This month: gloomy & groovy trip-hop Born from Bristol’s underground scene in the early ’90s, trip-hop blends slow hip-hop beats, samples and scratching with smoky jazz, dub and electronic sounds. Think deep bass, dreamy or haunting vocals, dusty vinyl and a slightly cinematic, after-midnight atmosphere. Never heard of trip-hop? Perfect. That’s what Beyond the Playlist is for. We’ll dive into three defining albums — listen to them in your own time, then come along to talk, debate and compare notes over a drink. BLUE LINES by Massive Attack (1991) “Dance music for the head rather than the feet” — that’s how Massive Attack described what they were after. Trip-hop didn’t even have a name when Blue Lines came out, yet here was already its first true masterpiece. DUMMY by Portishead (1994) Often considered the definitive trip-hop album. “Vintage, modern and timeless, and like nothing anyone had ever heard before.” (Slant Magazine) ENTRODUCING… by DJ Shadow (1996) Where hip-hop meets trip-hop. A dreamlike collage made almost entirely from samples dug out of vinyl—bits of Metallica, Björk, psychedelic rock, Twin Peaks, Prince of Darkness and a whole lot more. Guinness calls it the first album ever made entirely from samples, and critics have ranked it among the best albums of the ’90s. No music expertise required. Just curiosity and a willingness to listen. Coming next: November — Neo-Soul December — Country Sunday, 25th October 2026 6:00–8:00 pm The Black Horse 6 Rathbone Place London W1T 1HL A few minutes’ walk from Tottenham Court Road station.

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