Thievery Corporation is on the Eighteenth Street Lounge record label named after the DC club owned by Eric Hilton, but several of their singles and EP's appear on the 4AD and !K7 labels.
Formed in the summer of 1995 at D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge. Rob Garza and Lounge co-owner Eric Hilton bonded over club life, dub, bossa nova and jazz records, then decided to see what would come of mixing all these in a recording studio. From this, the duo was born and their self started label Eighteenth Street Lounge Music began to emerge on an international level.
The duo caught the ears of underground DJ’s with their first two 12" offerings, Shaolin Satellite and 2001: a Spliff Odyssey. Their 1997 debut LP, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi began to both define a new genre of electronic music and connect with an international community of like-minded souls. Though the terminology has varied (downtempo, chill out, left field and a myriad of other permutations), they have maintained their unique musical standards for the duration of their popularity.
In 2002, they released The Richest Man in Babylon on their ESL label. This fifteen track album is similar in sound and timbre to their earlier 2000 release, The Mirror Conspiracy, and features performances by vocalists Emiliana Torrini, Pam Bricker, and Loulou.
In 2005 they released The Cosmic Game, which has a darker, more psychedelic sound than The Richest Man in Babylon. The album also featured more high-profile guest singers on it, including Perry Farrell, David Byrne, and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips.
In 2006, the group released Versions, a selection of remixes done by Thievery Corporation for other artists and toured the United States, playing at Lollapalooza.
The group released their fifth studio album, Radio Retaliation, on 23 September 2008.
The language of the group's lyrics are as diverse as English, Spanish, French, Persian, Portuguese, Romanian and Hindi. This reflects the group's global feel and collaborative structure.
They were the opening act on August 1, 2009 for Sir Paul McCartney at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
On July 27, 2010, Babylon Central, the cinematic directorial debut of founding member Eric Hilton, was released. Set (and shot) in Washington, D.C., the film follows tripwire events in the interconnected lives of its characters, each influencing power brokers' schemes to manipulate international currencies.
In June 2011, Thievery Corporation released their sixth album, Culture of Fear.
In January 2012, Thievery Corporation launched a remixes contest in conjunction with Dubspot.
Retaliation Suite
Thievery Corporation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We got to defend ourselves.
We intend to defend ourselves.
We did so in the past,
And we gonna do it today,
And the day after that and the day after that.
And the proper example of retaliation,
And by letting these people know that we move from some basic laws.
That anything that goes down will oppress people on the power of the oppressor;
It should be reciprocal and in plain proleterian workers′ language;
It takes two to tango.
As soon as these motherfuckers go, we go.
The lyrics to Thievery Corporation's song "Retaliation Suite" convey a message of resistance and self-defense against oppression. The repeated lines, "We got to defend ourselves" and "We intend to defend ourselves," establish the overarching theme of the song. The singer asserts that they have defended themselves in the past and will continue to do so in the present and future. The notion of self-defense is further emphasized through the mention of retaliation, implying that they will respond to any oppressive actions taken against them.
The lyrics suggest that the only way to make a significant impact and challenge those in power is by setting a proper example of self-defense and retaliation. The reference to "basic laws" alludes to the principles and rights that should be upheld and protected. The singer emphasizes the importance of reciprocal action, indicating that if the oppressors take action, then they will respond in turn, creating a balance of power. The mention of "plain proletariat workers' language" highlights the idea that the response to oppression should be communicated in a way that is relatable and understood by the working class.
Overall, "Retaliation Suite" expresses a call for resistance, asserting the need to defend oneself against oppression and firmly establish the principles of self-defense and reciprocity.
Line by Line Meaning
We got to defend ourselves.
We have an obligation to protect ourselves.
We intend to defend ourselves.
We have a clear purpose to safeguard ourselves.
We did so in the past,
We have previously taken action to protect ourselves,
And we gonna do it today,
And today, we will continue to do the same,
And the day after that and the day after that.
And this will persist in the days to come.
Because only through this proper example of the self-defense,
Because it is only through displaying a proper demonstration of self-defense,
And the proper example of retaliation,
And by appropriately retaliating in kind,
And by letting these people know that we move from some basic laws.
And by making it known that we act based on fundamental principles.
That anything that goes down will oppress people on the power of the oppressor;
That any harm caused will subject individuals to the oppressive forces of those in power;
It should be reciprocal and in plain proletarian workers' language;
The response should be reciprocal and in the simple language of the working class;
It takes two to tango.
For action to occur, both parties must be involved.
As soon as these motherfuckers go, we go.
Once these individuals depart, we will take our action.
Writer(s): Robert Garza, Richard Hilton
Contributed by Kylie J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Molech Azreal
Rest in power, Fred.
Johnny_roots
SMOOTH AF
Safiee Aziz
Love!
Wefailmusic
Iiiiiii looooveeeee youuuuu sooooo muuuuuchhhhhhhhh aaaaaaaaaaa
The discoqueen
groovy babe
Brandon Wolfe-Hunnicutt
That’s Fred Hampton!
Ki C.
💙