Take My Soul

Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza and Eric Hilton are back with Culture of Fear, their sixth studio album. By now, most people are familiar with their sophisticated, impeccably crafted musical soundscapes that reflect not only their broad appreciation for diverse styles of music (everything from Brazilian bossa nova and Jamaican dub reggae to vintage film soundtracks and psychedelic space rock), but also their take on the complicated times in which we live.

Despite its pointed title, Culture of Fear is not quite as politically minded as Thievery Corporation's previous studio album. While dubwise tracks such as “Overstand” and “False Flag Dub,” along with the Mr. Lif feature “Culture of Fear,” continue the themes of 2008’s Radio Retaliation, a higher number of cuts -- including “Take My Soul,” “Where It All Starts,” “Is It Over?,” and “Safar (The Journey)” -- feature the duo’s heavy-lidded grooves with seductive female vocals, particularly Rochester's own ex-pat, LouLou. “We’re probably more radical in our political beliefs than most of the hardcore punk bands,” Hilton says, “but at the same time, we’re realistic about what we can actually do. We feel like our role is to be commentators.” Adds Garza: “The best thing we can do is try to open people’s minds.” For both Hilton and Garza, the seeds for their shared philosophy were sown while growing up near the nation’s capitol, which has spawned an abundance of progressive punk bands over the years, such as Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and Fugazi. “We’re influenced by that mentality, but the music doesn’t need to be about super aggressive guitars or hard-charging beats to convey that feeling,” Hilton says. Their musical palatability serves as a means of more subtly purveying their ideologies without turning a potential audience off to them.

Thievery Corporation is my brand of "easy listening". It does not make them weak, nor unimportant or a duo to write off. Rather, it's what I put on when I want a consistent, mature, and intriguing journey as I am working.

Take a listen to Take My Soul, featuring LouLou here.



Buy your copy of Culture of Fear here.