Radio Retaliation

One of the electronic genre founders Thievery Corporation

Thievery Corporation is an electronica duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton and also including several artists who play with them for recording and performances. The band was formed in 1995 in the capital of the USA and since the very beginning of its creative work earned a reputation of one of the most inventive collectives. Its music is mainly known for an interesting combination of most varied styles such as dub, jazz, bossa nova and all this mixture is given through the filter of lounge and trip-hop. As for the texts the things are not that simple here as well. First, Thievery Corporation never sticks to the English language only to express its original ideas using also French, Portuguese, Spanish, Persian, Romanian and Hindi in its songs. Second, the themes of its creations are more often than not connected with the political views. Today the band’s fifth album Radio Retaliation is released and it is not an exception in this respect. Dedicated fully to the world situation this varied and good quality album has become a great continuation of one of the electronic genre founders’ career.

Not a too dark record Radio Retaliation

Concerned about the economic crisis, illegal wars, the food resources situation and many other problems Thievery Corporation considers its duty to speak about it with its music and make the listeners wake up, look around and think of their life style. Yet the band did not make Radio Retaliation too dark for that matter concentrating all the information in the lyrics of several songs. So the album begins with the sounds of serene on rather a worrisome track Sound The Alarm calling to realize that the things are far from cloudless in the world. The Indian music elements have refined composition Mandala and the title song pleases with a great raggae flavor which is also present on Hare Krsna featuring some colourful tubes and Blasting Through The City with one of the best vocal parties on the album. Mexican motifs sound a bit tense on El Pueblo Unido but the shouting of a happy crowd add some gayety and relaxation to it whereas The Forgotten People has become an example of the most amazing percussion classic for trip-hop. Lounge music on such tracks as La Femme Parallel, The Shining Path and the final Sweet Tides pleases with both beautiful tunes and splendid arrangements, its mesmerizing sounding causing one dissolve in it. Another classic trip-hop example is 33 Degree, and The Numbers Game has probably proved the heaviest composition on the record loaded with most diverse sounds and noises.

Good quality and stylish music

Standing in one row with Tricky, Portishead, Radiohead, Massive Attack and many others Thievery Corporation is still different from the others and this difference is noticeable on the fifth album as well as on all the previous works. Of course the variety of style and language is the first one pays attention to. The artists from the USA, India and South America have taken part in the album’s recording and the songs’ ethnic coloring cannot be underestimated. On the other hand Radio Retaliation is an album with which the band sends a message to the whole world that is why it speaks different languages with it. As Rob Garza has stated himself every artist should speak about what is happening today when ‘the world around you is burning’. Yet Thievery Corporation has managed well to combine the pleasant with the useful. Listening to their lyrics one cannot help remaining optimistic for a tastiest and most beautiful music simply leaves you no choice. This is especially true about the instrumental compositions which comprise almost half of Radio Retaliation. Hopefully when the things are all right and stable in the world the inspiration does not leave this remarkable duo and it will give us much more of the same good quality and stylish music.