Reviews (page 2 of 7)
Genuinely shocked by how good that was.
Smoking weed mood
Once upon a time I thought all the music of the future would sound this cool! It doesn’t, but that which does owes a lot to this way-ahead-of-its-time sound.
Chill stuff
Back to playing catch-up in the Electronica genre, this is the music I love to have playing in the background while I'm work. Its upbeat but not in your face distracting.
Nice, a band I didn't know nothing but the name about! I actually thought this would be a reggae/dub/elektro -mashup, after reading up on it I think this is something that my mates in the 90's tried to push on to me. Only things that stuck were Children Of The Bong and some Metalheadz/Goldie things, I suppose. I really enjoyed this one. This is chillout music at it's best and I gotta look into this stuff some more.
very groovy. i listened to this while fried out my mind. felt that shit honestly.
Nightmares on Wax are on permanent rotation for me. 6/5
love this
Super catchy, easy to listen to at all times beats. Would definitely listen to while driving, reading, cleaning, etc. loved it.
I violently came listening to this album
great chill music. Really enjoyed it.
Great relaxing electronic music!
niiiiice
Vibes on top of vibes Jazzy chill hip hop techno Windows down night drive
what a great album. I'm putting this in the Zero7/Tame Impala section of the library
Never heard of the group. Liked this.
groves end to end
Loved this one. Great chill beats and found a few favorites
This album was amazing and not at all what i expected. Moving to the top of playlist
Bears, BEATS, Battle Star Galactica
nice
super sweet
Best one yet
Aptly titled I reckon.
this is really cool. I would love to own this.
Some chill downtempo electronica. Nothing fast-paced or frantic, just an hour and fourteen minutes of smooth-as-butter trip-hop perfection. Beautiful music to just chill to on this hot summer's day. It's background music for sure but I'm totally okay with that. Maybe there would be some days where I wouldn't be so into something so slow and mellowed out, but this just works too perfectly today. Favourite: Dreddoverboard
I love Nightmares On Wax
I didn't get all the way through this on my first round of listening but was very much enjoying the music as such that when I was making dinner I put Nightmares On Wax on and very much enjoyed some of their other tracks. Faves on this release would be Groove St., and Rise. Looking forward to spending more time with these guys.
Loved it. Very diverse sounds across the whole album, feels ahead of it's time. I'd love to hear modern remixes/sampling with most of the songs. I added 3 or 4 while listening and will definitely be back soon. I'd be interested to hear the live set from Freestyle '18 as well. Overall a great early entry in the field of downtempo. 8.5/10
Cracking album, super chilled, laid-back trip-hop. I know it's not to everyone's taste, but I just wanted to lay back, roll up a fat one, and get stoned
Fun! Really good instrumental album.
Great chill ambient album. Perfect background music imo. Saved tracks: Pipes Honour, Groove St., (Man) Tha Journey, Cruise(Don't Stop)
This was a great, mellow, listen. I was a bit surprised that this came out before Moby came along (unless there's a connection between the two). This album is going to get listened to a lot.
This is just a perfect trip-hop album, I can't believe I had not heard it before. Loved every second of it.
Loved it. Chill vibe more so than Gramatik
really nice album hard to think of any complaints other than it being a bit simplistic and repetitive at times still, I really enjoyed it - 9/10
Such a chilled album, I love it. This is now one of my go to albums for those time when I want to unwind
Очень хорошая фоновая музыка
Man oh man what an album. This takes me right back. The pure laid back sounds and grooves. I've smoked a lot to this album over the years. But 20 years late and sober as a judge still sounds awesome. You do need the bass up mind.
#/5 -
Quintessential trip hop
Album 243. Smokers Delight (https://open.spotify.com/album/2kXJwEYQw7WD8cz8VAAcHm?si=m0m16i-pRKe8rpcBkDUSAA) — Nightmares On Wax (1995) It has a lot of similarities with recent penguin album (https://t.me/falton1001/622). I mean, it's great background music again, but I don't wanna add it to my playlist. Nice, smooth instrumental background hip-hop. Great samples and jazz elements. 4/5 Liked: — Dreddoverboard
Some of the other reviews for this album refer to it as "wallpaper," which I find interesting. Sure, wallpaper can just fade into the background if you're not a details person. It can also transform a room and set the feeling of it altogether. And if you look close, wallpaper can have all kinds of interesting stuff going on within it. It also requires skill to pick out the right thing and install it. So, you can call it wallpaper as an insult if you want, but I'll call it the wallpaper that created the perfect mood in my room today. I'll definitely add this to my personal collection, along with a couple other of his albums ⭐⭐⭐⭐
post club chill out music. Not a chill-out /lounge /Ibiza compilation out there without NoW featuring. Some great tunes, not all of their best stuff. A candidate for best of album to feature on this list
....
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
I dig this. Reading some other reviews, people expected it to be something else judging the album cover, some kind of reggae or whatever. Same, but let’s think about it…Smokers Delight…a purely instrumental, groovy, background type of music. It’s smoking music. Meant to be played in the background while you smoke and joke. Sets a nice vibe, don't have to pay too much attention to appreciate the groove. I love this kind of stuff. Not the greatest instrumental I’ve ever heard, but will probably revisit for background while I work, study, or smoke.
