Downtempo

Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music (downtempo tracks are usually around 90 BPM). Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may be played in relaxation clubs or as "warm-up or cool-down" music during a DJ set. Examples of downtempo subgenres include trip hop, ambient house, chillwave, psybient and lofi hip-hop.

The style emerged in the late 1980s with the UK's Bristol scene that birthed Massive Attack, Portishead, and Tricky. In the 1990s, the style was heard internationally in artists such as Hooverphonic, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Fila Brazillia, and Thievery Corporation. Other prominent artists to emerge in the style include Underworld, Orbital, Fluke, Boards of Canada, Nicolas Jaar, and Bonobo.