- How do I choose between downtempo and chillout?
- By whether you want groove or atmosphere. Downtempo has a thick low end and break-logic drums, so the groove is clearly present. Chillout keeps the kit lighter and the timbres brighter, putting weight on atmosphere. First for background with rhythm, second for background you barely notice.
- Is it the same thing as trip hop?
- No, but they sit close. Trip hop is the branch of downtempo with a darker mood, leaning harder on sample collage and period texture. Downtempo is the wider category and its mood can be neutral or even bright. Say trip hop explicitly when you want the darker character.
- How do I actually get the tempo down?
- Give the number and name the groove: "75–90 BPM, syncopated break-style drums, relaxed snare placement off the grid, thick low end, no riser or drop." Prompts that say only "slow" often come back above 110, which no longer reads as this style at all.
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