Good edm
When I saw the negative reviews I knew I would enjoy this 😆 This is a straightforward down tempo chilled instrumental album. Yes it does would like background music, the sort of thing that you would hear in some beachside summer bar with its “Ibiza” vibes (I’ve never been to Ibiza). Good music doesn’t mean you have to have complex stuff that requires concentration or virtuoso soloists that you think you have “discovered”. It doesn’t have to have lots of lyrics on teenage angst by the new “people’s poet”. Sometimes it can be laid back and easy to absorb, something to enhance a mood. I think that this is one of those albums. Being called smokers delight I must admit I was expecting something more sunny, particularly with the green and red cover. It is more electronica Perfectly reasonable album but I’m not sure why it should be in the 1001
Solid, chill 4.5
Den her rullet og gikk mens jeg satt ute og jobbet i sola. Perfekt musikk til formålet. Litt asiatisk beach bar-stemning. Kommer til å sette den på flere ganger i sola.
chill music
Too long, but moment to moment, I'm having a great time.
Bit dated but good
pretty good music to relax to. mission venice was probably the catchiest track.
I thought What I'm Feelin (Good) was sampling a ringtone before I realized this was from before ringtones sounded like this. A true pioneer, 9/10.
It was fun!
From the cover and title I was expecting a reggae or hip-hop album with a pretty obvious central focus. However it's a relaxed instrumental trip-hop/electronic album with a wonderfully mellow vibe. I much prefer this to the Orbital style, dancier electronic instrumental music, which I suppose says to me that my clubbing days are over. If I didn't already know that (I did already know that)
Long, but that left plenty of room for some things I really enjoyed. But also really long.
A chill stoner type album that lands well. Good flow states music. Definitely sounds like the 90s.
I think it probably says something about me that I enjoy laid back, repetitive, dub based electronica like this and can't stand repetitive, 4-on-the-floor, dance based electronica.
great background music a unique mix of sounds , felt like I was at an artsy bar.
This chill album is exactly what I needed today and I listened on repeat while I did some complicated accounting. I can’t say that any tracks, apart from track 1, particularly stand out but something I will Listen to a lot. 4
Wow, crazy. I just listened to this again the other day. I like A Space Outta Sound better. George Evelyn is a great dj. I can’t imagine people coming to this cold. I mean it is very easy listening, but rarely do I find people appreciate Evelyn as a dj unless they already know him as a dj. 4 stars. Boolean rating: yes. Glad I knew about Nightmares on Wax before I died.
Never heard of it, but super easy to listen! I liked it!
This will be my new favorite programming music album.
Fuck yeah could have this on repeat all day. It’s groovy it’s cool it’s chill it’s nice. 4.5/5.0 Best Song: Bless My Soul
Great Trip hop representation
chill, niet perse banging tunes. beetje chilling on the extreme achtig.
This is a green, healthy, lively plant standing in the corner. Only remember bless my soul. 3.5/5
Just interesting enough to grab you as far as trip hop goes. I really enjoyed this on in the background, which I imagine would also be wonderful under certain influences.
# Smokers Delight by Nightmares On Wax: In-Depth Review Released in 1995 on Warp Records, *Smokers Delight* stands as one of the defining albums of the downtempo and trip-hop era. Created by George Evelyn (a.k.a. DJ E.A.S.E.) after the departure of his original bandmates, this sophomore effort transformed Nightmares On Wax from a bleep-era techno outfit into a pioneering force in chilled, sample-based hip-hop production. --- ## Production & Sound Design George Evelyn crafted *Smokers Delight* in relative isolation, working from his cold Leeds flat using an Atari ST computer and an Akai S950 sampler . The album took a full year to clear all its samples before Warp could release it—a testament to Evelyn's crate-digging approach and the dense layering of borrowed sounds. The production philosophy was deeply rooted in instrumental hip-hop traditions. Evelyn himself rejected the "trip-hop" label, writing "This is not trip hop!" in the album's liner notes . He saw the record as continuing the lineage of instrumental hip-hop tracks from compilations like *Hip Hop On Wax*, rather than something entirely new. The inspiration came partly from listening to The KLF's *Chill Out* album while "tripping on acid," which gave him the idea to create "a hip-hop chill-out album that would be a trip and journey" . The sound palette is warm and organic, blending: - **Jazz and soul samples** (including a prominent Quincy Jones sample on "Nights Introlude" that required Evelyn to write a two-page letter to clear ) - **Dub and reggae influences** reflecting Evelyn's sound system culture background - **Hip-hop breakbeats** and boom-bap rhythms - **Ambient textures** and spatial effects that create a hazy, immersive atmosphere Notably, the album lacks the "crunchy and lofi" aesthetic of contemporaries like Massive Attack or Portishead . Instead, it maintains a cleaner, more polished sound that some critics have described as almost "too clean" or "on the grid" compared to later instrumental hip-hop innovations by J Dilla or DJ Shadow . --- ## Lyrics & Vocals *Smokers Delight* is predominantly an instrumental album. When vocals do appear, they function as textural elements rather than narrative drivers—snippets of dialogue, sampled phrases, or wordless melodic lines that drift in and out of the mix like half-remembered conversations. The album's "lyrical" content exists more in the spaces between sounds. Track titles like "Nights Introlude," "Dreddoverboard," "Pipes Honour," and "Gambia via Vagator Beach" evoke specific moods and locations without needing explicit verses. The vocal samples that do appear—such as the echo-y voice saying "man" on certain tracks—serve as rhythmic punctuation rather than storytelling devices . This instrumental focus was deliberate. Evelyn wanted to create music that worked as "a trip and journey," where the listener's imagination could fill in the narrative gaps . --- ## Themes & Concept The album's title and reputation have led many to dismiss it as merely "stoner