Thievery Corporation here! We're ready to answer your questions in our first ever AMA!

we love creating music, traveling, and the craziness and chaos of touring

Nothing to ask, just a huge fan. Thanks for 2 decades of great music!

:)

Huge fan and I've always wanted to know this: I LOVE Middle Eastern music of all kind and I've noticed that on almost every album of yours, you always have one Indian song and one Middle Eastern song (Facing East then Interlude, Mandala then The Forgotten People, Satyam Shivum Sundaram then the Supreme Illusion) so my questions are: 1: Is that just a coincidence or do you always make sure to include at least one of each in most of your albums? 2: Do you ever plan on making an album that focuses primarily on Indian or Middle Eastern music, (like an Arabic version of Saudade) where instruments like the Sitar are the MAIN instrument as apposed to a supporting instrument (like in Mandala)?

We have discussed doing a full album in that style and maybe traveling the middle east and India to record.

You guys started in dc, right? How'd it feel to be a dance/electro group in a city known for hardcore punk?

punk is our roots and we love the diy ethic. I feel that's why we're still here because we've done things independently. We really were inspired by the DC punk movement

Hi Rob and Eric! I am a long time fan of your music and have recently begun collecting vinyl. Your records are extremely difficult to find in this format and when I have found them (usually online), they are typically very expensive. I was wondering what the chances are that you would reprint some of your albums in the near future so fans like me can have a chance at owning them someday? Also, keep up the good work! I bought the new album on vinyl today, so I do own one of your albums on vinyl now!

We've been talking about doing some reissues. Next year is 20 years of Thievery, so maybe we'll do some special vinyl editions

What're your favourite sandwiches?

We love Vietnamese sandwiches

Since you have an audience and many of your lyrics question the political system, have you been aware of any gov't organizations or odd groups checking in on you?

*edit phrasing

We did a protest for the Iraq war and got audited the following week. Coincidence?

I love jamming out to your wonderfully cultural lounge mixes! And of that I wonder, what are your favourite dishes from your travels?

So many great dishes as there is great music. That's one of the best parts of traveling!

What is your favorite bossa nova album of all time?

Elis y Tom with Tom Jobim and Elis Regina

loulou is my favorite vocalist... sweet tides was my wedding song.... and i always look forward to hearing her voice on your new albums. do you write songs with her voice specifically in mind or is it a separate process and just happens to work out with her voice?

Lou lou has been part of the family for ages now. When we write certain tracks we just know that her voice would sound really great on a specific track and most of the time it works!

Hey Thiev Corp, love your guys music, my wife and I try to make it to all your DC shows.

I was wondering about 18th St Lounge. Its one of our favorite clubs in the city, and I believe you guys own it? Do either of your ever hang out there at all? Do you have input on the bands and DJs that come though? Really love that place (although the drinks are insanely overpriced and not very high quality but thats to be expected).

We hang out on occasion, but our studio was there in the back for years. So we feeel like we've put in our time;) There are so many great djs and musicians there. Whenever we can we try to stop through

I love you guys. You're my favorite high music, haha. Mirror Conspiracy hasn't left my car's CD changer in years.

Just a couple of questions.

1. What's something you've always wanted to try musically that you haven't yet? I.E. instruments, genres, etc.
2. What song or album was the most difficult to write/finish?

With this record we worked with string players but it would be cool work with a full on orchestra.

This record took a little longer than usual just because we started working on this and came up with Culture of Fear in the middle and then came back to this one.

Been really loving Saudade, excellent work. If you could collaborate with one contemporary electronic artist, who would it be?

I really like Tycho's music, he is someone we recently collaborated with (last year) to share remixes

Do you like tom petty

We do actually!

Hey I'm a huge fan and I met you guys a few years ago with my English friend Scotty at your show at the Vogue theatre in Vancouver. It was easily one of the best shows I've ever seen and I've been dying to see you guys again. Will you be playing Vancouver bc or Victoria bc anytime soon? Aside from Squamish Live of course (which I can't make it to)

Yes we are overdue for BC, I think Squamish is the next one, we can't wait!!

