Floating in the Haze: Eric Hilton’s ‘A Sky So Close’

Trip-hop heads, sink into this one. Eric Hilton, best known as one half of Thievery Corporation, is back with ‘A Sky So Close’ — a lush, slow-burning album that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a late-night state of mind.

Released via Montserrat House Music, ‘A Sky So Close’ leans fully into Hilton’s sensual, cinematic instincts. Across 12 tracks, the producer invites you into a weightless zone of deep grooves, glowing atmospheres, and unhurried pleasure. In a moment where everything feels loud and anxious, Hilton does the opposite — he suspends time. There’s no rush to a climax here, no hard landing. Just a long, delicious drift.

Hilton’s production is as refined as ever, built from his signature blend of layered samples and live instrumentation. Basslines are the spine of the record — sometimes played, sometimes sampled, often woven together until they feel alive in their own strange way. Tracks like Kali and Ghatam settle into low-end hypnosis, while the title track opens up into widescreen elegance, full of tabla taps, strings, wah guitar, and mythic imagery that feels half-ancient, half-futuristic.

Elsewhere, Hilton slips in surprises. The Emerald Door nods toward late-’90s Asian Underground with a desi-tinged drum & bass pulse, while the closing stretch gently guides you back to reality. Behind My Eyes (Reprise) eases you toward the exit, and final track The Lotus Gate leaves things intriguingly unresolved — cinematic, mysterious, and quietly dramatic.

“This record is an atmosphere, a state of mind,” Hilton says. “I indulge myself by making music that I want to listen to.”

That same philosophy carries over into Hilton’s latest side project — and it’s a beauty. He’s teamed up with Berlin-based boutique analog atelier RESØR to create the Trust A Thief — Eric Hilton Signature Series rotary mixer. This isn’t a tweak on an existing design; it’s a purpose-built instrument shaped by decades of listening, mixing, and flow.

Limited to just 50 hand-built units worldwide, each mixer is assembled and calibrated in Berlin to Hilton’s exact standards. Housed in solid mahogany with a silver matte anodized aluminum faceplate, it’s a clear nod to the Golden Age of Hi-Fi — when sound was craft, not content.

“This mixer reflects how I actually listen and perform,” Hilton explains. “It’s about flow, subtlety, and intention.”

Trust A Thief — Eric Hilton Signature Series highlights:

• Purpose-built analog & discrete rotary mixer / hi-fi preamp
• Limited to 50 hand-built units worldwide
• Individually assembled and calibrated in Berlin
• Solid mahogany enclosure
• Audiophile-grade components throughout
• 4× round analogue VU meters
• Urei-style knobs
• Hand-signed, numbered certificate of authenticity
• Heavy-duty Trust A Thief travel case
• 4-year international warranty

Whether you’re dropping the needle on the 180-gram vinyl or floating through the album digitally, ‘A Sky So Close’ is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and let go.

Fall into the haze. The sky is closer than you think.