music" or functional background sound . However, this underestimates its conceptual depth. **The After-Hours Experience**: The record captures a specific temporal and emotional space—the liminal hours after raves ended, when adrenaline subsides into contemplative calm. Evelyn created the album from cassette loops he used to play for friends during post-rave hangouts, documenting a genuine subcultural ritual of the early '90s UK dance scene . **Social Context**: Evelyn has spoken about how the music emerged from "social pressures" and the "cracks in society" visible during Thatcher's Britain. The soulful, escapist quality of the album was, in his words, a cry for expression against systematic manipulation . It served as an "antidote to years of Thatcherite Britain" and the perfect soundtrack for a generation coming down from the heady days of rave . **Cultural Fusion**: The album represents a distinctly Black British musical identity, weaving together the sounds that shaped Evelyn's Leeds upbringing—dub, dancehall, lovers' rock, smooth soul, and hip-hop—into what one critic called "as elegant an expression of black British music as Sade and Soul II Soul" . --- ## Influence & Legacy *Smokers Delight* has grown substantially in stature since its modest initial release. Through word-of-mouth rather than major promotional budgets, it became "the word" within six months of touring . **Genre Impact**: Alongside Massive Attack's *Blue Lines* and Portishead's *Dummy*, the album is cited as a pivotal work in establishing the downtempo and trip-hop sound of the mid-'90s . It helped define the "chill-out" room aesthetic that became standard in clubs worldwide. **Production Influence**: The album influenced countless producers working in instrumental hip-hop, downtempo, and lounge music. Its sample-based approach and warm, organic sound design can be traced through to later movements like chillwave and lo-fi hip-hop . **Cultural Permeation**: The record's ubiquity in "swish bars, funky hotels and relaxed ambiance" has been both a blessing and a curse—while it introduced millions to downtempo sounds, its very success as background music has sometimes obscured its artistic merits . --- ## Pros | Aspect | Assessment | |--------|------------| | **Atmosphere** | Creates an immersive, warm, and genuinely transportive listening experience that few albums match | | **Production Craft** | Impeccable sample selection and mixing—every element is precisely placed for maximum relaxation and groove | | **Cohesion** | The album flows exceptionally well as a continuous listen, functioning as a genuine "journey" from start to finish | | **Timelessness** | Despite being firmly rooted in the mid-'90s, the production quality and musical selections have aged remarkably well | | **Historical Significance** | A cornerstone document of UK electronic music's evolution from rave to more contemplative sounds | | **Versatility** | Works equally well for focused listening or as atmospheric background music | --- ## Cons | Aspect | Assessment | |--------|------------| | **Length** | At 74 minutes with multiple tracks exceeding five minutes, it can test the patience of listeners seeking variety | | **Repetition** | The hypnotic, loop-based approach can feel monotonous to some listeners, particularly during attentive listening | | **Lack of Dynamic Range** | By design, the album avoids dramatic shifts in energy or mood, which some find creates a static, passive listening experience | | **"Background Music" Perception** | Its very success as ambient sound has led to it being dismissed as "aural wallpaper" or "hotel lobby music" by detractors | | **Vocal Absence** | Those seeking traditional song structures or lyrical content may find the instrumental focus limiting | --- ## Verdict *Smokers Delight* is a paradoxical album—celebrated for its chill-out functionality yet artistically sophisticated in its construction; dismissed by some as background music while others recognize it as a fearless, original statement. George Evelyn created something that was "in completely uncharted territory" at the time, and as he noted, "the price of originality" was not knowing if anyone would join him on that island . Twenty-five years later, the album remains a touchstone for downtempo production and a perfect document of a specific cultural moment—the comedown from Britain's rave revolution. Whether you hear it as sophisticated instrumental hip-hop, stoner ambience, or timeless after-hours music depends largely on your listening context. But its influence on electronic music's quieter corners is undeniable, and its best moments—particularly the opening "Nights Introlude"—rank among the most beautiful productions of the 1990s. **Rating Context**: While some listeners find it essential (5/5) and others find it boring (1-2/5), the consensus among electronic music historians positions it as a significant, if not flawless, achievement—roughly 3.5-4/5 for general listeners, higher for fans of the genre .
Música de ascensor o lo que te ponen cuando esperas por teléfono pero me ha parecido chulisimo
Nice one. Instrumental
Not what I expected after seeing the album cover and title. Chill vibes, no obnoxious vocals. This is a fine album. You would get your money's worth with it. That being said the original Donkey Kong Country soundtrack deserves to be on this list.
Thought I hated ambient music but j actually enjoyed this quite a bit. Mellowed me out on the tube. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song - stars Least fav- Gambia via vagator beach
Some chill ass beats. Feels like a video game soundtrack at points
Inga individuella låtar som lämnar ett särskilt starkt intryck men som helhet och framförallt bakgrundsmusik så är det toppen, och jag tackar inte nej till bra bakgrundsmusik!
Lively little lo-fi vibed thing that I let play in the background all through my afternoon at a computer. I will keep this one on my playlist.
This album was trippy, and groovy and so cool and fun to listen to. I really appreciated this.
I totally prejudged based on the cover image but it surprised me, and actually enjoyed this way more than expected to.
Vibes
I grew up with this album. Electronic music really hit its stride in the late 90’s and NoW was a huge part of laying the groundwork for what was to come in the downtempo, dub and ambient genres. Excellent album!
Some solid instrumental hip hop.