Also-

I just moved to DC and was thrilled to find out about Den of Thieves. What's the best night to go? Any chance of catching TC there?

Saturday night is the best night I think

Will you do Jam Cruise again in the future? Your pool deck set was one of the best TC performances I have ever seen.

That was an amazing time for everybody. We had no idea what to expect but were blown away. The crowd was awesome, and being out on the open seas was a blast!

What is the funniest tour experience you ever had?

Bonus question: what is the most interesting drug experience you've ever had?

There's so many, each tour is filled with hilarious experiences. Most interesting drug - Ayahuasca:)

what's some advice you'd give to a young musician trying to make it in the game? i'm already focusing on constructing my image and creating a social media following. what else should i do?

Such a tough question these days. i see so many talented artists but the industry is harsher than ever when it comes to making a living doing music. I would say at the end of the day, you have to do it because you love it whether you earn no money or millions of dollars

How did you got collaborate with LouLou? I loves me some LouLou with a Thievery beat!

Also a new collaboration with Emiliana Torrini is overdue...have y'all hear her new album, Tookah?

:) Yes it would be wonderful to collaborate with Emiliana, she is amazingly talented. I saw her last summer in Croatia, it was wonderful

Not much to ask, just wanted to thank you guys for your excellent work. My big bro (who was big in the DC Jungle scene when he was a youngin') got me hooked onto your music and I've been a fan since. Love Saudade!

Gracias!

I grew up with you guys. I'm 26 now, Your albums definitely defined certain periods of my life. I just want to thank you for being somewhat of a soundtrack in my experiences. The first time I saw you guys live (Hollywood Bowl 2008) the lady I was suppose to take stood me up, but the performance was a much better date.

Thank you for continuing to make music, I've loved every track. Hope to see you guys in LA soon!

Thanks Scott!

When was the last time any of you did an improvised DJ set at ESL?

We are overdue for a DJ set at ESL. Those are always so much fun

What's on your music playlist right now? (I can't imagine you're sitting in front of a computer on reddit and not playing anything in the background)

(also: picked up Saudade this morning and am loving it)

I'm listening to the new Todd Terje record

Thank you for doing what you do! I met Rob at Riverside Groove in Detroit last summer and loved the solo DJ set. Any chance of going back to Detroit for Movement?

We love Detroit and always wanted to check out movement, people tell us it's the best Electronic Music festival in the country

Your music is that of people who have opened their eyes and see the world with a rare form of clarity. Has there been any specific event or events in your lives that have contributed towards the blinders falling off?

Music has allowed us to have a differnt perspective. Especially since our music comes from all over. It has offered us a new perspective on our own lives.

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It's a combination of samples, loops and sounds, if you look at our beats there's so many different things going on. It is kind of it's own mix of so many different layers

I loved 'Mirror Conspiracy' and thought the overall vibe and style of the album was a nice progression from 'Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi'.

Can you give any insight into what your goals and mindset were going into the production of 'Mirror Conspiracy'? What did you draw inspiration from for it?

Did you try to focus on specific geographies' sounds and styles (e.g. "Lebanese Blonde")?

I think at that point we were both surprised that we could make a career doing music and we really started to get into our craft. So I feel that there was a great excitement and focus on that record with a real sense of exploration.

How do you feel about artists possibly sampling your work? We used a sample of yours for a hip-hop beat we're working on

We are pretty reasonable when it comes to other artists sampling us. If it blows up or it's for a very commercial release, then we want to double check and make sure it's all good

Going to see you performing in Atlanta! I've probably listened to the album in its entirety over fifty times now. I can't put it down.

Where on earth did you guys find LouLou and how did your relationship come to be?! She is a gem!

Thanks! Lou lou happened to be in the studio one day and she was dating one of our other singers and we tried her as an experiment...the rest is history

Hey Thievery Corporation!

You guy's have been my favorite band for well over 5 years now and I can proudly say that I have gotten to see you at the club 9:30 and it was the greatest show I had ever seen! I can't wait to see you again for Saudade!

My real question is, will you ever do another album like Cosmic Game? It's my favorite album that I never get tired of. What was your inspiration for that album? Any albums or songs by other artists that make you think of it?

