*** Thievery Corporation

SOUNDS FROM THE THIEVERY HI-FI

(Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)

The fine print in the CD booklet reveals that this electronic pop duo of Eric Hilton and Rob Garza love the Brazilian pop of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Lots of musicians share that affection, but I can't think of any other artists operating in the fields of dub, hip-hop, lounge, and acid jazz who have done anything this imaginative with their Jobim fixation. Thievery Corporation sample Rastafarian speaking voices and set them into a swirling mix of beats borrowed from all points south of their Washington (DC) home. The result is a Jobim-like atmosphere of tropical heat and light, romantic melodies with the kind of hazy glow hi-tech music rarely achieves. This is machine music with soul, and lounge music with real backbone. (Write to Eighteenth Street Lounge Music, 1212 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.)

-- Norman Weinstein