The production of lounge is mainly a European affair. Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, together the American Thievery Corporation, are a favorable exception to this. Together with Kruder and Dorfmeister, they were present in the proverbial delivery room during the birth of the lounge. It is not without reason that their own label is called Eighteenth Street Lounge. The sound of The Richest Man In Babylon
… is in the tradition of its predecessors Sounds From The Thievery Hi-Fi and The Mirror Conspiracy: funky, 'out of space' with sitars from India here and there, ragga from Jamaica and a sporadic stray Brazilian. Since their foundation is based on funky beats, Thievery Corporation distinguishes itself from the more jazzy orientated European lounge, while still exuding the same warm atmosphere. Nothing wrong with that at all but the disadvantage is that in this way the compositions will look very similar, especially if you already have the predecessors in your collection. (AD)more
