Chillout

Chill-out music (sometimes also chillout, chill out or simply chill) is a genre of electronic music and an umbrella term for several styles of electronic music characterized by their mellow style and mid-tempo beats—"chill" being derived from a slang injunction to "relax".

Chill-out music emerged in the early and mid-1990s in "chill rooms" at dance clubs, where relaxing music was played to allow dancers a chance to "chill out" from the more emphatic and fast-tempo music played on the main dance floor.

The genres associated with chill-out are mostly ambient, trip hop, nu jazz, ambient house and other subgenres of downtempo. Sometimes the easy listening sub genre lounge is considered to belong to the chill-out collection as well. Chill out as a musical genre or description is synonymous with the more recently popularized terms "smooth electronica" and "soft techno" and is a loose genre of music blurring into several other very distinct styles of electronic and lo-fi music.

Monstercat has not assigned Chillout a color yet, making Chillout songs fall under grey. It is important to note that the genres below usually, but not always, go under Chillout for labeling purposes.

Commonly Referenced Subgenres:

• Ambient: a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. A form of slow instrumental music, it uses repetitive, but gentle, soothing sound patterns that can be described as sonic wallpaper to complement or alter one’s space and to generate a sense of calmness.
  • Psybient: a genre of electronic music that uses elements from Psychedelic Trance (Psytrance) & Ambient, and, as the name implies, features an emphasis on psychedelic soundscapes. Syncopation is a mainstay, supported by effects such as phasers, flangers, filters and bolstered by gated rhythms. Examples:
    • Haywyre - "Restraint"

      

      Haywyre - Restraint (Unofficial Music Video)

    • Ott - "Adrift in Hilbert Space"

      

      Ott - Adrift In Hilbert Space

    • Bluetech - "Alchemie Dub" (actually Psydub)

      

      Alchemie Dub

• Downtempo: a genre of electronic music similar to ambient music, but with a greater emphasis on beats and a less "earthy" sound than trip hop.
• Trip Hop: a bass-heavy drumbeat, often providing the slowed down break beat samples similar to standard 1990's Hip Hop beats, giving the genre a more psychedelic and mainstream feel. Vocals in trip hop are often female and feature characteristics of various singing styles including R&B, jazz and rock. Ethereal soundscapes built upon hip-work breakbeat drum frameworks. Relatively broad in mood, ranging from sounds you'd hear in a coffe shop to compositions in very deep, bassy settings. Delay and reverb are effects used very liberally to achieve profound and immersive sonic creations. Vocal & synth pads are used as supporting elements to build ambience. An emphasis on groove, with syncopated / swung rhythms, is to be expected. Examples:
  • Rezonate - "Elemental"

    

    Rezonate - Elemental -Prelude EP-

  • Varien & CoMa - "L'esprit Noir (The Spirit of Darkness)"

    

    -Chillout- - Varien - L'esprit Noir (The Spirit of Darkness) (feat. CoMa) -Monstercat Free Release-

  • Mr Fijiwiji & Matt Van - "Enough"

    

    Mr FijiWiji & Matt Van - Enough -Monstercat Release-

• • Gramatik - "No Way Out"

    

    11. Gramatik - "No Way Out"

  • Gramatik - "In My City"

    

    1. Gramatik - In My City

  • Vintage & Morelli - "Last of Us"

    

    Last Of Us (Original Mix)

  • Skope - "Vanquish"

    

    Skope - Vanquish

  • Haywyre - "Ovvaflow"

    

    Ovvaflow

  • Haywyre - "A New Era"

    

    A New Era

  • CharlestheFirst - "The Mist" (w/ CloZee)

    

    CloZee)

  • Mr FijiWiji (feat. Exist Strategy) - "To Belong"

    

    Mr FijiWiji - To Belong (feat. Exist Strategy)

  • Andrew Bayer (feat. Alison May) - "Immortal Lover"

    

    Andrew Bayer feat. Alison May - Immortal Lover (Official Music Video)