Started off great but turned kinda meh midway through
A mellowed, psychedelic romp.
I had no idea what to expect from this, but I really enjoyed it.
Dit is niet het meest uitgesproken album en het is ook niet een album wat je automatisch noemt als mensen vragen naar je favoriete triphop album, maar ik vind het wel lekker om aan te hebben staan. Ik snap dat het zich leent voor wachtmuziekgrapjes en hotel-lobby-opmerkingen, dat de commentsectie er vol mee staat vind ik toch wel wat flauw. Het is allemaal iets te langdurig en saai voor een monsterscore, maar ik vind dit zeker een lekker album voor tijdens het werken. 4 sterren.
Coherent but different enough, flowy, groovy, vibey. A nice surprise
Great album to put on and unwind to. Downtempo dub inspired beats, heavy bass lines. Perfect evening or sunny afternoon
Good and funky, great music to cook to.
Nice, mellow, instrumental music with reggae vibes - highly enjoyable
en af de albums jeg har lyttet til på forkant fordi jeg blev så caught op i big beat og electronisk musik vel også en smule triphop efter jeg havde lyttet til Chemical brothers og noget andet. Så ville jeg gerne høre noget af samme genre og selvom jeg ikke ved om det hører under præcis samme, så var det stadig godt. Jeg kan ærlig talt ikke huske det, så jeg burde nok lytte til det igen. Det gør jeg faktisk lige. Det kan faktisk også være det var efter Endtroducing.... okay det var rigtig fint, godt album. Det er sådan noget trip hop down tempo agtig noget, sådan lidt jazzet også ville jeg sige selv. fede beats og gode melodier, men det er godt nok ikke sådan et wow moment for mig. Men altså det er sgu godt hvis man skulle lytte til noget lækkert musik om morgenen til en god kop kaffe og mega chill out. Så er det helt spitze. Når jeg forestiller mig sådan et setting får den faktisk rimelig højt score. Det giver virkelig følelsen af at alt går stille og roligt og byen soven. også lidt sidequest agtig
While the title and cover hint at a certain... utility in the music, for me it was just an enchanting trip hop record. I listened to twice and loved—stone cold sober (maybe a little tired). A gem of a find for me.
Chill acoustic music. Great background noise.
Loved every track. It does overstay its welcome a teeny bit too long, but the loops have a good level depth and variety that makes it easy to lose track of the time anyways. Production and mixing are excellent. Instrumental albums are always a welcome change of pace from the overabundance of British slop on here.
Dope. New to me!
achei a vibe gostosa para pedalar na bicicleta ergométrica, que foi o que eu fiz. agora no final da noite vou ouvir para ver se o colega dos 1001 discos estava correto e retorno para voces
This one got me into the zone at work.
4.1 3x catch up over multiple days 1/22. really enjoy this whole album, great to listen and work to.
Its a very pleasant Album to listen to it. It has some very cool songs on it.
This is the kind of music I like in general. Not heard this particular album before but I enjoyed it. Even so, I am not sure why it gets onto a list of albums like this. It seems somewhat unremarkable.
Been listening to this album forever. Enjoy the laid back vibes especially of the first half of the album
I have never heard of this band before and that’s what makes this journey interesting. I really enjoyed this, it was like a lo-fi video game soundtrack. Had it on in work on Christmas Eve and everyone enjoyed the chill vibes.
I don’t think I’ve heard this before but then I feel like I have round a friends smoky flat in the nineties. It’s a delight.
Vamos cerrando otro año más en éste reto y toca hoy nuevamente artista desconocido. Álbum sumamente chill, ideal para una cena, vinito mediante. Sin más para agregar, me despido hasta mañana. Será esta semana de tres días y luego se viene una pausa del resto hasta retomar el trabajo. Gracias
I hadn't heard the album before but know a couple of the songs very well since they were popular on various compilations in the mid '00s. Depending on your mood and needs, this might help you focus or sleep. The chill vibe is not for everyone but I like it.
Really enjoyed this! I completely lost my prev review which is annoying, but generally I thought I would like it less than I do because it’s completely instrumental, however I ended up really vibing to it, especially as I kept listening to it. Instrumentals usually put me to sleep but I was able to listen to this album on the drive home with no problem! I really liked it, 8/10!
Still great but not quite as amazing as I remember from when it released
Great album for productivity. Interesting sounds and upbeat. I was surprised to enjoy it this much.
I fully enjoyed the music, but the album is just too damn long.
nice flow, like it.
Album parfait pour se réveiller un dimanche matin (presque) enneigé
Sometimes an album hits just right. Mellow friday night vibes paired well with this one.
Die Idee ist ja hier schon, dass man sich "Mary Jane" zum Hören einlädt, gell? Gefällt mir aber auch so schon, für Trip Hop habe ich eine Menge übrig. Einen Ticken zu lang.
Surprisingly good
Gear: Penon FAN 3s Artwork: ✏️👹🇯🇲 Production: 🎚️🌶️🧈 Music: 🧳🏝️💆♂️ Rating: 🌿🌿🌿🌿/5
First “don’t judge a book by its cover” album I got on the project. Thought it was going to be something akin to 311/Sublime but it’s instrumental beats and it’s a vibe.
Chilliges Album, man bekommt was man erwartet und noch eine Prise mehr :D Ich fand es gut
ganz angenehm zu hören, schwanke zwischen drei und vier sternen. letztes lied aber echt gut, daher vier.
