‘Chill Out Music’ is an all-encompassing term that can include anything from slow classical music to trance music. Definitions include laid back dance music, eighties-style synth music and new age music. To us, the term Chill Out Music means all of these things and more. We are interested in music that defies categorization; music that can become part of the soundtrack of life.
Chill out music has its roots in many different genres of music. The term itself is closely linked with club culture. Throughout the eighties and nineties raves were organized in disused sites around London. These brought together city dwellers wishing to escape the rat race for a weekend and travellers who were already involved in new age culture. This progressed into the club culture of the mid-nineties. Nightclubs began to feature chill out rooms to which clubbers could retreat in order to escape the crowded dance floors. Throughout this time ambient music was enjoying a surge in popularity, with artists such as Brian Eno and Aphex Twin at its forefront. The influence of minimalist composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass and John Adams was also being felt in the dance music world. Traditional new age chill out music continued to evolve from its origins in the sixties, and began to feature electronic instruments alongside ethnic instruments. Artists such as Deuter have gained large and loyal followings.
The chill out music genre is formed from many separate strands, and now includes any music that can be used for relaxation and to provide an escape from the pressures of modern life. Today, there is a growing realization that modern technology does not always bring with it a better quality of life. Activities such as meditation, t’ai chi and yoga are becoming more and more popular. People are looking for other ways to make sense of their lives. We hope that this site can be somewhere where people can come to relax and enjoy music whose only statement is the music itself.