Rob Garza and Eric Hilton met at Eighteenth Street Lounge in May 1995. They were introduced by a mutual friend and proceeded to discuss their admiration for the work of Antonio Carlos Jobim and the 60's bossa sound. Weeks later, in a home studio, they began to work on the music that would launch Thievery Corporation. After several early 12" singles, Thievery Corporation released Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi on ESL Music. That record is already considered by most to be a classic of the new electronic era.