Bei dem Album Cover und Titel hab ich Reggea oder Stoner Hip Hop erwartet. Chillige Beats zum Arbeiten, aber nichts was ich mir absichtlich anhören würde
Really like it, might just be hitting my mood but good background chill music. I won't listen to any of these on the regular, but really enjoying listening to it while working.
What my college self wouldn't give to know about this album in the early '00s
Good for background music but when trying to really listen to it it just feels too long
ach isch das geil gsi! genau de lounge sound woni vo nightmares on wax erwartet han und genau das wo ich am dunschtig für min start in tag brucht han… will's aber halt trotzdem chli hintergrundmusig isch gids da nume 4 doobies, 24/7 straight blazin brothers, light up the spliff, gids eine?
So good
****A great easy listening album.
Will always remind me of smoking bongs and playing pool at my mates. Looking back it feels like a lifetime ago, and the album is still chill.
Pretty good solid stuff.
Pretty solid and good flow.
Æ vet ikke ka æ hadde sett for mæ, men ekstremt chill instrumentalmusikk va på ingen måte feil, så det fungerte fint, det!
May be worth another listen but generally funky jazzy electronic music. Maybe a bit like fat boy slim but less rapping
Sometimes there are some weird vocals, but overall this was a nice, relaxing and a little funky album. It does its job!
I really enjoyed this album! Reminds me a bit of when I first discovered the Afro Celt sound system. More than just background music. VERY chill!
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would given the type on the cover and the name of the album! Solid music for getting shit done to.
Surprisingly good for electronic music!
Never heard of him before but honestly found this album pretty delightful. Kind of meditative, yet also propulsive.
Another one that took me by surprise. I was expecting some kind of stoner who let the dogs out 90s rap. Great instrumentals, great basslines, just a solid album to groove to. I’d listen to this - it’s great background music. I’d never say man I am dying to hear that smokers delight album. That said I’m pleasantly surprised so that bumps it to 4 stars.
- lembra alguns gêneros que tangenciam o hip hop, por ex trip hop, jazz rap, mas com uma pegada bem caribenha - achei inovador, por utilizar técnicas convencionais de corte e sampling, mas de uma perspectiva de música jamaicana - interessante que ele foi lançado pelo selo Warp, um dos mais importantes de música eletrônica inglesa
Good musing to play while concentrating on something to keep the energy going but not be too distracting.
Very good 90s downtempo/chill. I'd love to give this thing a 3.5. I think there are probably better albums from this era that showcase the sound and vibe a bit better, but overall this is a very good listen.
I'm not sure what to make of this one. It's probably an excellent instance of (checks Wikipedia) Trip hop/jazzstep/breakbeat/chill-out/electronica/downtempo. Which leaves open the question of whether I liked it. Maybe I'm being too generous with my 4s.
I've never listened to this album (16). Cool trip-hop, dub instrumentals. Not the kind of music I listen to regularly, but really well made.
Note for self: Some songs are blocked on YouTube Music, presumably because of copyright garbage. Great album with nice and relaxing music that is very suitable for listening to in the background when working on something. Some songs are pretty weird though. Actually, let me rethink that. The further along you get into the album, the weirder the songs get. Maybe not so nice for listenting to in the background in its whole. Still great, though!
Dad- 4 Mom- 6.5 Mike- 8 Lori- 8.5 Michael- 8 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg-7
Always fun, even if I can't really find a place for it in my library any more
OG lo-fi
Something about this just missed the mark for me. But it was nice.
3.5. Приємний альбом, є дуже стильні композиції, непогана робота з семплами, чудовий бас майже скрізь. З мінусів: відверті філери, задовгий. Поставлю 4 щоб трохи підтягнути загальний рейтинг альбому)
Really enjoyed this, flew by despite a considerable length.
I was pleasently surprised. Might have to do with the fact that it is perfect background music while working.
Very chill music, ideal for background!
never been as relaxed as while listening to this album on the beach 4-/5 🍃
Surprisingly delightful. Well named. 😉
A bit repetitive, a bit long, but I didn’t mind those things. Some chill ass jams. Enjoyed it.
Absolutely brilliant set of funky and hypnotic beats, full of texture, and consistently engaging, even in the longer tracks. The basslines are phenomenal. This could be a 5 on production alone! What holds it back slightly is that it doesn’t reach for much beyond being a great collection of beats, though it's absolutely entering my regular rotation. Just great music to vibe out to, and does great justice to the title. Standouts: Nights Introlude • Pipes Honour • Rise • Rise (Reprise)
Pleasant trip hop, good to work to
Ok I guess, just a vibe and a decent one at that.
Pretty cool. I wonder if breakbeats lay the foundation for this kind of music
Groovy and chill
this was so cool. Dont think I’ve listened to a 90 minute album without getting bored as well as this one. OG of jazz house
increíble
Very groovy
Schöner 90er Sound
Cool grooves, cut by the master of trip hop. It is indeed a delight for Smokers and others
Pretty interesting stuff.
I like this 1995 album more than the 2002 album I had in my collection, the only other thing I knew from NOW. Trip hop that just flows through the room. Doesn't grab you and hold your riveted, but just mellows over you and lets you focus in and focus out as it lingers.
