Thievery Corporation - Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi (Remastered) [2LP]

Thievery Corporation's debut, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi, returns remastered across two LPs, the record that helped define the late-nineties downtempo lounge sound.

Eric Hilton and Rob Garza met in Washington, D.C., in the mid-nineties and bonded over a shared love of dub, bossa nova and jazz. Working out of the Eighteenth Street Lounge, the nightclub Hilton co-founded, they launched their own label, ESL Music, and this album became the calling card for everything that followed. It quietly turned into a cult favourite, the sound of cocktail bars and late-night radio around the world.

"Shaolin Satellite" glides on a slow-motion dub groove, "2001 Spliff Odyssey" drifts through hazy, space-age atmospherics, and "Encounter in Bahia" brings bossa nova warmth to a smoky trip-hop beat. "The Glass Bead Game" borrows its name from Hermann Hesse and floats on hypnotic, jazzy loops.

The production is all deep basslines, crackling samples and unhurried tempos, the musical equivalent of dimmed lights and a well-made drink. Nothing is in a hurry, and every layer of sound has room to breathe.

Freshly remastered and spread over two discs, it is an ideal record for slow evenings, and a cornerstone of the chillout era that still sounds effortlessly cool. Pour something nice and let it play.