there's an intro on an UNKLE 12" where they've got an answerphone message from "Josh" (gotta be Shadow, right?) to James Lavelle where he's all "trip-hop, baby! trip-hop in '95!" so it's not like they weren't party to it to some extent....
"first came rock than rock went went pop now your living in the world of... triiip hop. trip hop baby, in 95 wreckin shit!!"
yeah that was a major lapse in judgement. To be fair, thats the only time ive heard shadow use it positively, he very soon detested it.
That was a heavy release btw. The UNKLE track was an amazing piece of experimental hip hop, and the Portishead remix was horrifically, soul crushingly dark.