Calling Thievery Corporation “eclectic” is an understatement—their sound’s been described as downtempo, but it can also light up a dance party. Cofounders Eric Hilton and Rob Garza would likely blanch at attempts to define their band within any category—though ambient, trip-hop, house, and global fusion all come to mind. They borrow from a variety of genres from near and far, guided by an open-ended outlook they’ve termed “Outernationalist.” How many other electronica acts feature melodic sitar, hand percussion, a bit of bass, and lyrics in multiple languages?
Thievery Corporation formed in 1995 at the Eighteenth Street Lounge in Washington, D.C. (co-owned by Hilton and still a fixture of the Dupont Circle club scene), out of a seemingly mundane pursuit: Hilton and Garza’s mutual interest in collecting bossa nova and jazz records. Soon their partnership grew into a studio project focusing on club remixes of jazz, reggae, dub, hip-hop, and just about anything else that inspired them. In 1996, they founded Eighteenth Street Lounge Music (more commonly known as ESL) to handle their output, and they’ve since released more than a dozen studio LPs as well as a slew of compilations, singles, live albums, and solo efforts. All the while, they’ve continued to be a work in progress. They’ve also maintained a solid rep for collaboration: over the years they’ve platformed a variety of emerging talents, including vocalists Notch Howell and Shana Halligan and rapper Mr. Lif (all three remain studio and touring members of the group), and worked with established artists such as David Byrne, the Flaming Lips, Femi Kuti, and Seu Jorge.
Thievery Corporation’s ethos of diversity and inclusion goes beyond the music itself—they’re also well-known for their not-so-subtle commentary on globalization, police brutality, and the surveillance state. I hope their current tour, including these two shows at Outset, has something to say about our precarious present electoral moment.
Thievery Corporation Mon 9/23 and Tue 9/24. 6:30 PM, Outset, 1675 N. Elston, $49.50, 17+
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