This was the year of Chillhop's inception, when founder (and CEO) Bas van Leeuwen began a blog and website which was then followed by a YouTube channel. The first upload on the channel was single 'Recollection' from producer Yamaan.

Chillhop continued with 'Monday Chill' singles by L'indecis, who released ten jazzy instrumental tracks as part of this series, culminating in a 37 minute mix the following year. These early showcases and uploads by Chillhop would snowball and avalanche into something much, much more.

2015 marked the announcement and launch of Chillhop Music's record label, at the time known as Chillhop Records. During this year, we began with YouTube mixes (Monday Chill series, Label Showcase series), full projects (L'indecis's Moka and GYVUS's Floret EP), and 'best of' mixes (Birocratic, Joseph Jacobs). It was during this time the Chillhop Bandcamp was also launched. The brand was building up and taking off.

This year saw the birth of our Essentials Series. A staple of Chillhop Music, this seasonal compilation series took shape with the inaugural Spring 2016. 8+ years later and over 30 compilations later, this remains our most successful and important and continued series, with many listeners and fans claiming the new season does not begin until our compilations drop. The first Essentials release, so many years ago, contains many artists who still contribute in 2024, like L'indecis, Birocratic, FloFilz, Aso, and more. It was during this year we also released our first Yearmix, an ongoing series that still continues to this day.

In 2017, Chillhop Records began experimenting with illustrated scenes for the first time and we also launched our first 24/7 livestream on YouTube, becoming the first ever livestream with this sound. The livestream was originally broadcasted from a computer in founder Bas' parents’ laundry room. This is when the lore truly began. Straying from nature shots and landscape photography, the Essentials compilations utilized immersive and atmospheric illustrations, as well as L'indecis' Plethoria LP, which was illustrated by Jeoffrey Magellan, an artist who would go on to make our first Raccoon livestream as well as our continued Essentials compilations (and countless other pieces of art along the way). In October of this year, Chillhop was the first channel in this music style to reach 1 million subscribers on YouTube.

This year marked the introduction to our Chillhop Raccoon. Day ones know. Not only did our Raccoon appear for the first time in our Essentials compilations (with art handled by Mauro Martins), but this was also the year that we launched our bedroom livestream, one that continues to run 24/7 on our channel. From this point onward, the lore took form and the illustrative world-building continued to blossom and bloom. The Chillhop 'Daydreams' compilation was another formative release during this time. By the end of 2018 with the release of our Yearmix, the Raccoon was everywhere, throughout compilations and solo LPs and loose singles, solidifying this trash panda as the official mascot of Chillhop Music. Added lore: if you look close enough, this was also the year Milkshake the Bear and Mango the Toucan make initial appearances. Even extra lore: Bas (our founder and CEO) first conceptualized the raccoon after traveling through Canada (visiting Monstercat in Vancouver and later meeting with Cory from Inner Ocean Records just north of Vancouver). He saw a raccoon through the window while discussing whether Chillhop should have a character or not. The rest is history.

It was in 2019 that we offered up our first live sessions, with L'indecis and sad toi, as well as our first Essentials Summer release party complete with DJ sets and performances. Raccoon highlights included the four Essentials releases (with art handled by Tristan Gion) as well as Chillhop Daydreams 2, Nighttime Ramen Mix, Chill Study Beats 6, City Escape, and more. 2019 also marked the birth of sleepy fish's debut album (and immersive narrative, a favorite of our superfans) as well as the inaugural year of Pen Paws, our annual holiday card exchange program. This year we also launched our ambient sublabel Memoir Music, releasing four compilations and over 30 projects from producers in our community. Added lore: Yasper's single 'Arcade' presented Raccoon plushies in a claw game vending machine, an aesthetic and vision we would use when releasing the first plushie to our webshop in 2020.

