(Artists similar to Thievery Corporation: Polish Ambassador, Dub Syndicate, Noiseshaper)
Thievery Corporation – Outernationalist
Thievery Corporation – A Guide for I & I
Thievery Corporation – Sun, Moon and Stars
Break out the incense, simmer down and explore the chillout-lounge aesthetic created by Thievery Corporation. Thievery Corporation’s sound is comprised of mixing reggae-dub roots with electronic, jazz and bossa nova influences. The unsyncopated ensemble rhythms are layered over the sparkling clean sound of the reggae guitar, lead bassline, dreamy synth effects and horn sections. Thievery Corporation is known for their international style of music production that includes sounds and vocals from around the world. The international style of Thievery Corporation blends the global sounds with elements of conscious lyrics and vocal samples.
Thievery Corporation is a Washington D.C. based DJ duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. The group was formed in 1995 at Washington D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge. Rob Garza and the lounge co-owner Eric Hilton created Thievery Corporation with the inspirations of their mutual love for club life as well as dub, bossa nova and jazz records. They both decided to take a shot at mixing all these styles in a recording studio. Surprised by the chill-lounge sound of their music production, Thievery Corporation and their Eighteenth Street Louge Music record label was formed.
Thievery Corporation has taken progressive political stances on various issues opposing war and exploitative trade agreements, while supporting human rights and food programs. The album titled, ‘Richest Man in Babylon’ reveals the group’s opposition to the positions and initiatives of the former president George W. Bush’s administration. They followed Babylon with 2005’s The Cosmic Game, which featured politically minded collaborations with Perry Farrell, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne, and David Byrne. In September of 2005, Thievery Corporation participated in the Operation Ceasefire concert, with the objective of increasing awareness to the devastation caused by the Iraq War.
In 2008, Thievery Corporation made awareness of the people’s resistance movements around the world with their album, ‘Radio Retaliation’ — setting an open mind type of approach with diverse sounds from Jamaica, Latin America, Asia, and The Middle East. Radio Retaliation, which questioned the profit-driven mentality of corporate media, earned Thievery Corporation a Grammy Award nomination for Best Recording Packaging. From their press release regarding their album Radio Retaliation, Garza said:
“Radio Retaliation is definitely a more overt political statement. It’s hard to close your eyes and sleep while the world is burning around you. If you are an artist, this is the most essential time to speak up.” -Thievery Corporation
Following ‘Radio Retaliation’, Thievery Corporation has released a sixth studio album in 2011, ‘Culture of Fear’ — a cinematic sounding exploration into psychedelic space rock which blends elements of funk and soul, with a bit of reggae-dub thrown in for a nice upbeat feel. Throughout the years, Thievery Corporation has provided a relaxing refuge for fans around the globe with their hazy sound collections and chill-out lounge atmosphere.
Below is a video released 2 months ago by Thievery Corporation w/ guest hip-hop artist Mr. Lif
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Organic Sound 
Nice! I’m totally enjoying your blog. I love the video/ sound/ word combo. Reading this I felt like I was being introduced to the artists. Great info and the sights and sounds to go with it. I also thought you had a really great focus and good organization. You have a new follower.
-Jennifer Glenfield
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I really enjoyed listening to the music samples in this post. I like knowing what different music is out there and this particular group is very interesting. I like the name, Radio Retaliation, that they chose. I think that it describes them very well. They seem to be singing and reaching out for good causes. Through our radios they are expressing their hopes for the future while retaliating against the bad that they hope will be in our past soon. I also like the combination of instruments and sounds that they use to create their music. It creates a very pleasant and “chill” atmosphere.
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Thanks Jen & successwithtess! The feedback and comments are much appreciated! 🙂
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The name rules.
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I live in DC and these guys can do no wrong. Absolutely brilliant. They come with a new sound every time. My favorite is “The Richest Man In Babylon.”
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I agree, Thievery Corporation is one of my all-time faves. 😀
Their music never gets old.
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