{"id":1708,"date":"2011-09-21T10:02:02","date_gmt":"2011-09-21T14:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gadflyonline.com\/wpblog\/?p=1708"},"modified":"2012-07-15T19:58:59","modified_gmt":"2012-07-15T23:58:59","slug":"review-of-thievery-corporations-culture-of-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/review-of-thievery-corporations-culture-of-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Thievery Corporation’s Culture of Fear: A Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Thievery Corporation’s June release of their sixth album, Culture of Fear<\/em>, will be met with enthusiasm by old and new fans alike. The album opens up with the psychedelic track Web of Deception<\/em> which really sets the tone for one of the major themes of the album, a recurrent theme through much of Thievery Corporation’s music: our society and the world is engulfed in a culture of deceit and fear. While their last album, Radio Retaliation<\/em>, heavily focused on and condemned what the artists see as manipulation and exploitation by global organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (see the track Vampires<\/em>), this album advises its listeners not to be deceived and lured into what they see as a culture of fear. One of its central messages is to really impart the importance of reflecting on what is truly dangerous and subversive to our culture. Culture of Fear <\/em>calls its listeners to perceive beyond what the media and the elites that control the global institutions and governments portray as subversive and dangerous to our societies. The greatest threat, at least according to the title track–by far the best–rapped by Mr. Lif, is fear itself. This ambiance of fear is all too often broadcast in our and the greater world culture on the ubiquitous and inescapable screens: laptops, smart phones, and televisions.\u00a0 According to the track, credit card companies and banks (and especially their fine print)<\/em> are more threatening to the average person than terror squads. That is, it is more likely for a government or international bank or corporation to take something of great importance from you than a vengeful terrorist organization.<\/p>\n

The other major messages of this album are perhaps the antidote to this culture of fear:\u00a0 In Take My Soul <\/em>Loulou Ghelichkhani encourages her audience to “Let the love back in your hearts…let’s try forgiveness…no self deception…little less reaction….little more reflection.”\u00a0 <\/em>In the reggae-ish track False Flag Dub<\/em> male vocalist Ras Puma advises society to “Keep your vision clearer.” <\/em>Finally, the mystical last track of the album, titled Free <\/em>(perhaps the second best track) listeners are asked to “Go back to the pyramidal tracks of where you know you do not lack the knowledge that has always been imparted to you. Search high and low and sweet you’ll grow. I promise you that it’s not far; just hiding in the heart of the heart….nothing else makes as much sense so I will continue on my mission with the risk—to be free. Come with me…”\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Of course all of these messages are enveloped in DJ Rob Garza and Eric Hilton’s familiar yet fantastic blend of electronic, trip-hop, downtempo, reggae, bossa nova and world music with a hint of acid-jazz. Besides the more and less political tracks on this album there are also a couple engaging instrumentals that serve as nice, cohesive acoustic glue—especially Fragments.\u00a0 <\/em>In short, Culture of Fear<\/em> gives its listeners a range of issues to consider– all while listening to very catchy and artistic music–and it can be as subtle or overt as you like. Thievery Corporation continues to provide their fans with a rich, creative sound that is a meditation for the ear as well as the mind and soul. Thievery Corporation fans: stay vigilant; stay tuned.<\/p>\n

Take My Soul<\/strong><\/p>\n

Such strange ways to show
\nWho we are, what you know,
\nLet the love back in your heart
\nLet’s try forgiveness
\nNo self deception
\nLittle less reaction
\nLittle more reflection
\nNew trails are blazing it
\nCity shows no love tonight
\nAll the sounds come crashing in
\nInside and outside
\nRunning through your mind
\nAll the words collide
\nNothing left to hide<\/p>\n

Come on open your eyes
\nTake my soul
\nI don\u2019t need it anymore
\nDon\u2019t let go
\nYou\u2019re the cure I\u2019m looking for
\nTake my soul
\nI don\u2019t need it anymore
\nDon\u2019t let go
\nYou\u2019re the cure I’m looking for<\/p>\n

Old habits creeping up
\nFloating by riding high
\nSilver clouds so above<\/p>\n

Come on open your eyes
\nTake my soul<\/p>\n

Culture of Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seems to me like they want us to be afraid, man.
\nOr maybe we just like being afraid.
\nMaybe we just so used to it at this point that it’s just a part of us, part of our culture.
\nSecurity alert on orange.
\nIt’s been on orange since ’01, G. I mean, wassup man?
\nCan a brother get yellow, man
\nJust for like 2 months or something
\nGod damn!
\nSick of that!<\/p>\n

The groom is dead so I’mma rhyme like a lunatic
\nI do this shit with an unassuming wit
\nThe corporation caught you up bassin\u2019 the tempo
\nMy name is Lif, that\u2019s the intro, now let’s go
\nThe flow of life, throwing strife into the mix
\nTo the big dark condition
\nAnd the word is sick
\nThe power\u2019s that be, a power in need
\nJust speaking about the stressful life I see everyday
\nAnd I’m just speaking about the culture of fear
\nIt’s stocked into your ear<\/p>\n

Telling us that terrorists are about to strike
\nMaybe tonight—–riiiighht?
\nLet me just back up slowly
\nWith critical analysis of those that control me
\nIt used to be that we just had a screen in the rear
\nOn the TV but now we carry screens when we leave
\nSee laptops, smart phones, now we’re never alone<\/p>\n

Overstand<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me make it clear that I do not care for religion
\nBut you’re still my brother no matter your decision
\nA blonde haired, blue eyed God is overrated
\nI’m not attracted to the picture that you’re painting
\nI know that I am young and that I have much to learn
\nBut faith without reason makes me concerned
\nBelieving in one god I’m going to overstand for
\nFor your hope and your fishes for all to see
\nBeware of the things of society<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thievery Corporation’s June release of their sixth album, Culture of Fear, will be met with enthusiasm by old and new fans alike. The album opens up with the psychedelic track Web of Deception which really sets the tone for one of the major themes of the album, a recurrent theme through much of Thievery Corporation’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,220],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1708"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1708"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1708\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3105,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1708\/revisions\/3105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/gadflyonline.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}