About EslS

pastPresent&futureof

eslmusic

From the retro mod-breakbeats of Ursula 1000 and Chris Joss, the spy film and near eastern polyrhythms of Thunderball, the ethereal global soundscapes of Ocote Soul Sounds and Nickodemus, the epic hip-hop atmospherics of the Ancient Astronauts and Kabanjak, and the Latin soul of Federico Aubele and Natalia Clavier, ESL Music offers a wide range of sonic temptations for discriminating and sophisticated ears.

esl press kit (pdf) esl biography (doc)
  • 1995
    Rob Garza and Eric Hilton met at the 18th Street Lounge in Washington, DC - Thievery Corporation was born.
  • 1995
    Thievery's first single, Shaolin Satellite, is licensed to Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ Kicks compilation.
  • 1996
    In order to distribute Thievery Corporation music to the world, Eric and Rob decided that instead of signing to a major record label, they would start their own company to remain in control of their music - that company is Eighteenth Street Lounge Music.
  • 1996
    Thievery Corporation releases their debut album, Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi.
  • 1998

    Using the local DC music scene as the back-drop, ESL establishes itself as a leader in down-tempo electronic music through signing such artists as Thunderball and Ursula 1000 and releasing compilations such as "Dubbed out in DC" and "Modular Systems".

  • 2000

    Thievery Corporation releases The Mirror Conspiracy. The song, Lebanese Blonde, from the album is later licensed to the film, Garden State, and included on the film's official soundtrack. The Garden State Soundtrack won a Grammy.

  • 2002
    Thievery Corporation releases The Richest Man in Babylon.
  • 2003

    After sending an unsolicited demo to Eric and Rob, Federico Aubele is invited to work with them in their studio in the back of the nightclub. Together they created Federico's debut album, GranHotelBuenosAires.

  • 2004
    The ESL office moves out of the nightclub and into its current home with the recording studio and offices under one roof.
  • 2005

    Thievery Corporation releases The Cosmic Game. An email in all caps from France led to the signing of Chris Joss and his first record on ESL, You've Been Spiked.

  • 2006
    In a year of featuring remixes, ESL released its 100th title with ESL Remixed, and Thievery Corporation packaged 18 remixes they had done for other artists into a collection called Versions
  • 2006
    Rob Garza develops a side-project, Dust Galaxy, with producer Brendan Lynch.
  • 2007

    New York based DJ Nickodemus adds his Endangered Species to the label, along with the Afro-beat grooves of Ocote Soul Sounds, and the German beatmasters, Ancient Astronauts.

  • 2008
    Thievery Corporation releases Radio Retaliation. Natalia Clavier joins the label roster with her solo project, Nectar.
  • 2010
    Release of the debut film project on ESL, Babylon Central, directed by Eric Hilton.
  • 2011

    Thievery Corporation releases Culture of Fear and their first DVD, Live at the 9:30 Club. New artists Funk Ark, Afrolicious, Frank Mitchell Jr. and AM & Shawn Lee debut their first projects.