Thievery Corporation: “Ghetto Matrix”

Thievery Corporation just released its first album in three years and to put it modestly…the wait was worth it. The D.C.-based DJ collective (fronted by producers Rob Garza & Eric Hilton) was last heard on its guest-filled seventh full-length album, Saudade, released back in 2014. But the bossa nova-laden Saudade was just a jumping off point for Thievery Corporation to extensively explore another genre dear to its roots: reggae.

The brunt of The Temple of I & I, released last Friday, focuses on a reggae infused sound, from roots to dub, dancehall, reggaeton and beyond, all the while aided by a handful of genre heavyweights and Thievery Corporation’s own knack for seamlessly blending musical styles.  The fourth track, “Ghetto Matrix,” is one of two featuring Boston-based MC Mr. Lif and serves as a lounge-y trip-hop intermediary amongst the other fourteen Caribbean-influenced tracks. Thievery Corporation’s undeniably laid back production-style carries through “Ghetto Matrix” – which sounds like it could’ve realistically been released over ten years ago.

“Ghetto Matrix” appears on The Temple of I & I, out now.

Jack Anderson (Host Monday – Wednesday 8-11pm, Saturday 6-10am) 

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