Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi

DJ duo selects favourite songs from legendary label's archives...

'Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi' is a compilation of rare and classic Verve Records tracks chosen by renowned mixologists Thievery Corporation.

For 'Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi', Rob Garza and Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation extracted a number of genre-spanning songs from the legendary label's vaults, creating a collection that displays the kind of musical variation which has characterized Verve since the 1960s; bossa nova, Latin jazz, samba, hard bop, and 1960s folk exotica are all represented on the collection. Though Garza and Hilton often favor Verve's Brazilian and Afro-Cuban offerings in their influential DJ sets, Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi is stylistically inclusive, a unique look into both the Verve catalog and Thievery Corporation's personal record library.

From the lilting bossa nova of the Luiz Bonfá & Stan Getz opener "Menina Flor," to the driving Afro-Cuban strut of Kenyan Hopkin's "Hard Latin" to the laconic sexuality of Astrud Gilberto's "Light My Fire" and Chico Hamilton's rollicking "For Mods Only," Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi is perfect for consoles and car stereos alike. The album's title references Thievery Corporation's celebrated 1997 debut, Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi.

The record also features the inimitable Brazilian stylings of Jackie and Roy, Elis Regina, Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66, and Walter Wanderley, as well as simmering Latin tracks from Cal Tjader & Lalo Schifrin and Willie Bobo. Paralleling their status as tastemakers in the electronic dance world, Thievery Corporation mix it up even further, spinning in psychedelic sitar ramblings from Richie Havens, bluesy swing by esteemed improvisers The Wynton Kelly Trio and Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery, plus the rare "Do It The Hard Way" by British collective The Jazz Renegades.