Down-but-not-out-tempo music

Tapes like this are why I created that Mixtape thread a few years ago.

Listening to Rob Garza mixes this morning!

Been listening to these the past week:

BGwaves wrote:

Tapes like this are why I created that Mixtape thread a few years ago.

This type of stuff is basically all I want to listen to right now. Stuff with big drums and fake dub flavor. Sick.

That DJ Tomas mix was FANTASTIC and I would like 15 more mixes like that. Some that sound even more stoned, perhaps!

chrondog wrote:

Nick wrote:I listened to some Broadcast albums a few weeks ago and found many of their songs downtempo.

Weirdo pop bands like Broadcast or Stereolab are working with some downtempo elements and deserve to be discussed along this type of music. Especially for their vocals.

jesus jones wrote:

Now this is some HEAT my man. We'll be fucking all night long to this!

Good downtempo music sounds like hash smoking itself.

Late to this bandwagon, but popped in to say that yes, it does indeed fucking wail.

And this old chestnut buried in there is the best kind of 1995:

Maybe mixtape magic is on a similar wavelength. All these ‘chill out room’ mixes have been coming in the last month or so.

Here’s another great mix of stuff I think you’d like. Sounds a bit more ‘chill out room’ than ‘90s coffee shop’ but solid as hell throughout.

This is the best thread of the year.

Agreed! I'm now moving laterally into ambient DnB/jungle vibes on YouTube:



This is tremendous stuff. Anxiety-fueled BPMs but with space to breathe.

this is all i really wanna listen to as spring unfolds

If we can get this vaccine rollout going in the next few months, I plan to have this blaring while making Oklahoma onion smashburgers and grilled leeks for all my doggies.

I like the direction this thread is heading in

I was ready to call that mix too modern and hi-fi for this thread, but now I'm 25 minutes in and getting my face blown off while testing emails and eating Life cereal with greek yogurt.

This may be some modern bullshit, but one of my favorite things about the period of 90s exploration from DnB through downtempo music is the way it centers the true Black roots of this music in dub and reggae. DnB reaches straight back through hip hop and house music all the way to Augustus Pablo. It celebrates that through line completely.

The way Jungle touches all the best types of music at once is so so fun.

This is the greatest YouTuber of All Time: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAw0NyC_6y-se4zcQGbEgHA/videos

Unbelievable mix:


Do I need to make a separate thread to offer up 3-5 disjointed sentences on DnB while I just post links?

two of the best tracks from the K&D sessions:





still jamming this regularly. it just has a place in my life now where it will sit for awhile.

Very breezy, bouncy mix:



Not actually K&D, I think that's just YouTube upload shit so people will find it. It's this: https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Eclectic-Sound-Of-Vienna-3/release/251384

I haven’t listened to my vinyl copy (showing off) of Theo Parrish’s album Parallel Dimensions in a long time but the subwoofer brought it out. By definition of this thread, Theo Parrish has been dubbed, by me, superhero of downtempo!

i love that record so much. sounds like it was recorded inside a warm winter coat

I bought AR Kane’s New Clear Child recently and I’ve been meaning to post about it hear. It’s a pretty great downtempo album, laidback, early 90s hip hop grooves, mixed with splashes of crystalline guitar, and some pretty cheesy lyrics. However, the way Alex Ayuli performs those cheesy lyrics is worth it for me, although, I can understand if you’re not into his style. 

I’d also recommend their first two albums, 69 and i. 69 in particular has become one of my favorites this year. They apparently coined the term Dream Pop to describe what they were doing so that might make them worth investigating for some of you. They kinda sound like a precursor to the sort of thing that TV on the Radio expanded on in the 2000s. Sadly while researching their vinyl I found out that they have a dispute with the guy from One Little Indian. Apparently he bought the catalog at a liquidated price from whoever had it before them and he’s been holding it without any plans. The band is furious as they wanted to do a 30th anniversary edition with a tour but are unable to control their own recordings. Apparently One Little Indian doesn’t even have the Masters so if they reissued it themselves it’d basically be from a digital file… lame.

This album is quite insane and I enjoy it. I like genre-hopping and vibes. You're on the money that these vocals/lyrics are absurd at points—I've learned to enjoy that as part of the charm of 90s/early 2000s downtempo.

This has been on for 25 minutes and I can't really say what's happening. It's a mix of breathy vocals, bongos, horns, harps, hip-hop, and a bunch of other shit.

I never really gave the album ‘i’ a full listen. It is equally as weird and good. Heavy Manchester vibe with the melodies and grooves with this one. Almost reminds me of around the world in a day era prince at times too. This band was the best discovery of the year for me.

BGwaves wrote:I never really gave the album ‘i’ a full listen. It is equally as weird and good. Heavy Manchester vibe with the melodies and grooves with this one. Almost reminds me of around the world in a day era prince at times too. This band was the best discovery of the year for me.

Last 3 posts in this thread means I’ll be listening to A.R. Kane all week.

I listened to this while doing the Korok Trials. The music matched the gameplay and made for a good morning!