Listening to a Thievery Corporation album is not so much of an active experience as a somewhat passive one. The electronic duo have proven themselves adept at creating atmosphere, setting moods that can be mellow or contemplative. For 16 years, musicians and DJs Eric Hilton and Rob Garza have combined electronica, chill, trip-hop and a touch of acid jazz to create pleasant grooves. They describe themselves as craftsmen of "musical soundscapes," which perfectly summarizes their genre. With their new album Culture of Fear, Thievery Corporation continues their exploration of rare grooves and the audial approximation of relaxation.
Despite the album title, Culture of Fear rarely addresses specific political issues.
The closest the duo comes is on the stellar title track, where guest rapper Mr. Lif ponders life after 9/11: "Or maybe we just like being afraid. Maybe we just so used to it at this point that it’s just a part of us, part of our culture," he muses before the bass-heavy beat kicks in. The reggae-flavored "Overstand" continues in this vein, with vocalist Ras Puma decrying "fear without reason." Puma also warns listeners to "keep your vision clearer" in "False Flag Dub," another reggae-tinged track discouraging mass paranoia.
The rest of the album, however, steers clear of overtly political statements and instead focuses on their ambient sound. "Web of Deception" does contain the vaguely topical lyrics "All that we weave/Is a web of deceit," intoned by a seductive female vocalist, the words intertwining with the shuffling beat. The retro soul sound exemplifies rare groove, a distant cousin of house which remixes vintage R&B beats and riffs with heavier bass and electronic effects. "Light Flares" continue the rare groove motif, with its infectious drum break permeating the instrumental.
Article comments
1 - T-Bird
Thanks for the review, but your definition/explanation of rare-groove is inaccurate: "The retro soul sound exemplifies rare groove, a distant cousin of house which remixes vintage R&B beats and riffs with heavier bass and electronic effects." What you've just described could be called "acid jazz," "trip hop" or even "downtempo," but *rare-groove* is what all of these genres *sample,* not the resulting music that is made. London DJ Norman Jay coined the term with his radio show "The Original Rare Groove Show" which featured primarily urban music of the 70s and 80s. A quick Google search will verify this is more than just my opinion.
2 - Kit O'Toole
T-Bird, thanks for the comment and additional explanation. Rare groove is a fairly hard genre to define, as it encompasses a variety of influences. When I researched the term, I found little agreement on what the term means. But if you look at the excellent documentary Pump Up the Volume, they mention Rare Groove as a distant cousin of house. Thanks again!