Album A Day #117: The Mirror Conspiracy

Chaplin

Better off silent
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Band: Thievery Corporation
Website: http://www.eslmusic.com/artists/thievery.html
Album: The Mirror Conspiracy
Year Released: 2000
No. of Discs: 1
No. of Tracks: 13

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Track Listing:

01. Treasures
02. La Monde
03. Indra
04. Lebanese Blonde
05. Focus on Sight
06. Air Batacuda
07. So Com Voce
08. Samba Tranquille
09. Shadows Of Ourselves
10. The Hong Kong Triad
11. Illumination
12. The Mirror Conspiracy
13. Tomorrow

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Washington, D.C.'s Thievery Corporation purvey a very mellow, deliberately international mixture of sounds that might be called "lounge music"--not in the kitschy sense, but in the sense of a laid-back local bar (much like the one the duo happens to run) with no dance floor. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton are professed admirers of Brazilian music, and they're determined to inject as much warmth into electronic music as possible. The Mirror Conspiracy is quite a musical travelogue, starting in Jamaica with "Treasures." This dubby opening track, which features vocalist Brother Jack, is quite reminiscent of the start of Swayzak's Himawari. Next up is "Le Monde," a quiet, wah-wah-inflected song featuring a chanteuse named Lou Lou. She reappears later on the somewhat more uptempo "Shadows of Ourselves," which, despite the title, is also sung in French. "The Hong Kong Triad" sounds like a tip of the hat to Shaft-styled soundtrack music. Elsewhere, it's off to India for two sitar-flavored tracks with a similarly laidback groove that gets a bit closer to techno, one of which, "Lebanese Blonde" (hash? a woman?), has been released as a single. Brazil gets its due on the densely percussive "Air Batucada," the more bossa nova-like "So Com Voce," and an instrumental titled "Samba Tranquille." Fans of this style are sure to be pleased.

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A great, lesser-known duo of djs, Thievery Corporation is the epitome of what is no called "chillout" or "lounge" music. Fusing genres from Reggae to jazz and bossa nova, Thievery takes International music and turns it uniquely American. Strangely enough, even though the beats are undoubtedly modern, there would be no problems playing this music alongside some of the great lounge acts of all time, up to and including Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.

They also do a number of great remixes (where they began and continue to produce), but their best is their original stuff, of which this album is the best. Full of everything from South American to Middle Easter sounds, the album is one of those that you can just sit back with a martini and just chill out.

Can't recommend this album--and this group--enough.
 

KingLouieLouie

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You nailed them down perfectly... Probably one of the most refreshing bands to emerge over this past year....

If there were more bands like Thievery Corporation out there today, I wouldnt be constantly harping on how low today's music is.... Just their blend of all their influences of several genres is remarkable... the depth of their songs goes deeper than several other bands combined....

I highly recommend this album to anyone who wants to expand their music horizons and find out how brilliant a band can be who has perfected using all of today's technological advances and incorporate it into music brilliantly....

TC might be the band that helps salvage music, but unfortunately they wont get the attention they need in order to establish that impact, but will be greatly more appreciated w/in the next 5-10 years since the general public's music taste will finally catch-up enough to embrace them....'
 

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