Chillout

History and character

Chillout (chill-out) refers to the slower, more relaxed music played in the decompression rooms of British clubs and raves in the late 1980s and 1990s: the chill-out rooms, where dancers rested after hours of acid house and techno. The emblematic record is The KLF's Chill Out (1990), together with the early work of The Orb and the ambient house compilations. In Ibiza DJs began playing slower, softer electronic music at dawn: Café del Mar in San Antonio, with DJ José Padilla, became the symbol of the Balearic sunset, and the Café del Mar compilations (from 1994) turned chillout into a worldwide commercial phenomenon, followed by Buddha-Bar (Paris), Hôtel Costes (Stéphane Pompougnac) and the Ministry of Sound Chillout Sessions.

Artists and records: Groove Armada (At the River, 1997, with a Patti Page sample), Air (Moon Safari, 1998; Playground Love, 2000), Zero 7 (Simple Things, 2001), Moby (Play, 1999), Lemon Jelly, Röyksopp (Melody A.M.), Afterlife, Chicane, Bent, Kinobe, Thievery Corporation, Blank & Jones in their chill versions, Mandalay, Morcheeba, St Germain (Tourist, 2000, jazzy deep house), and today Bonobo, Khruangbin, Parcels in their slower versions, lo-fi beats, “organic house” and the “Balearic beat” revived by labels like Music From Memory.

Chillout blends downtempo, lounge, ambient, slow house, electronic bossa nova, nu jazz, world music and dub. Aesthetic: relaxation, sunset, sea, travel; warm and soft production, gentle grooves, plenty of acoustic and Spanish guitars, Rhodes, pads, whispered female vocals, nature samples.

Scales and keys

In the modes, Roman numerals refer to the scale of the mode.

Major with 7th and 9th (Balearic)

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (T T S T T T S). In G: G A B C D E F#.
• Characteristic note: maj7 and 9: the warm light of sunset.
• Chords: Gmaj7 Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 D7sus4 Em7 F#ø7.
• Use: Imaj7–IVmaj7, ii7–V7sus4, acoustic guitars with open chords.
• Example: Groove Armada — At the River (major, slow).

Dorian (lounge and nu jazz)

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7. In A Dorian: A B C D E F# G.
• Characteristic note: major 6th (F#): major IV (D9).
• Chords (modal scale): i Am9 – ii Bm7 – III Cmaj7 – IV D9 – v Em7 – VII Gmaj7.
• Use: i9–IV9 vamp with Rhodes, flute and jazz bass (St Germain).

Lydian (suspension)

• Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7. In F Lydian: F G A B C D E. I–II over a pedal for “oceanic” pads.

Phrygian and Phrygian dominant (Spanish color)

• Phrygian: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — in E: E F G A B C D. Spanish guitar and Andalusian progressions (Am G F E).
• Phrygian dominant: 1 b2 3 4 5 b6 b7 — in E: E F G# A B C D. The flamenco color of Balearic chillout.

Natural minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7. Melancholic chill ballads (Zero 7, Air).

How to choose

Harmony

Function

Soft loops of 2–4 chords with extensions, softened cadences (V7sus4 instead of V7), lots of space. The progression serves to create a constant “climate.”

Techniques

• Imaj7–IVmaj7 alternating (Balearic).
• Suspended ii–V (Am7–D7sus4).
• Andalusian cadence (i–VII–VI–V) with Spanish guitar.
• Pedal and drone under pads.
• Samples of jazz, bossa and easy listening.

Voicing

Acoustic guitar with open chords and open strings, Rhodes with jazz voicings, wide pads, soft strings.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Slow, soft grooves: downtempo hip hop beats (80–95) with swing 54–58%, slow and deep house (100–118) with a soft kick, electronic bossa nova (90–110), ambient with no drums. Delicate accents, light percussion, plenty of air. The feel is relaxed, sometimes slightly behind the beat.

Drums

Kick

Soft and deep: four on the floor in slow house, syncopated (1, 8, 11) in downtempo beats, bossa (1 and 3 with anticipations).

Snare and rim

Rim or soft snare on 2 and 4, brushes, soft clap with long reverb.

