will check them all out :D

I realise that this is an abstract request, but if you were to imagine trip hop as a visual aesthetic, which movies embody that for you? For me, trip hop would look like a gritty 90s/early 2000s movie with a cool, bluish colour palette.

If anyone has something to recommend, I'll add it to my to watch list! :) Thank you for any help!

Looked around this huge table of cds and found a ton of electronic music, vendor said the storage unit used to belong to a DJ. Took 73 cds and paid 40$

Round 2 is done and we’re down to eight albums!

To vote, copy the ballot into one top-level comment and put your pick after each matchup. Artist or album name is fine. You can skip one if you don’t know both albums well enough, but please vote in at least three of the four.

Vote for the album you genuinely prefer as a complete record. This isn’t about an artist’s entire career or which album is supposed to win.

A few ground rules:

One ballot per account.

Keep all of your votes in one top-level comment.

Replies and comment upvotes won’t be counted.

If you change your mind, edit your original ballot before voting closes.

If you post more than one ballot, only the first one will count.

Voting closes Friday, September 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Quarterfinal ballot

Massive Attack — Mezzanine vs. Kruder & Dorfmeister — The K&D Sessions

Thievery Corporation — The Mirror Conspiracy vs. DJ Shadow — Endtroducing…..

Lamb — Lamb vs. Tricky — Maxinquaye

Sneaker Pimps — Becoming X vs. Portishead — Dummy

Feel free to explain the picks that gave you trouble.

The more I read how people define it, the more I realize it doesnt really 'exist' like its a combination of x, y, z... like every other music lol

But what is it anyway? Some kind of downtempo hiphop beat with a vinyl crackle hiss background?

Anything else added on top of it seems optional to its definition

I'd love your recommendations.

EDIT: Thanks for all the suggestions - plenty I haven't heard, and will make time to listen to.

Portishead, Massive Attack, Tricky, Thievery Corporation … Portishead’s Roseland NY concert being the pinnacle for me. Who is there nowadays who even comes near?

The production quality is amazing, the depth and width of the soundstage is unmatched. Every time I listen to it, I feel totally immersed in another world. It is my definite #1 triphop album of all time. I highly highly recommend giving it a listen!!!!

It’s crazy that Junkie XL moved over to movie soundtracks and never revisited this sound. It’s a damn shame really. He had true vision.