Chillout music is not strictly defined, but encompasses a wide range of different subgenres. Chillout is characterized by a slow tempo and a relaxed but not boring basic mood. Chillout has evolved from the genre of easy listening. In connection with chillout music, the genres jazz, downtempo trip hop, lounge and ambient are also often mentioned.
Chillout music originated in the so-called ambient house from London at the end of the 1980s and was played as relaxing music in side rooms of famous clubs. Chillout celebrated a triumphant advance in the international club scene, especially in the early 2000s (e.g. in the form of the Café del Mar series).