Mixing fluidly between afro-beat, reggae, rock, Brazilian, soul, easy listening, electronic and rare library music, Thievery Corporation create a set that takes the listener on a trip of truly global proportions. The Outernational Sound is a seamless recording from many nights of sonic exploration with the turntables and a crate of records. From warehouse parties in Caracas to elegant soires in Honolulu, and root downs in Kingston, Garza and Hilton have played a lot of rare wax for a broad spectrum of listeners. Now, in a one-hour mix CD, the sound system has been mashed up and the whole world can share in Thievery Corporation's Outernational Sound.
Review:
First off, The Outernational Sound is proof that Thievery Corporation are
cool, know their stuff, and have great taste. The tracks they've selected for
this mix are more organic than expected, filled with sitars, sambas, and analog
dubs with very little you'd think was electronica. Hipsters call this slapping
of old jazz, reggae, and R&B records on the turntable “rare groove,” and
you've got to do a lot of homework to not come off as a charlatan. The duo never
come off as anything but smart lovers of groovy music, the quirkier the better.
The problem is that the mix isn't seamless and some of the transitions are
downright jarring. The Corp's own “Richest Man in Babylon” is a tripped-out
highlight – a high compliment considering it keeps company with killers from
Boozoo Bajou and Beatfanatic – but Delroy Wilson's excellent “Better Must
Come” just stumbles out of it. Tracks mix better during the album's softer
beginning, but as a whole this sounds more like a cool radio station than
someone trying to tell a story with two turntables. Dig it for the great tunes,
not the flow.
All Music Guide – David Jeffries