Thievery Corporation

Thievery Corporation formed in Washington, D.C. in 1996 when Rob Garza and Eric Hilton started working together. Garza came from house and techno, while Hilton was a DJ with a collection of global records. Their first album, 'Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi,' came out the following year and established their approach of mixing electronic grooves with dub basslines and atmospheric vocals.

They've kept that sound going through several albums, including 'The Richest Man in Babylon' in 2002. Songs like 'Só com você' and 'The Time We Lost Our Way' show how they blend trip-hop rhythms with international influences without sounding like a museum piece. The music feels more like a late-night radio station picking up signals from different places than a polished studio product.

Some listeners have questioned whether they're borrowing too freely from world music traditions, but the duo has generally avoided getting drawn into those debates. They've just kept making records that work as both background atmosphere and something you can actually listen to. It's the kind of music that doesn't demand your full attention but rewards it when you give it.