downtempo
what it is
Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling. Sometimes the beats are more complicated and more featured instead of being in the background, but even then they are usually less intense than other kinds of electronic music like Trance.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make downtempo a playlist
turn these 40 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is downtempo?
Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling. Sometimes the beats are more complicated and more featured instead of being in the background, but even then they are usually less intense than other kinds of electronic music like Trance.
What are good downtempo albums to start with?
Try Lifetime by Erika de Casier, Suzuki by Tosca, Radio Retaliation by Thievery Corporation, and Melody A.M. by Röyksopp.
Who are some women making downtempo?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/downtempo/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making downtempo, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20