In 2020, our Essentials series went deeper into the lore of the Raccoon. Falling asleep after studying for far too long (years, really), our mascot drifting into a deep hibernation, arriving in a dreamworld where nothing was what is seemed. Volcanoes sprouted ink, butterflies were larger than cars, bubbles allowed you to fly, islands floated, and more. For the entire year, our Raccoon was deep in dream, a faraway land crafted by Rafael Araujo. It was a slight departure from the realistic visuals up until now, but was met with love from fans, who appreciated the immersive details. Additional lore: if you line up all four of the full landscapes from our Essentials compilations, it creates a connected and cohesive scroll. One long piece of art. Real ones know. It was during this year we also released our first cover by Jorge Artola ('Cruisin' by Cloudchord and G Mills), who would go on to handle art direction for the Essentials art in 2021. It was also during 2020 that the initial Sleepy Fish trilogy came to a close, with an emotional conclusion to the episodic narrative Everything Fades to Blue. It was also in 2020 where we launched our second livestream, straying from the Raccoon bedroom of endless studying and escaping into nature and city streets, going on an endless walk, one they're still taking to this day.

In 2021, our Chillhop Raccoon returned back to reality, this time stepping away from the comfort zone home bedroom and instead seeking out an epic Airbnb in a secluded hideaway. A penthouse suite complete with a pool and studio, library and back yard. Each season revealed a new aspect of the expansive (and immersive) home, with the entire house coming together once Winter arrived. For true fans and lovers of Chillhop lore, the four vinyl, when arranged accordingly, builds out the entire house. This was the year we also released our first live sessions EP on streaming platforms as well as YouTube, with a live band locking into a studio in Rotterdam to record five favorite songs from the Chillhop catalog. A new chapter in the Sleepy Fish universe was also launched this year, with the eleven song project Like the Sky, or Something Else. In 2021, we collaborated with Final Fantasy for an official release, we released a mix with video game Bake 'n Switch, we released a mix with video game Griftlands, we started our Airplane Mode mix series, and we also opened a cafe in Rotterdam known as Endless Sunday, a brand that would go on to include clothing and music.

This was the year we introduced Chillville into the Chillhop Cinematic Universe (CCU). The Essentials compilations (with art by Jeoffrey Magellan and Tevy Dubray) centered around the narrative of the Chillhop Raccoon moving to a metropolis for the first time. Settling into a new apartment run by Janidog and with three roommates (Milkshake the Bear, Jazz the Bunny, and Mango the Toucan), each season offered a new exploration or festivities in the new city. With this, we launched the publication The Essential Times, where we provided news updates and happenings around the city. The city was even mapped out with an interactive splash page. Pony Hawk, Salazar Skunk, Mayor Trunkerton, Speedy the Sloth, and more critters added to the world-building of 2022. At the end of this year, we launched our highly competitive (and tricky) Chillhop Treasure Hunt, fully diving into the lore and rewarding the superfans every step of the way. It was this year we saw a collaboration with video game OlliOlli World, a collaboration with video game Harlow, and a new chapter of Sleepy Fish. We also launched our single series (27 singles in total) and our beat tape series (of which we have 19 to this day).

For this year's Essentials through-line (with art handled by Jeoffrey Magellan and Florent Ribeyron), our Chillhop Raccoon took an extended road trip with familiar friends (Milkshake the Bear, Jazz the Bunny, and Mango the Toucan), escaping Chillville for the year and traversing through the countryside, staying at Airbnbs and cozy nooks along the way. Our beat tape series continued, as well as exciting collaborations with video game South of the Circle and electronica (and fellow Dutch) label Liquicity. This year, in alignment with the launch of Bread & Butter (our affiliate beatmaking community spearheaded by El Train and Birocratic) we also launched our sample pack series, first with Evil Needle, and now with nine available packs from some of our favorite producers. This was also the year we added to the plushie collection in our webshop, including necessary seminal figures Milkshake and Mango.

While the year is not over, 2024's Essentials series (again, with art handled by Jeoffrey Magellan and Florent Ribeyron) strays from the Chillville of 2022 and the road trip of 2023 and instead offers a nostalgic blast from the past, with the Chillhop Raccoon returning to their childhood countryside. The spot where they grew up, had their first crush, played their first sports, and fell in love with music. With an added level of lore, raccoons run rampant in this chilled out town, showing our mascot is not the only of its kind, and introducing family and friends to the mix. It was this year we also saw a rebranding of Chillhop, complete with a new logo and sleek new look.