“Gorillaz” (2001) – Experimental Trip Hop Recommendations

If You Like “Gorillaz” (2001)…

What Makes Gorillaz (2001) Great

Gorillaz’ debut self-titled album features a departure of front man Damon Albarn’s reputation as a britpop heart-throb and explores his interest in electronic and world music, pulling from mostly trip hop with a dash of dub, jazz, and alternative rock. The result is a dreary, hypnotic, urban soundscape in a world of its own as his vocals undulate over surreal beat-based production. While Gorillaz as a band is especially notable for its fictitious band members, if what draws you to their debut is its unique fusion of sounds, you’re in luck – preceding the album is a handful of other experimental trip hop albums, each also taking inspiration from jazz, world, dance, funk, alternative rock, and other similar sounds.

The Mid-Late 90s and Experimental Trip Hop

Trip hop as a genre focuses on the mixture of singing over hop-hop beats with soul or jazz stylings. Massive Attack and Portishead have nailed this sound approaching it from a dark, mysterious angle – but not all trip hop follows this formula:

Cibo Matto’s Viva! La Woman (1996) is the result of two Japanese women’s move to NYC to focus on their music careers, influenced by western genres such as hip-hop, psychedelia, and alternative dance. This quirky, high-energy album uses vibrant hip-hop and jazz samples to supplement lyrical depictions and musings of food.
In Björk’s second album Post (1995), she presents herself as bold as she ever has, using tribal beats to drive the album’s trip hop production. Abstract, busy cityscapes come to mind as she uses her notable vocal stylings to exclaim her passions and romances. Stylistically, the album is a bright representation of trip hop, dance, jazz, and rock.
Making Bones (1998) from Red Snapper combines the rhythms of trip hop with acid jazz, breakbeat, and funk, giving the album a distinctly organic groove. Additional electronic manipulation and unconventional arrangements help the album establish an unpredictable, somewhat playful atmosphere. This album’s fusion of acoustics and electronic production makes for a restless and eclectic take on trip hop.
If you’re a fan of Albarn’s unconventional vocals, perhaps Róisín Murphy’s style will hit home for you on her work on Moloko’s album Do You Like My Tight Sweater (1995). Murphy takes a humorous approach to the tone of this album, accompanied by trip hop instrumentation fused with moments of funk, house, and acid jazz. The album sounds like a laid-back, groovy, ridiculous psychedelic celebration.
Laika’s Sounds of the Satellites (1997) successfully creates a hypnotic, futuristic atmosphere by blending trip hop with ambient, glitch, and psychedelic influences. The layered production and unconventional rhythms give the album a weightless, floaty quality with its vocals drifting through its soundscapes. The result is a dreamy take on trip hop that feels otherworldly.

Audera