Thievery Corp: New Album
Radio Retaliation out September 23 / Select live U.S. and European dates in the fall
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Internationally acclaimed artists Thievery Corporation are set to release their fifth studio album entitled Radio Retaliation on September 23 on ESL Music. Consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton who are also highly regarded for their production and DJ skills, Thievery Corporation are best known for fusing a vast array of cultural influences in their music and this record takes that to the next level with inspiration from sounds from Jamaica, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The album was recorded in the band's hometown of Washington DC and the vibe is decidedly political which is no surprise given the high profile presidential campaign happening this year. A pre-release will be available on Itunes on September 9 which will feature an exclusive non album track entitled “Philosopher's Stone" available for the two weeks leading up to the CD hitting retail outlets.
“Radio Retaliation is definitely a more overt political statement," says Garza. “There's no excuse for not speaking out at this point, with the suspension of habeas corpus, outsourced torture, illegal wars of aggression, fuel, food, and economic crises. It's hard to close your eyes and sleep while the world is burning around you. If you are an artist, this is the most essential time to speak up."
“Apart from a few independent bastions, there is no musical or informational freedom on the U.S. airwaves anymore. They've been bought up, consolidated and homogenized. Radio Retaliation is about an exodus of conscious people who are willing to acknowledge something is wrong with the 'official version' in news and culture," explains Hilton.
Thievery Corporation always have an impressive cast of characters involved in their recording and this record is no different with guests including: Nigeria's Afrobeat heir Femi Kuti, Brazilian star vocalist and guitarist Seu Jorge, Indian sitar virtuoso Anushka Shankar, Slovakian chanteuse and violinist Jana Andevska, and Washington DC's own go-go originator Chuck Brown. Also returning are long time collaborators Sleepy Wonder, LouLou, Notch, Zee, and Verny Varela.
The band plan to take their show on the road with an impressive 15 member live ensemble for select dates in the U.S. and Europe this fall and will also hit the festival circuit in the spring and summer of '09. Announced dates include: 10/10 & 10/11 in Greece, 10/16 in Romania, 10/24 in Houston, 10/25 at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans, and 10/26 in Dallas.
Check out our exclusive Thievery Corporation interview on JamBaseTV here.