Anyway, thank you for making such incredible and unique music. I can't wait till I see you guys live again!

That record was inspired by a book by Stanislav Grof entitled the Cosmic Game (Surprise). We love the psychedelic trippiness of that record and it is one of our faves too!

Why don't you guys ever play boston!?

last time we played was with Massive Attack, but we are way overdue

Thanks for the AMA! Are you guys playing in DC this summer? Maybe another three day run at 9:30?

We are talking about DC this summer. Fingers crossed

When are you guys coming back out to the States (LA to be more specific)? Big fan for years!!!

I think LA will be this summer

Hi, I'm a 16 year old fan of yours, and I was wondering: What is the age demographic for your music normally like?

It's nice to know we reach all ages of people. It's not just one segment, Although we do have a lot of fans who are a little older, such as ourselves:)

Congratulations on the new album - it is both beautiful and enchanting and I can't wait to experience these tracks live!! My question is kind of two-fold: what are your performance rehearsals like, and what goes on behind the scenes that allows for the studio recorded tracks (with all of their intricacies) to so effectively transition into a live performance? Thanks for the AMA!! :)

For us, it's a matter of finding the right balance of incorporating all the live instruments with elements of sampling to give it the timeless effect. Otherwise you lose some of the beauty of the studio recordings. I think what we do live fuses the 2 together

First, huge fan. I have been fortunate enough to attend several shows and have had a brilliant time at each. When I was younger I used to listen to tapes and eventually CDs to pick apart certain elements and create new music. How has your career shifted and grown with both the times and gear available? Side. Note, totally unrelated. I am deploying to boot camp in the next few months then specialty school for a while after that... Any chance of peeking into your American tour projections?

Thank you for weeks of great listening. Cheers

The technology and gear is always changing but we feel we have the ability to explore different sounds and collaborate with a spectrum of people, so for us that's the most exciting part. Also, You can find tour dates on our website.

Thanks for this! I love the atmosphere your music sets up and I don't want to ruin it for me, but: do you consider the atmosphere you have when creating your stuff to be important to the final product, or can/do you create whenever/wherever?

We can create anywhere, but we prefer our studio in DC. The atmosphere for us is more a product of our imagination and trying to travel places through our music.

your set at bisco last year was the first concert I had ever danced at (shrooms probably helped a little) and now I love going ham dancing at concerts :)

my questions: what was your favorite song of the set (may or may not be one of your own)? and which artists did you go to see?

Our favorite songs of the set change all the time. I always love Hearts a lonely hunter, Frank O always crushes it!

i've always wanted to see your full live show i've heard tons about.

one small anecdote & question:

On numerous occasions, i've either DJ'ed at a bar or nightclub, or i've walked into a bar where a bartender is playing Thievery Corporation for hours from his phone or something. Every single time, whether I'm playing TC or the bartender is, it sparks up conversation with some of the most interesting people I've met from all backgrounds.

Your music really strikes a cultural nerve...how do you find it?? (Sort of a rhetorical question hah)

We're still surprised to this day how many places we hear our music. It's nice to know it sort of a background soundtrack to peoples interesting experiences

One of the main reasons I enjoy your music is your ability to draw inspiration from all over the world - from reggae to Indian to bossa nova. What other avenues do you hope to explore in the future?

We are constantly drawing on different forms of inspiration, not sure yet where the next one will come from

Saw you guys at the Manifestation Celebration a few years ago!

Can you recall perhaps what you took/learned from the experience?

That was so much fun! We remember the museum, ALex Grey and hanging with Daniel Pinchbeck. Funtimes!

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:)

Could you give a bit more details about the performance at Amoeba Music on Friday?

Yes I will be there on Friday probably playing a brazillian and electronic set and buying some music!

Thanks for doing this AMA! Love the new album and just pre-ordered the record, can't wait for it to arrive. I just have one question in response to your recent Twitter contest.

What does Saudade mean to you two?

Saudade for us is that sense of longing, something that for us musically can be melancholic but uplifting at the same time

will you be releasing more tour dates (beyond what you've already announced on your webpage/social media) to support the saudade release??

Yes there are more dates to come!

What is the best city to be in for artists that share a creative spirit with your music?

