The Outernational Sound

Thievery Corporation

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 2004)
• Original Release Date: June 29, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Eighteenth Street
• ASIN: B00024BHUG
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,505 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Getting back to their turntables after the all-original work on 2002's The Richest Man in Babylon, Thievery Corporation dust off a collection of soulful wax for The Outernational Sound. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have gone with an increasingly organic approach since their relatively electronic and modern Mirror Conspiracy, looking more back than forward. Happily, the duo has good taste. If that wasn't obvious after the collections on Babylon and 2001's Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi, Outernational ends the argument. The record rambles through Brazilian jazz, afro-beat, and a kaleidoscope of funked-up rhythms that only a serious purveyor of world beat chill tunes could unearth. Their big ears, however, can't always keep up with their DJ skills; 20 tracks are smooshed into just over an hour, and you can feel Garza and Hilton sweating to make the different musical bloodlines congeal. You'll likely find yourself playing only sections of the record, depending on your mood. Still, whatever section you settle on should supply a hearty dose of satisfaction. --Matthew Cooke

Product Description
Mixing fluidly between afro-beat, reggae, rock, Brazilian, soul, easy listening, electronic and rare library music, Thievery Corporation create a set that takes the listener on a trip of truly global proportions. The Outernational Sound is a seamless recording from many nights of sonic exploration with the turntables and a crate of records. From warehouse parties in Caracas to elegant soires in Honolulu, and root downs in Kingston, Garza and Hilton have played a lot of rare wax for a broad spectrum of listeners. Now, in a one-hour mix CD, the sound system has been mashed up and the whole world can share in Thievery Corporation's Outernational Sound.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid mix-tape for a classic theivery heist, July 9, 2004

By	Daniel C. Wilcock "journal-ist" (Osaka, Japan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Theivery Corp. have built their reputation as tastemakers over the years by releasing records so hypnotic and streamlined that, though most of the music is stolen -- i.e. thievery of sounds--, the brand name Thievery Corporation is another way of saying good taste.

So by releasing a CD containing some of their favorite songs, did Thievery live up to its reputation? Yes, mostly.

There's no fancy mixing here, and the songs do not always blend together in seemless fashion. But the brothers do dig some gems from their crates 'o wax.

The music ranges from South American rhythems to North Atlantic drum and bass to Washington DC dub to the Beatles (off of Sgt. Peppers) to Funk to Asia (but not really) and ends with one of the best Jamaican rocksteady songs, by Delroy Wilson, I've ever heard.

To top it all off, the CD is encased in layer after layer of shiny-psychedlic-Warholian-pop-art-packaging - which may be worth the price of admission if that's your thing.

My overall impression is that, after spending a decade or so trying to be as effortlessly-cool as possible, Thievery is dying to get a little funky. They've amassed wealth through many heists, and this mix-tape album is their chance to just let the good times roll.

If you're looking for high art, go elsewhere. But if you're looking for an intruiging mix of sounds that would probably do well at a party, check this out. Grade: B.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stylish and modern, October 9, 2004

By	W. Davidson (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Thievery Corporation take some time out from creating their own smooth grooves and instead return to their record collection with a trippy compilation of soul, dub, ethnic grooves and, er, reggae, all mixed, remixed and filtered through their fashionable sound lounge.

The 70's easy sound of David Snell's "International Flight" (a track that appeared on the second 'Sound Gallery' compilation) launches the collection with an air of sophistication followed by The Gimmicks equally delightful 1971 Sergio Mendes-ish track Ye-Me-Le (Mendes also recorded this). Then decades start to blur with Thunderball's contemporary take on 60's easy as we hit a groovy oil patch with suave, if somewhat similar, sounds from the likes of Crazy Penis and Block 16.

There's some 70's (either sounding, or really 70's) funk from the likes of Breakestra and Antonio Carlos Jobim (which came as a bit of a surprise, not the bossa style he is generally known for). Interestingly it's often hard to tell which tracks are three decades old and which are contemporary as they meld seamlessly. 18th St Lounge label-mates The Karminsky Experience get a look in with their lush Marrakech via Cambden sound (and can I just take this opportunity to mention their album 'The Power of Suggestion' is very fine). The sitars come out with The Alan Lorber Orchestra and Indian Vibes before Alan Moorhouse (70's British library music composer) lands us squarely in the world of Suzi Wong with the corny 'Expo in Tokyo'. Following are some cool psycho-grooves from The Bobby Hughes Experience before rounding out the collection with some reggae/dub from The Thievery Corporation and Delroy Wilson (the latter I'll admit made me want to rush for the track advance button).

The Outernational Sound is tailor-made to soundtrack cafés or specialist book stores and you could be forgiven for feeling under-dressed or perhaps under-furnished, whilst listening to it (one probably needs 1960's Swiss modern furniture to fully appreciate the Thievery world). I can't help but think that they might benefit from casting their musical net a little less wide, it's the sort of compilation where tracks will be skipped. Also a few less tracks, rather than the snug 20 (in just over an hour), might have allowed a little more breathing room. Still, it's very smooth, very sophisticated, and basically very charming. The shiny silver packaging is truly dazzling, the contents, only very slightly less so.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your passport please, March 2, 2005

By	Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

With the recent release of "The Cosmic Game" it inspired me to give a listen again to some of my fave chill out/lounge fare by the duo of Garza and Hilton known as The Thievery Corporation. This disc is all over the map, mixing every conceivable style of music for a remarkable synthesis of sophisticated sounds. Is it jazz, bossa nova,r&b, reggae and more ? Yes , and then some, with snippets of the velvety turn- the -lights-down- low Barry White voice, interspersed with the 60's seductive willowy female voices of the Sergio Mendes singers and the cool jazz horns blowing softly through the multi-layered tracks. Your aural passage takes you through Sao Paulo by way of the dark night within the city lights of your metroplitan view. If this doesn't strike your fancy how about some reggae, Afro-beat or Far Eastern inspired grooves for a deliciously packaged smorgasbord of sound? African chants, rhythms and beats , mesh with percussion and horns to the twangy plucking of the Indian sitar, sometimes shifting to a rock steady Jamaican groove to keep you guessing in what direction the music will turn. It's a global hopskotch and a jump to some Latin percussion, funky shake -your -booty soul music switch -your -groove in time to change the tempo again. It is a mind boggling harmonious blend of turn table fun that is exhaustive to the listener so you had better get your energy up and move. A nice addition and a momentary pause is the George Harrison composition "Within Without You " that tranports you somewhere along the Ganges River as the sitar gently weeps via the Discovery of India Mix. Along the way stops will be made to hear the Japanese tinged "Expo in Tokyo " with a dreamy stopover to see "My French Brother " before closing out with a reworking of one of Thievery Corporations best and most recognizable songs, "The Richest Man in Babylon". The Garza and Hilton composition features taunting, haunting , smoky, vocals by Notch with a bass thumping groove that reverberates in sporadic dub style, resulting in an even better version; if that is possiblle. An uplifting conclusion to the disc is a blend of old school, straight ahead , rock steady reggae with Delroy Wilson blasting out the vocals like a reborn Wilson Pickett/Otis Redding transported via Jamaica. Great disc, plenty of music for your dollar and like their other discs, highly recommended.