1995 was a solid year for chill out, exploratory electronic music and Nightmare on Wax's Smokers Delight is no exception. Rather than attempt to live up to his name and deliver the kind of bone-chilling, goosebumps inducing music for turntables, George Evelyn keeps his focus on good vibes and there is an abundance here that very much lives up to the album's name. Don't be put off by the length and allow Smoker's Delight to wrap itself all over. Favorites: Nights Introlude, Dreddoverboard, Pipes Honour, Wait a Minute/Praying for a Jeepbeat, Groove St., (Man) Tha Journey, Bless My Soul, Cruise (Don't Stop), What I'm Feeling (Good), Rise, Rise (Reprise).
Awesome and smooth and dangerous - the ambience of a dimly lit place where mystery women and men hang out 3.9
fun stuff
Nights Introlude // Pipes Honour // Stars //
Really good
One of the better chill electronica albums I've heard in a long time. It was a pleasant treat to listen to on this rainy Monday morning.
Solid chill vibes on this motherfucker. I enjoyed it immensely.
A sampler's heaven, can understand the importance and influence of this record. enjoyable and hypnotic
Good disc music. Great for work background
Will for sure be back to this one for more. Good shit
Very listenable. Love the vibe on this one. Definitely will be revisiting this one.
Nice beats
What a great album! it went a bit longer than I would've wanted to, but it makes for such great background music, and it's also really interesting while actively listening to it. I'm giving it a 4, but it's really a 4.5 for me.
Pretty cool compared to how flat a lot of the downtempo on this list can be. Some of these songs do go on a bit long (and You Wish is an all-time banger they don't match on this project), but very much my vibe currently. 3.5/5
Nice and chilled
Quelques morceaux de dingue (Nights Introlude c'est le classique ici, j'ai bien kiffé Praying for a Jeepbeat, Me and You et What I'm Feeling aussi) mais le flow est des fois un peu cassé par des prods un peu longues et plus mid (genre Pipes of Honour n'aurait jamais eu besoin de durer 9mn). Mais bon avec un gros zdah ça doit être parfait 💯
4.5 even?
Background music for the times when you really don't want to listen to music, but need to do something else that demands you concentration. The music is unobtrusive and stays out of your way, but still manages to fill that niche in your brain that needs to have something going in the background to allow for peak concentration. For this, the album execls. 3.5/5
An excellently chilled album
Absolute vibez
British 90s electronica and hip-hop. First song makes album famous. Very easy listening. Inoffensive lounge background music. Great to work or chill out to.
A+ ambiance.
so cool, definitely come back to this. i feel like it combines things I like about Boards of Canada and Shpongle
As advertised
Terrasse aufräumen
Amazing beachy groove record. Great instrumentals. Lots of good beats and sunny/sunset instrumentation.
Lo escuché soldando y confirmo: me funcionó bárbaro. No recuerdo cual pero metí un like. Escucharía otro disco sin dudar. Nota: 3.9
More interesting than most albums of this style that I've heard (admittedly, not many) and I enjoyed the early part. Unfortunately, went on a bit too long and I rather lost interest in the latter part.
Honestly, just found this very relaxing. But I will probably never listen to it again.
This was a really good mindless listen. 7/10
Really liked this. Def recognize some of their other songs. Perfect for a drive on Oahu!
Good for chill background music 3.5 stars.
Smoker's Delight is the second album from Nightmares on Wax, the band-turned-solo project of British producer George Evelyn. Evelyn creates downtempo electronic, or trip-hop. This is an instrumental version of hip hop, with interesting samples, instruments, and rhythms. This is an extensive album, filled with tracks of an impressive range. Evelyn uses eclectic samples to build the rhythms and catchy melodic hooks, creating a mesmerizing collection of songs.
Dreamy electro for stoners. It does what it says on the tin. Great album
An artist I haven't heard about before - surprisingly it is a very nice chill-out / downtempo album, the perfect background music for a Sunday evening. I wasn't very sold on it after the first 10-15 minutes but I got into it more and more. A really enjoyable listen.
ensin pelotti, pelkäsin nurkassa tärisin ja vapisin mitä tulee tapahtumaan... ja sitten pääsin lämpimään.. ei haittaa että pitkä aava kestoaika sillä tätä voi hartaasti kuunnella kunnes viimeinen uni koittaa. huumehörhöille tarkoitettu, mutta oikea demografia joka kuuntelee on MINÄ! selvin päin hekotellaan nyökytetään päätä biitin tahtiin hekotus jatkuu.. varsinkin kun ääni efektit toistuvat monta kertaa rytmittäisesti peräjälkeen tykkään niin vituusti.. no soundscape.. just beat.. mahtavaa mahhtavaa iloisuus iloa ja juhlinaa juhlinimista vaan pipes honour
Very nice listening. Not just repeating loops or beats, but actual creativity in arrangement.
All vibes
I love the innovation...
Actually an album of broadly instrumental hiphop bangers. Cycled out of Goa into karnataka listening to this, looking at all eagles and cliffs and whatnot. Very good all considered.
Chillax music
Enjoyed
The spiritual more mellow bookend to DJ Shadow's "Introducing" great stuff
7.5/10
Chill. This is some hypnotic, afro, hip-hop dub. On weed. I diggit. Could probably sleep like a baby listening to this.
Des ambiances fluides et finement orchestrées. Leur subtilité pourrait nous échapper
This album was a fun listen. I'm not sure how innovative it was at the time, and it certainly sounds dated now, but I liked it overall as an album to put on and just listen to in the background while I work 4/5
I liked this a lot. Given the name and the album art I was afraid it was going to be a Cyprus Hill clone. Not the best album I've heard in this genre but I added it to my concentration playlist, will definitely be listening to again.
