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Best of Trip Hop

Sink into the ultimate hand-selected trip hop, downtempo, and Bristol sound playlist, expertly sequenced by DJ KTWO for late nights and deep focus.

The vibe

Whether you are settling in for a late-night study session, soundtracking a rainy afternoon, or just seeking a hypnotic escape, DJ KTWO's "Best of Trip Hop" playlist offers the ultimate atmospheric retreat. This hand-picked collection delivers a deeply personal listening experience, focusing on the dark, melancholic, and cinematic textures that define the Bristol Sound and instrumental hip-hop.

Every transition is carefully sequenced by ear to maintain a smooth, low-to-medium energy flow between 70 and 100 BPM. You will drift through timeless masterpieces like Massive Attack's "Teardrop" and Sneaker Pimps' "6 Underground," while also discovering modern, deep-cut downtempo gems from artists like Eric Hilton and Karl-Johan Strandberg. It is the perfect sonic backdrop for creative work, driving through city lights, or winding down after a long day.

Tracklist

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  1. 1 Teardrop (Remastered 2019) Massive Attack The ultimate Bristol peak, anchoring the mix with its fragile, cinematic heartbeat and haunting melancholy. 5:30
  2. 2 Can't Protect You but I'll Try Karl-Johan Strandberg Bleak yet tender, this cinematic downtempo cut brings fragile warmth to the darkest Bristol nights. 4:27
  3. 3 Trigger Hippie Morcheeba Smoky vocals and dusty breaks bringing a warm, cinematic melancholy to this late-night set. 5:31
  4. 4 Midnight In A Perfect World DJ Shadow DJ Shadow's masterpiece closes the opening phase with its legendary cinematic atmosphere and iconic low-tempo beat. 4:58
  5. 5 everything felt further away conjr Keeps the slow momentum going with a contemporary underground downtempo piece that adds cinematic depth. 2:20
  6. 6 Get Misunderstood Troublemakers Troublemakers kick off the build phase with an elegant, cinematic French trip-hop groove at 80bpm. 3:24
  7. 7 Beautiful Moment Eric Hilton Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation provides a gorgeous, sitar-tinged, laid-back instrumental flow. 3:19
  8. 8 Fungle Junk DJ Food Replaced the disruptive, overly aggressive Krust (LCY Remix) with a legendary Ninja Tune trip-hop classic from DJ Food t 8:15
  9. 9 Miracle-mouthed Hysterical Love Project A haunting, modern underground Bristol-sound-inflected piece that keeps the build phase atmospheric and dark. 3:20
  10. 10 Time Is the Enemy Quantic Quantic's legendary downtempo instrumental provides a melodic yet melancholic jazz-infused progression. 3:38
  11. 11 Que Sera Wax Tailor Wax Tailor blends cinematic orchestral samples with classic instrumental hip-hop breaks. 2:44
  12. 12 6 Underground Sneaker Pimps Sneaker Pimps' definitive 90s Bristol trip-hop sound steps up the vocal presence and momentum. 3:48
  13. 13 Thrill Attune Attune adds a hypnotic, dark bassline and late-night jazz atmosphere to keep the tension building. 5:42
  14. 14 This Strange Daze Eric Hilton Eric Hilton's second entry provides a smooth, cinematic, dub-reverb laden downtempo groove. 3:11
  15. 15 Roygbiv Boards of Canada Boards of Canada brings an uplifting yet nostalgic, analog synth-driven downtempo breakbeat. 2:29
  16. 16 The Quiet Room L'Orange L'Orange delivers a short, dusty instrumental hip-hop vignette with an evocative vintage aesthetic. 2:55
  17. 17 Strawberry Line Beak> Beak> contributes a bleak, hypnotic, and motorik Bristol post-punk-adjacent downtempo groove. 8:00
  18. 18 Come To Me Björk Björk's timeless, moody, and deeply atmospheric trip-hop track from her debut album. 4:55
  19. 19 My Baby's Got It Out For Me A.S.O. A.S.O. delivers a pristine modern gaze/trip-hop piece featuring ethereal, melancholic vocals. 3:48
  20. 20 Beat Bowery Electric Bowery Electric's shoegaze-infused trip-hop groove provides a dense wall of hypnotic analog bass. 7:16
  21. 21 Maybe It's Me Smith & Mighty Smith & Mighty, legendary pioneers of the Bristol Sound, provide a deep, melancholic vocal trip-hop track. 5:42
  22. 22 Things You Should Leave Alone (The Underwolves Remix) Puracane An elegant, jazzy trip-hop remix of Puracane that builds excellent late-night tension. 6:22
  23. 23 Satyam Shivam Sundaram Thievery Corporation Replaced the weak and out-of-genre Maara track with Thievery Corporation's stunningly cinematic and hypnotic piece to pe 3:59
  24. 24 Kemuri DJ Krush DJ Krush introduces the peak phase with a dark, heavy-hitting instrumental hip-hop masterpiece. 4:45
  25. 25 Bohemian Sunset Jazzanova Jazzanova delivers a lush, rich, and beautifully produced acid jazz/downtempo track with a solid groove. 6:55
  26. 26 The Sensual Woman The Herbaliser The Herbaliser brings an alluring, cinematic string section and a heavy boom-bap beat. 3:36
  27. 27 Feather Nujabes Nujabes' iconic, soulful jazz-hop beat offers a perfect balance of laid-back mood and beautiful instrumentation. 2:55
  28. 28 Utopia Goldfrapp Goldfrapp's sweeping, cinematic, and melancholic strings elevate the peak phase's emotional intensity. 4:18
  29. 29 Lonely Soul UNKLE UNKLE provides a sprawling, dark orchestral-electronic hybrid featuring Richard Ashcroft's melancholic vocals. 8:53
  30. 30 Johnson Kruder & Dorfmeister Kruder & Dorfmeister's legendary production shines in this dark, sleek, and bass-heavy downtempo groove. 5:38
  31. 31 A grand love theme Kid Loco Kid Loco offers a whimsical, cinematic, and lushly orchestrated acoustic-electronic masterpiece. 4:03
  32. 32 Ghostwriter RJD2 RJD2 brings a high-energy but still strictly boom-bap-based instrumental hip-hop epic. 5:18
  33. 33 Nights Introlude Nightmares on Wax Nightmares on Wax samples Quincy Jones to create one of the most hypnotic downtempo tracks of all time. 4:40
  34. 34 Soon It Will Be Cold Enough to Build Fires Emancipator Emancipator delivers a majestic, snow-dusted, acoustic guitar-driven melodic downtempo track. 3:00
  35. 35 god's chariots Oklou Replaced the low-scoring Saffron Bloom with Oklou's gorgeous, melancholic, and deeply atmospheric modern classic. 3:03
  36. 36 Porcelain Moby Moby's timeless, melancholic piano and vocal sample track keeps the peak lush and cinematic. 4:04
  37. 37 Listen To The Beat London Funk Allstars London Funk Allstars bring an upbeat but deeply retro, dub-inflected trip-hop banger at 96bpm. 4:45
  38. 38 Human Sevdaliza Sevdaliza delivers an intense, heavy, dark, and industrial-tinged trip-hop peak. 3:15
  39. 39 Kiara Bonobo Bonobo's Kiara offers complex, beautiful string edits and an incredible, driving downtempo beat. 3:50
  40. 40 The Music Scene Blockhead Blockhead finishes the peak phase with a psychedelic, sample-heavy instrumental hip-hop journey at 100bpm. 4:49
  41. 41 aruarian dance Nujabes Nujabes begins the wind-down with one of the most soothing, therapeutic acoustic guitar loops in lofi history. 4:10
  42. 42 All I Need (feat. Beth Hirsch) Air Air's lush, romantic, and beautifully melancholic lounge/trip-hop track drops the intensity down further. 4:28
  43. 43 Nefisa (2025 Remaster) Earthling Earthling steps down the tempo significantly to 79bpm with a dusty, classic Bristol sound instrumental. 5:53
  44. 44 Stars Nightmares on Wax Nightmares on Wax's 'Stars' fits beautifully in the wind-down, offering a warm, cosmic dub-chillout vibe. 6:59
  45. 45 Daydream In Blue I Monster I Monster's sweet but slightly eerie, melancholic synth-pop/downtempo classic brings a nostalgic feel. 3:43
  46. 46 Climbing Up the Walls (Zero 7 Mix) Radiohead Zero 7's iconic, stripped-back mix of Radiohead delivers an incredibly sparse, dark, and intimate atmosphere. 5:19
  47. 47 i listened but nothing stayed conjr conjr closes the playlist with a ultra-low energy, drifting, and cinematic ambient trip-hop farewell. 2:44

