Thievery Corporation by Jen Maler
With their particular genius for universally profound, aptly named and culturally diverse songs, Thievery Corporation are quite possibly an argument for the existence of teleportation. However you migrate, meditate, emulsify or otherwise mind-meld into their music, you’ll find yourself entirely inside of it, fully experiencing these intentionally curated, philosophical dance anthems that circle the planet on currents of soulful yearning and existential wonder. From the poetic production of the Portuguese- and Brazilian-inspired “Saudade” to the Francophone dreamscape “Decollage,” Thievery Corporation conjure aural medicine and mystic bossa nova for the transcendental global set.
It’s a sound synonymous with dim-lit, refined nightclubs designed for those with eclectic palates, so it’s no surprise that the Thievery tandem of Eric Hilton and Rob Garza emerged from one such hangout, the beloved Eighteenth Street Lounge in Washington, D.C., where Hilton was a co-owner when he and Garza met in 1995. A record label named for the venue soon followed. From there comes nearly three decades of recordings and remixes in Thievery Corporation’s own psych-dub-ambient vein of EDM and, in their own words, “incendiary live performances” — a claim regularly backed up by concertgoers posting raves afterwards.
A setlist that landed online from an gig in August in California offers a hint to what might be on offer for this winter tour. Songs from the entire discography could pop up, including fan favorites such as “Shadows of Ourselves,” “San San Rock,” “Forgotten People,” “Lebanese Blonde” and “All That We Perceive.”
Thievery Corporation will also sound welcomingly familiar to fans of lounge- exotica. The duo exudes vibes and affinities with artists such as Brazilian singer Rodrigo Amarante, French psych-rock band La Femme, French singer Gillian Hills and Belgian-Egyptian artist Tamino as well as the Father of Exotica himself, Martin Denny.
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the DJ Emancipator (aka Doug Appling) is a compatible opener for an evening where trance pulses, psy-chill audio and intelligent dance will mingle in immmersive, recombinant ways.
Thievery Corporation and Emancipator perform 7pm Sunday, Dec. 18 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. thieverycorporation.com ~ Amanda Moore
