Thievery Corporation Radio Retaliation CD

Thievery Corporation: Eric Hilton, Rob Garza (guitar, keyboards, bass instrument).
Personnel: Chuck Brown (vocals, guitar); Jana Andevska (vocals, violin); Verny Varela (vocals, keyboards); Dexter Archer, Ooldouz Ghelichkhani, Archie Steele, Norman Howell, Femi Kuti, Seu Jorge (vocals); Abraham, Rob Myers (guitar); Anoushka Shankar (sitar); Brad Clements, Craig Madley, Frank Mitchell, Rick Harris, Dave Finnell (horns); Wayne Wilentz (keyboards); Ashish Vyas (bass instrument); Roberto Berimbao, Javier Miranda, Andy Cazedo, Frank Orrall, John Nelson (percussion); Gianmaria Conte (scratches).
Programmer: Christopher "Stone" Garrett.
Audio Mixer: Christopher "Stone" Garrett.
While remaining true to their template of sophisticated, abstract electronica, Thievery Corporation continue to expand their sonic palette with 2008's RADIO RETALIATION. Dub, Indian raga, Brazilian grooves, and other international elements are folded into Thievery Corporation's trip-hop-shaded soundscapes. Guests include Afro-beat royalty Femi Kuti, sitar guru Anushka Shankar, go-go godfather Chuck Brown, and Brazilian singer Seu Jorge, among others, lending sparkle and variation to the wide-ranging set. At the center of it all is the knob-twiddling alchemy of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, which achieves one of its most organic and compelling expressions on RADIO RETALIATION.
From the title alone, it's clear that Thievery Corporation has more on its mind than just the construction of breezy coffeehouse soundtracks and laid-back global chill. Radio Retaliation is a record of righteous fury (the targets are political, if that even needs to be said) and one that makes their previous efforts sound like Discreet Music in comparison. Thievery amps up their beats, quickens the pace, and unleashes a phalanx of vocal features to attack the D.C.-based Corporation's crosstown rivals on Capitol Hill and at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. (Granted, this is still a revolution mostly in the head.) The mélange of worldbeat influences finds all the usual traces (Jamaica, India, Brazil, Nigeria, Arabia), but virtually all of the locales are charted by natives (Sleepy Wonder, Anoushka Shankar, Seu Jorge, Femi Kuti). On the title track, narcoleptic chatter Sleepy Wonder details his list of grievances, speaking for the entire corporation: "50,000 watts of Thievery hit them like poison darts/And watch the whole system what them build up fall apart." The two most important features are Femi Kuti's and Seu Jorge's; first, Kuti uses the track "Vampires" to call out African genocide throughout history (from Kinshasa to Darfur to Lagos to Malabo, Guinea), then Jorge comes next with the yin to Femi's yang, a beatific ode to peace titled "Hare Krsna." Thievery producers Rob Garza and Eric Hilton haven't quite revolutionized their beat-making or production from the past decade, but they sound energized by the political and social events of the 2000s. Despite the politics, there are still a few more of the ethereal masterpieces Thievery Corporation have made a hallmark in the past, including the sublime "Beautiful Drug" (featuring Slovakian singer Jana Andevska) and "Mandala," a guest feature for Anoushka Shankar that's particularly refreshing as an alternative to the usual Indian atmosphere on downbeat records (sampled, not played). The liner notes are a huge 20" x 30" fold-out booklet, including not only the lyrics but numerous quotes from a variety of world figures -- from Einstein, Chomsky, and Edward Bernays to John Lee Hooker and Mos Def. ~ John BushMojo (Publisher) (p.104) - 3 stars out of 5 -- RADIO RETALIATION is another intelligent and often joyous fusion of beats, world music adn what once would have been called trip-hop."
Clash (magazine) (p.126) - "Always fans of sub and a good reggae beat, they up the ante by adding the sounds and instruments of Latin America, Africa and The Middle East for extra spice."