Thievery Corporation, anyone?

[uk_lefty]

Quite a while ago a friend who I share music back and forth with sent me a playlist with Thievery Corporation and Arc Du Soleil on. It's blown me away. Really good music, mostly instrumental. My questions are...

 

Anyone else into this?

What is the genre?

How do I find a band/ group who wants to play this kind of thing?

[Grooverjr]

I'm definitely into it. I wouldn't put TC and Arc Du Soleil on the same genre, myself but it might depend on what TC tracks are on the playlist. I expect you'd find it easier to find people to play Arc de Soleil style stuff as that is in the Khruangbin / Glass Beads camp and is more clearly instrument based. TC is more of a hangover from the 90s with that kind of deep electronic production but also more reggae influenced than most. If it's that lush electrónica / reggae mix you might find a band but I couldn't say where, sorry. If you like TC you could try Sofa Surfers and an album called The MIssing Two Weeks by Spectre as similar stuff. 

[uk_lefty]

There's a very distinctive guitar sound across most of these groups. I'm liking it, but would like to hear something different from time to time... I like the basslines and bass tones, a lot more variety.

[SumOne]

You might like: 

 

Fila Brazillia

Nightmares on wax

Lemon Jelly

Kid Loco 

Aim

Maribou State

Bonobo

 

 

 

[Grooverjr]

The problem with this stuff is that it can get a bit samey. Good if you're driving or want background but not really something to get deeply into. Agree the bass lines are fun but they also tend to get a bit repetitive. 

4 hours ago, uk_lefty said:

There's a very distinctive guitar sound across most of these groups. I'm liking it, but would like to hear something different from time to time... I like the basslines and bass tones, a lot more variety.

 

[TheLowDown]

Yes I quite like TC but haven't heard them for a few years. There's also Air, Zero 7, and Goldfrapp who were all over the scene about 20 years ago but never hear anything of them now.

[Burns-bass]

1 hour ago, TheLowDown said:

Yes I quite like TC but haven't heard them for a few years. There's also Air, Zero 7, and Goldfrapp who were all over the scene about 20 years ago but never hear anything of them now.

Will Gregory (of Goldfrapp fame) is doing a vintage synth gig at St George’s Bristol. I am going.

[Shambo]

When I think of Theivery Corporation I think of Shaolin Satellite. Takes me back to... jeez twenty five years or more, to when I first heard it on a Kruder & Dorfmeister DJ Kicks album. 

The K&D Sessions is one of my very favourite downtempo albums. You might like that one too.

[TheLowDown]

3 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

Will Gregory (of Goldfrapp fame) is doing a vintage synth gig at St George’s Bristol. I am going.

Sounds like it will be really good! I've only recently started getting into synths.

[BabyBlueSound]

I also know TC from the Kruder & Dorfmeister days that hit me in the early 2000s... definitely look that up!

[pineweasel]

14 hours ago, Shambo said:

The K&D Sessions is one of my very favourite downtempo albums. You might like that one too.

Yes, it is a classic. I’ve just discovered they are touring, playing the album live to celebrate its 25th anniversary, with a few UK dates coming up. 

https://kruderdorfmeister.com

[odysseus]

Yes, I love a bit of Thievery Corporation. I loved Hash playing bass on stage and stomping around before he allegedly went a bit.... off script!

 

Dan Africano is a great replacement though!

[mike257]

On 10/04/2025 at 14:24, TheLowDown said:

Yes I quite like TC but haven't heard them for a few years. There's also Air, Zero 7, and Goldfrapp who were all over the scene about 20 years ago but never hear anything of them now.

 

Air have just done a massive sellout tour last year celebrating the anniversary of the Moon Safari album - an awesome show by all accounts. 

 

 

[floFC]

I love Thievery Corporation. I discovered them, of all things, on a 4AD compilation. It was atypical of the label but I loved it.

Didn’t try to explore the genre really, but did listened to more slow electronic, synth based music, some trip hop like Red Snapper and Archive.