Love this album, chill vibe music
Tremendous ambient mixed hip hop beats! Will for sure be getting more into their stuff! Awesome!
pure vibes
Включил на фоне и кайфуй
Excellent jazzy music. Perfect for listening while reading on a train.
This is another atmospheric instrumental album that's hard to have a strong opinion about. I dig the dub and hip-hop vibes, so I'm a little more willing to give it a 4, but it's not a strong 4. Also, why is there no dub on this list?
Some albums or groups have a resonance that goes beyond any musical merit they have (or lack!). Having missed most '90's & 00's music through being an busy old worker drone this is one of the delights I discovered after retiring. Whenever I hear anything by NoW it's 1am & I'm in a hotel room in Kampot, Cambodia, well-fed, fissed as a part & cigar in hand, stripped to my kellies & playing some of their recently discovered music on loop. Happy days!
Sophisticated and interestingly layered chill, which sounds an order of magnitude better on headphones and which gets one immediately into a great headspace and keeps one there. Carboot Soul is the stronger record – less being more and having two of the best chill cuts ever ("Morse" and "Fire In the Middle") also being more – and is probably the more just choice for this list. Maybe it goes on slightly too long but there simply aren't many better chill records and it holds up well.
Det här är en genre jag är svag för och mår bra av att lyssna på. Har hört en del av honom sen innan (You wish och Les nuits är en fantastiska), dock inte den här skivan. Gillar det repetitiva, de jazziga beatsen, det suggestiva och inslagen av trip-hop och hip-hop. Pipes honour är en riktig höjdare men även exempelvis Nights introlude, Tha Journey, Rise och Bless my soul och Gambia.
Ehh I've kinda always struggled with Nightmares On Wax. Bits of I like, bits of it I find really dull, so over an hour of it left me jumping between 3 and a 4.
Great music for working to. Reminds me of my dad, obviously. What a stoner.
uma vibe meio diferente, retro com cyber, eu curti
Layered and soft spoken, this music seems very fun to play. It evokes images of friends getting stoned together and jamming for hours. Sounds like a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, in my opinion. While I agree with others this could be considered boring, I disagree that it has no merit. It does exactly what it sets out to do. If you aren't into that, that's fine. Sometimes I think people forget that art is not always (or even often, depending on who you are) made directly for people like you.
chill af
The main reason why I'm doing this project is to discover "new" music. Maybe a better term would be undiscovered music. First time hearing this and it was a treasure. Feels like I should be at a martini bar, talking to a beautiful woman while this is playing in the background. Not quite five stars but this will be added to my rotation.
Had never heard of this group (turns out they are a person) and from the name for some reason expected metal. What a pleasant surprise! Really chill enjoyable listen, even if he sometimes stays on a riff for longer than I am interested. I think I’m learning from this project that I really like a genre called trip hop.
Nice and chill. I love listening to this background music.
Very nice downtempo chillout stuff, it's no Carboot Soul though which is a great one.
Really enjoyed this. Electronica / jazz / trip hop(?) I think. Definitely more background stuff, but it went down a treat for me. Some cracking riffs/tunes/samples n’all. Definitely on my ‘to return’ list
Very cool. I like the chill-out vibes here. Maybe I’ll come back to it.
Started off thinking that it wasn’t for me but then it immediately transitioned to being so soothing and relaxing to listen to.
This was really great background music for working. Kind of crazy how we got two albums in the same (relatively rare) genre back-to-back, but I enjoyed listening to this. Would I listen again though? Probably not.
I can same myself turning this on and zoning in to focus. It’s repetitive yes, but that helps the outside world fade out. In fact, it is difficult to hear this album when needing to focus in on my surroundings. This is a low key version of the Tron: Legacy soundtrack 🙌. Not as good but a similar feeling.
It's like when you want the best beat in a song to repeat on loop. But that for a whole song, sometimes giving a mediocre beat too
Very laid-back downtempo trip-hop. I quite like it.
Really enjoyed listening to this while working
Damn. This is great. I'd never heard of Nightmares on Wax before this record, and now I'm looking up the rest of their stuff.
This was cool. I like this sort of thing but haven't listened to enough of it. Back in the day I was part of the rave or party scene in San Francisco. I attended a decent number of events over a couple of years that I lived there, and I also threw a few events with the help of many other people. I distinctly remember folks really enjoying the beginning of the ambient era, having a separate "chill out" zone that was away from the dance floor, so people could recharge and connect. Tunes like this were instrumental (pun intended) to having people get the right mindset, not zoning out, but active, but relaxed. Trip-hop indeed!
Pleasant and eclectic Ambient album - unlike most in the genre it does not ever thread into corny territory - it straddles jazz, dub and more and while it’s on the longer side it never gets dull. Good record.
aika suatanan solid..
I personally thoroughly enjoy an instrumental "background music" type album, and this was no disappointment. A fun journey through chilled-out beats and smooth rhythms. Each track flows into the next, creating a seamless listening experience. Perfect for late-night relaxation or a lazy Sunday afternoon. The album’s vibe is soothing the soul.
Olipas tosi hyvä triphop downbeat homma! Ehdottomasti saatava levyhyllyyn. 4/5
Brilliant listen 👍
Very good
Good
Électronica and jazz fusion with a smattering of techno, soul, funk…what a mashup and a pleasant aural surprise from the cover art!
Enjoyed this. Definitely had the head bopping
It does exactly what its title proclaims and would be great in an evening setting.
Nice
Great album as well. this 1001 albums are so far really good
I didn't expect to like this but strangely I did.
