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Mirror Conspiracy |  | Artist: Thievery Corporation
Label: Eighteenth Street
Category: Music
List Price: $15.98
Buy New: $12.97
as of 7/29/2010 14:49 CDT details
You Save: $3.01 (19%)
Seller: Amazon.com
Rating:  reviews
Sales Rank: 1273
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.5
UPC: 795103003323
EAN: 0766481301349
ASIN: B00004WFIZ
Release Date: August 22, 2000
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Treasures | | • | La Monde | | • | Indra | | • | Lebanese Blonde | | • | Focus On Sight | | • | Air Batacuda | | • | So Com Voce | | • | Samba Tranquille | | • | Shadows Of Ourselves | | • | The Hong Kong Triad | | • | Illumination | | • | The Mirror Conspiracy | | • | Tomorrow |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Washington, D.C.'s Thievery Corporation purvey a very mellow, deliberately international mixture of sounds that might be called "lounge music"--not in the kitschy sense, but in the sense of a laid-back local bar (much like the one the duo happens to run) with no dance floor. Rob Garza and Eric Hilton are professed admirers of Brazilian music, and they're determined to inject as much warmth into electronic music as possible. The Mirror Conspiracy is quite a musical travelogue, starting in Jamaica with "Treasures." This dubby opening track, which features vocalist Brother Jack, is quite reminiscent of the start of Swayzak's Himawari. Next up is "Le Monde," a quiet, wah-wah-inflected song featuring a chanteuse named Lou Lou. She reappears later on the somewhat more uptempo "Shadows of Ourselves," which, despite the title, is also sung in French. "The Hong Kong Triad" sounds like a tip of the hat to Shaft-styled soundtrack music. Elsewhere, it's off to India for two sitar-flavored tracks with a similarly laidback groove that gets a bit closer to techno, one of which, "Lebanese Blonde" (hash? a woman?), has been released as a single. Brazil gets its due on the densely percussive "Air Batucada," the more bossa nova-like "So Com Voce," and an instrumental titled "Samba Tranquille." Fans of this style are sure to be pleased. --Bob Bannister
Album Description
2000 release for the extremely talented and unsung DJ duo. An amalgamation of reggae dubplates, lounge muzak, breaks, beats and bossanova. 2000 release. Standard jewel case with slipcase.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A sweet sweet piece of music! If you like also check out June 25, 2010
Clinton Carty (47403)
These guys (and gals) simply make great music. This album is fantastic from start to finish. It was this album that kicked off the lush quality that later grew into what they are today.
FANTASTIC
If your into this style of music be sure to check out Kaleidoscope Jukebox!![...]
[...]
 bl6r April 20, 2010
bl6r (Charlottesville, VA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Technology has influenced all aspects of life, including art. Music, like all art, builds upon itself to create something new. That is especially the case for electronic music, which incorporates technology not only as a source of inspiration and a means to an end but is in itself part of the medium. Thievery Corporation marries technology and music in an organic, accessible way that maintains its artistic value without overpowering it with electronic elements.
The album The Mirror Conspiracy uses concepts and themes from other genres, giving it a more exotic, international feel. The most apparent use of nonlocal music is the heavy presence of bossa nova in "Air Batucada," "So Com Voce," and "Samba Tranquille." The Brazilian influence is difficult to miss, especially with heavy samba beats and lyrics in Portuguese. "So Com Voce" even features the lovely Bebel Gilberto, a bossa nova singer whose own music is a hybrid of traditional and modern bossa nova, a singer who is the daughter of the father of bossa nova (Joao Gilberto) and one who has worked with music greats such as Suba, a producer in Brazil. The song also features a saxophone (sounds like an alto, but I could be wrong) with a repetitive melody that provides a kind of familiarity and grounding amidst the rhythmic aspect of the piece. "Air Batucada" has a bossa nova beat similar to classic bossa nova pieces such as "Desafinado", which has been covered by everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to Damien Rice to Quincy Jones (I'm partial to big band). "Samba Tranquille" is not a melodically complex piece and is focused on the beat and samba rhythms.
Other international influences are at work here as well. "Lebanese Blonde" doesn't have quite the Middle Eastern feel, as the title suggests, but more South Asian in its heavy use of the sitar. "Indra" also uses a sitar opening and it sounds like "Mirror Conspiracy" has bits of sitar sprinkled throughout (I definitely could be wrong about that). Other exotic tidbits are present as well such as reggae in "Treasures," a style used by Thievery Corporation in other albums and by many other artists such as Lee Scratch Perry in sampling, and vocals in French in "Le Monde."
One aspect of this album I really love is the use of vocals with an ethereal feel. For the most part, the vocals are all done by females which lend a softer, translucent sound. The one exception is "Focus on Sight" which uses ethereal male vocals and has a harder, more grounded feel to it. Pieces such as "Hong Kong Triad" and "Samba Tranquille" don't have any vocals at all. The lack of vocals in these pieces further emphasizes the rhythmic and percussive aspects of the pieces as well as the entire album. "Tomorrow" also focuses on the percussion by downplaying the soft female voice for a repetitive phrase as texturally contrasting the steady, sedated hi-hat tempo of the first half until about 2:12 and then transitioning into a faster tempo, keeping time with a snare as the main rhythmic dynamic.
Pieces in The Mirror Conspiracy seems to greatly vary in musical influence, but are all share a commonality in their emphasis on percussion and rhythm and their forwardly exotic sounds. Thievery Corporation is an example of an artist using technology alongside traditional instruments to create art for a modern society.
If Jarre were a hipster January 20, 2010
Eric E. Weinraub (Issaquah, Washington United States)
I have always been a fan of electronica starting way back with Jean Michel Jarre and Eddie Jobson. Thievery Corp take this genre up a notch with their amazing rhythms and digital sampling. I find this music perfect for continuous play.
Nice album for relaxing or doing work. January 19, 2010
The Pro (Iowa)
I listen to this when working on homework or just chilling by myself. Has a hip urban sound to it. Reminds me of a high end bar filled with professionals. Get it if you like electronic lounge thats relaxing and sounds hip.
Not great art, but serves its purpose well December 15, 2009
Gerry
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I wouldn't consider this music to be great art by any stretch of the imagination. I consider music by such composers as Beethoven, Mozart, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin to be great art. Those men were true geniuses of their craft. Thievery Corporation doesn't even come close to their level.
That being said, Thievery Corporation does serve a purpose, and this particular record does it very well. There are times when you just want to chillout, and have some nice beats in the background. You want to create a certain mood...to enjoy drinks, dinner etc etc with your significant other. This album gets it right. The compositions are imaginitive and have a way of sticking with you long after the record is over. For that, I give Mirror Conspiracy very high marks.
With this kind of music...basically...it is what it is. Nothing more...nothing less.
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