Hi-hat and percussion

Light, swung hats, shaker, bongo and conga, cabasa, bells, ethnic percussion; field recordings (waves, birds).

Interaction

Low drums in the mix, the groove is carried by bass and guitar.

By section

Intro with field recordings and pad; A with a light beat; B with vocal; breakdown without drums; long outro.

Fills and sounds

Minimal fills, transitions with filters and reverbs. Warm sounds, soft samples. Mistakes: hard EDM kick; bright hats.

Bass

• Sound: soft electric bass, double bass, sine synth bass, dub bass.
• Notes: simple, melodic lines, long notes, bossa (root and fifth).
• Relationship with the kick: soft interlocking; light sidechain in slow house.
• Examples: Groove Armada — At the River (essential bass), St Germain — Rose Rouge (jazz-house bass).

Harmonic instruments

Acoustic and Spanish guitar, Rhodes, piano, pads, soft strings, flute, sax, muted trumpet, vibraphone, sitar and ethnic instruments, vocal samples, jazz and easy listening samples.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: whispered, warm female voices, male soul voices, repeated vocal samples, wordless voices.
• Melody: slow, simple, often given to instruments (flute, sax, guitar, slide guitar).
• Effects: long reverb, dotted-1/4 delay, chorus, soft saturation.

Instruments

Acoustic and Spanish guitar, bass, soft drums and drum machines, Rhodes, piano, pads, strings, winds (flute, sax, trumpet), vibraphone, ethnic instruments, field recordings, voice.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Stage-73 V — Rhodes: Soft seventh chords with tremolo.
• Jun-6 V — Warm pads: Long pads with chorus.
• Solina V — String machine: Soft, nostalgic strings.
• Mellotron V — Flutes and strings: Vintage color (Air).
• Piano V — Piano: Piano with long reverb for more intimate tracks.
• Mini V — Synth bass: Soft sine for basses.
• Augmented Voices — Ethereal voices: Vocal pads for “oceanic” atmospheres.

Song structure

Length 4:00–7:00.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Warm, soft, spacious: round bass, silky highs, discreet drums, guitar and Rhodes featured, wide but clean reverbs. References: Groove Armada — At the River, Air — La femme d'argent, Zero 7 — Destiny, St Germain — Rose Rouge, Bonobo — Kerala.

Kick

HP 30 Hz, +2 dB at 60–70 Hz, −3 dB at 300 Hz, LP 8 kHz; compression 2 dB; center.

Snare and rim

HP 120 Hz, −2 dB at 5 kHz, plate 1.5–2 s; center.

Percussion

HP 300 Hz; wide (40–70%), natural room; field recordings at low volume.

Bass

HP 30 Hz, full sub, −2 dB at 250 Hz; opto 3 dB; mono.

Guitars, Rhodes, pads, strings, winds

HP 100–150 Hz; −2 dB at 300–400 Hz; hall reverbs 2–4 s with filters on the return; dotted-1/4 delay; wide; winds with plate.

Vocal

HP 80 Hz; moderate presence; opto compression 4–6 dB; plate 2 s with 60 ms pre-delay; 1/4 delay; level inside the mix.

FX

Field recordings (waves, wind), vinyl crackle, reverse.

Buses and groups

Music bus with tape; mix bus 1 dB.

Sidechain

Light in slow house (1–3 dB on pads and bass).

Master

Chain soft EQ → tape → compressor 1 dB → limiter. Target −12/−10 LUFS, true peak ≤ −1 dBTP, PLR 11–14 dB.

Common mistakes

Master too loud (loses the relaxation); harsh highs; muddy reverbs; drums too present.

Mix reference tracks

Groove Armada — At the River (1997); Air — La femme d'argent (1998); St Germain — Rose Rouge (2000); Zero 7 — Destiny (2001); Bonobo — Kerala (2016).

Reference listening

• The KLF — Chill Out (album, 1990)
• Groove Armada — At the River (1997)
• Air — La femme d'argent (1998)
• Moby — Porcelain (1999)
• Air — Playground Love (2000)
• St Germain — Rose Rouge (2000)
• Zero 7 — Destiny (2001)
• Röyksopp — Eple (2001)
• Bonobo — Kerala (2016)