Pretty cool vibe. I like trip hop and this was a nice listen. It's relaxed but interesting. Very atmospheric. There are some vocals but mainly instrumental. Lots of interesting basslines and complex rhythms. It's good music to put on while trying to get stuff done. I enjoyed it and will come back to this.
Löytyy hyllystä. Asetti aikoinaan riman itelle tässä genressä ja siks usein vastaavanlaiset kuulostaa perushutulta, ku rima on korkeella
So chill, I was literally caught in terrible traffic and still felt super calm. Great stuff
This is an album to put on if you just need to chill tf out. Nice bassline to keep you grooving, nice and relaxed beats. It's a bit repetitive, but not overly so; just enough to sound a touch predictable before they throw a small change in the beat or background. Really great for focusing. Trails off a bit toward the end, but I thought it was still pretty dang solid.
Neat!
This is actually pretty nice. Totally new to me. It’s good. Calm uptempo background music. Very chill and uninvasive. I like it. Will definitely revisit. Good choice for this list.
I liked this more than I was expecting to, nice n chill
interesting album. now trying to figure out what song stole the background/instrumental from the first track. set my mood for the day.
Pure relaxation. Nice!
Depende do dia q se houve mas ouvi no dia certo q estava com muitas coisas no trabalho e o som instrumental ajudou bastante no meu desempenho
Belle découverte! Jazz et électro instrumental soigné!
Nice background music.
Neat 90s low fi hip hop beats
Great background music for working. Would stick on again.
For an artist called "Nightmares on Wax" this was incessantly pleasant. Good genre representation, thanks. Fave Tracks: Nights Interlude, Bless My Soul, Cruise (Don't Stop) 4.1/5
I liked this
Always good chill vibes 4
As an isolated album? A bit too long. In terms of music taste? I didn’t have high expectations and I am glad I was wrong! The meandering baseline reminds me of Boone locals Funkelstilskin and the Tapp jam night sessions that would follow a random tune for seven minutes. Perfect for putting on in the background of a party or when hanging with friends. I think Darian would love this one.
Pleasant with nice chill beats and good samples.
Saved it. Will definitely revisit.
I am on a huge instrumental album kick right now so this popped up at just the right time. Good stuff.
This is awesome to work to - yet not so awesome to drive alone long distance in a car to ... I get a little trance-like while listening to this album, which i like (except while driving, obvs). This particular kind of instrumental music is specialized for me meaning i can't always be in the mood for it but conversely when i *do* need some chill/study/work/sleep music this is absolutely perfect. So weirdly I think it does exactly what you want it to do and i like it so why is that not 4 worthy... 7/10 4 stars.
Quite good! I've listened to the odd song before, but never a full album, Quite liked it, and good for music to write or read to! :)
Surprisingly good. And the fact that I would have never listened to them without this website also makes me more happy about it
Really good mood album… Not what I expected at all!
A genre of music that I figured out that I love a lot in 2023 is trip hop. I’d listened to one of the more recent Nightmares on Wax albums a year or so ago and enjoyed it, but this was a superior listen. Definitely would be a great album accompanied by cannabis, as the title seems to indicate. If it’s a step below Mezzanine, Blue Lines, and Dummy, it’s not a big step.
Some slightly lesser-known downtempo stuff. Obviously there was a huge wave of artists in this genre during the 90's, with artists like Boards of Canada, Portishead, and Massive Attack making some of the most memorable stuff. Nightmares On Wax makes fairly unobtrusive downtempo that lingers in the background, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Much of Smokers Delight is riding out a chill beat while occasionally mixing new elements in and out of the song. This album succeeds more in creating an overall vibe rather than asking you to pay attention to every element of it's songs.
This expansive exploration into the world of chilled-out trip-hop is a delight indeed.
Not bad. I should listen to them in more detail.
Smooth if a little boring
Before seeing this cover here, it was somehow familiar. I thought it was a reggae album. As you already know, I was wrong. If something, I could see this work in the Trip Hop vicinity -close to early Massive Attack or DJ Shadow. It is the perfect album to set a smooth mood. To summon deep thoughts. To kiss someone for the very first time. To kiss your partner for the 1,000th time. It is a great album. The only downside is its length. Some ideas seem overextended. If the dub community was the reason behind the total length of 74 minutes, I can tell you, there is a repeat button you can use for that.
A vibe
Beatz
Loved this, great to find music I should have discovered decades ago!
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Me and you, Groove st., Mission Venice
Got more into this as I got deeper in. At first I thought it was pleasant background music but Praying for a Jeep Boat I was grooving. Great run from Wait a Minute to Bless My Soul
An incredibly unique and intuitive style to this one. Normally, I would rate it 3 stars, but this album would go crazy if I was high.
Really enjoyed this. Perfect music to do while focusing on something else. Rating: 4.4
a super cool, lowkey techno album that was great to do homework to
Very chill album that straddles the gap between trip hop, electronica, and lofi. I LOVED the follow up album ("Carboot Soul") but never really gave. this one a listen, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to tonight, it was a good soundtrack to my mundane tasks, enough to make me stop and bob my head now and then. Good listening on headphones while you're laying back in the cut.
Nice fun instrumental. Very Groovy
This is really solid. Really dug it in the Chicago art museum. Didn't quite work when I was in the neoclassical exhibit but otherwise good jazzy listening music
Very nice chill music. I was only vaguely aware of this band, and this hear through was a pleasant surprise.