So many great cities, we think we are an example that you can be from anywher and make music

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We loved Brazilian music when we met, and that is an over arching theme throughout the music and lyrics. That's probably the main thing in our mind that makes the music beautiful.

Love you guys! What are some of the most important or special influences whether it be types of music, art, psychadelic, etc... That have helped to shape not only the type of music that you guys create, but the way you create it. Thanks so much for doing this guys! Glad I checked Facebook during psy class to see that it was going on!

I think the punk attitude is a big influence in the sense that it's more about attitude and wanting to communicate than it is about the talent. Talent can always grow.

AMAZING new album!

As a friend of Pam Bricker's, who will miss her deeply, I was wondering if you guys have any vocals or such of her that may be working it's way into future stuff (if you and her estate can come to terms)?

Thanks so much for putting out such great tunes.

Glad you love the album! Pam was a beautiful person and such a great spirit, it would be nice to find something from back in the day. We miss her immensely,

Any chance you will come back to South Florida?

Hope so! I know we are in the south in APril but have to double check

saudade is so downtempo and chill in the bossa lounge style - and i love rob's remix of depth of my soul.... can we expect a remix album of more upbeat remixes of more saudade tracks?

There are some more Saudade remixes coming soon!

Hi! I found you by searching for the soundtrack to a VW commercial several years ago. Since then I created a Pandora station from your band name and everyone that comes to my house loves your music. Several people ended up buying albums because of this. Do you think overall, internet streaming services help you hurt you? I'd think it helps people find you but then might cut into record sales so I am not sure. What is your take?

We think it enables more people to hear music, but it doesn't support the sustainability of most artists to live and work making music.

I wonder, what's your favorite albums from the 70's and 80's? I wonder what your main influences is/were..

Also thanks for the music. Please come to Norway.

We love Jorge Ben, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Old Space Rock, Dub Reggae Agustus Pablo , Ravi SHankar, the list goes on....

Just bought the new album! Love your music thanks for talking to me. What's the secret huh? Yall look like you got it all figured out. Your musics good probably always getting into adventures and shit, whats it all about? Huh?

We just love creating and being a part of music, thats it really

I love you guys and I love the whole basso nova Brazilian grooves. So com voce, samba tranquille are a couple of my favorite tracks from any artist. Just so smooth and chill. Thank you for your music and come to Austin soon! My question is how do you organize a tour using many different vocalists/instrumentalists? You guys have a super-pac?

Also, do you think you'll put an album inspired by ragas out? I mean so many of your tracks are rooted in some of those patterns but more like something Ravi Shankar would be proud of?

Touring is like a big circus we have so many crazy characters and we all love eachother so it's never a dull moment

Love the new album (bought it of course), and thanks for letting NPR stream it before it was available. I had never heard of you guys until you toured with Massive Attack and I have been hooked ever since!

My question: How are you going to interpret the songs off of Saudade live? Are you going to add a more trip-hop vibe, or are these songs straight up perfect just the way they are?

I think we will do them more straight up but there might be an added tripiness to them.

I just found you guys when I was checking out records downtown one day about a week ago. I don't have any questions, but I just wanted to say thanks for making some cool music!

thanks!

Do you have any musical "guilty pleasures"?

Eric loves Total Eclipse of the Heart :) jk

Just wanted to say that you have been a part of my Saturday and Sunday mornings for 14 years now - thank you so much. Do you still do most of the production work in DC as well? (Eastern Market here - can't wait for the next 930 show )

yes still pretty much DC, Rob's in SF but we make time to get together in the studio in DC

First off - the new album is just perfect, from start to finish. Delicate but moving.

Secondly, given the mood of Saudade, would you be up for doing the next Bond theme song if asked?

We've heard the bond thing a bunch with this record. We totally would be up for it!

Outside of electronic artists, who are your favorite musicians you collaborated with?

We loved collaborating with David Byrne and Perry Farrell, We have so much respect for them and they are true artists

What is the overall favorite venue that you guys have ever preformed in? I'm super excited for June 13th ;)

There's so many great ones. But Red Rocks is Stunning! and we also love the Greek in Berkley