Den of Thieves: The Sound of Eighteenth Street Lounge Music

Washington D.C.’s Eighteenth Street Lounge functions not only as the town hot spot, it’s also the label name and recording studio for Thievery Corporation and their cadre of like-minded "outernationalists." Fusing pieces of Latin lounge, trip-hop, and acid jazz, the Den of Thieves compilation features the label’s smooth, loose downtempo, as airy and cool as white linen on a hot day. With a diverse lineup, Thieves wanders all over the globe, from Nicola Conte’s Rio-in-spring remix of Ursula 1000’s "Samba 1000" to the baroque trance-jazz of Blue States. Elsewhere, the Karminsky Experience delves into sitars and ambient breakbeats for "Exploration," while Federico Aubele lets the dub flow for "El Amor De Este Pueblo." But no matter where Thieves meanders, it keeps the mood on the edge of tranquility enough to keep your head nodding yet not enough to break up the conversation. --Matthew Cooke