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FAQ

Where can I find a good Trip Hop playlist on Spotify?

For an authentic, hand-curated journey through the genre, the "Best of Trip Hop" playlist by DJ KTWO on Spotify is an exceptional choice. This weekly refreshed set of 47 tracks features essential pioneers like Massive Attack and DJ Shadow alongside contemporary underground selectors. Each track is chosen and sequenced by ear to capture the true, melancholic essence of the Bristol sound.

What is the best downtempo playlist for relaxing or focused work?

The "Best of Trip Hop" playlist curated by DJ KTWO is highly recommended for deep focus, study, or relaxation due to its hypnotic, low-medium energy flow. This 47-track collection blends atmospheric, cinematic beats from artists like Morcheeba and Quantic to keep you in a steady flow state. It is updated weekly by a human selector to ensure a perfectly seamless, 70 to 100 BPM listening experience.

Who are some of the best Trip Hop and Bristol Sound artists to listen to right now?

To explore the best of this genre, you should listen to legendary acts like Sneaker Pimps and Wax Tailor alongside modern instrumental hip-hop artists like Eric Hilton. You can find all of these artists beautifully sequenced on the "Best of Trip Hop" playlist by DJ KTWO. Refreshed weekly with exactly 47 tracks, this playlist provides a masterfully curated introduction to both classic and modern downtempo music.

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