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Leslie Winer recorded a remarkable album in 1990. Witch<\/a><\/em>, with its heady mix of dub beats, hip hop, soul, and funk, was trip hop before the term even really been coined. It was then held up in record company limbo and not released until 1993, under the name \u201c\u00a9,\u201d by which time it seemed behind the curve. But enough advance copies had circulated among music scenesters in London, where Winer was then based, that the New Musical Express<\/em> belatedly credited her as \u201cthe grandmother of trip hop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was an accolade she was dubious about; \u201cI\u2019m not sure I even know what trip hop is even now,\u201d she told the Quietus<\/em><\/a> in 2012. A compelling new anthology, When I Hit You \u2014 You\u2019ll Feel It<\/a><\/em> (Light in the Attic) gives you a broader perspective of her work, drawing from Witch<\/em> and subsequent recordings, along with a few previously unreleased tracks. Winer\u2019s voice is low and husky, her observations sharp and cutting. The album\u2019s title comes from the song \u201cN1 Ear,\u201d where a rhythmic beat suddenly gives way to a litany of sexual inequality: \u201cIf I get raped, it must be my fault, and if I get bashed, I must\u2019ve provoked it.\u201d It\u2019s a dizzying blend of beats and samples, whispered entreaties, and provocative utterances. In addition to the album, Winer\u2019s cover of Tim Buckley\u2019s \u201cOnce I Was\u201d (recorded with Maxwell Sterling) is available separately<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n