You’ve probably heard the term trip-hop revival tossed about a fair bit in recent years when someone starts reminiscing about Portishead. Here’s four recent(ish) albums to check out from artists spearheading the new wave of dubbed out atmospherics.
Stone – Dream Curtain Eternally Gentle (2025)
British producer Stone announced himself to the small legion of devoted trip-hop fanatics with his stunning debut last year. Picking up the tradition of intercutting the spaced rhythms with sound bytes and vocal samples, the result is a mesmeric LP heavy on atmospheric texture.
The record pays homage to several trip-hop pioneers, with DJ Shadow’s percussive style a particularly prominent feature. For a sub-genre so steeped in intertextuality, it’s no surprise to see the breadth of influences converge here. Not a bad way to kick-start your first foray into the scene.
a.s.o. – a.s.o. (2023)
Combining dreamy vocals with delay heavy ambient soundscapes is a pretty surefire way to nail your trip-hop debut. Australian artists Tornado Wallace and Alias Error executed this formula to perfection when they teamed up as a.s.o. to drop their debut collaborative namesake LP.
It’s a sultry effort which pays respect to its influences without trying overtly hard to emulate them, existing entirely on its own terms. Reddit commentators were quickly comparing it to Massive Attack’s seminal trip-hop classic Mezzanine. If you’re looking for validation that this is a pastiche worth praising, then look no further.
trickpony – 24/7 Heaven (2025)
After first appearing in 2024 on Step Ball Chain (which is quickly becoming a hotbed label for the revival) with their stunning debut EP Pillow Talk, the duo of Australian electronic artists Mike Midnight and Roza Terenzi teamed up with Helsinki’s own emerging vocal star Maria Korkeila to form a trip-hop supergroup.
Their first full length appeared the following year and showed a growing command of the genre. The nostalgia is practically steeping out of this one, and the electronic influence is strong; dreamy vocal delays, slick programming and sweeping pads primed for a eyes shut on the dance floor moment. More of the same, please.
Th Blisks – Elixa (2024)
The less assuming of the four records in this list, the second LP from Th Blisks is a sun-drenched trip-hop reverie that draws upon influences in a far more detached, ethereal manner than the direct genre-revival LPs hitting the scene.
Born of yet another Aussie based trip-hop supergroup (someone go find out what’s going on over here), Elixa is a curious record which is shrouded in a murkier texture, heavy on the lo-fi fuzz. It’s a collection of tracks operating as isthe sonic embodiment of those hazier, more distorted memories that could easily be dreams locked in the subconscious. Pretty avant-garde, but certainly an intriguing listen.
