Under that moniker DJ Shadow, Joshua Paul Davis in 1996 gave sample-based music one of its first hit albums with Endtroducing. He transcended the established norms of ‘90s hip-hop by incorporating elements of ambient music, electronica and “sampledelia.” Davis found more common ground with U.K. trip-hop than West Coast G-funk—which might…

The Road: Part I in 2017 saw James LaVelle take full control of the legendary trip-hop outfit Unkle. His combination of moody art rock and spacious beat music reached new levels of atmosphere and bombast, which the second installment aims to push farther. LaVelle approached The Road: Part II…