El Michels Affair – Return To The 37th Chamber

El Michels Affair “Return To The 37th Chamber” with their new tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan and the music that influenced their trade mark sound.
This is a must for all funk and soul fans and of course Wu-Tang fans. Blending versions of the original samples with the Wu’s boom  bap beats the album gives you a new insight into the Wu sound while keeping the authentic soulful sound. With Lee Fields and Nicole Wray of The Shacks coming along for the ride and some awesome artwork to boot, this is an album you need in your collection. Available now on Big Crown Records.

 

El Michels Affair – Iron Man video

El Michels Affair will release Return To The 37th Chamber on April 14 via Big Crown Records and we now have a killer video for ‘Iron Man’. The animated video is for the bands cover of the ‘Iron’s Theme’ interlude from the Ghostface album, Supreme Clientele.  Check out the awesome video and pre-order the album here.

El Michels Affair – Tearz / Verbal Intercourse

With the full length, ‘Return To The 37th Chamber’ dropping April 14th,

El Michels Affair releases another flawless two sider to hold us over. Side A’s cover of ‘Tearz’ is as much an homage to the Wendy Rene sample as it is to the Wu-Tang Clan track. The song starts as a glazed over cover of “after laughter, comes tears”, with Shannon Wise of The Shacks singing Wendy Rene’s timeless mantra.

Halfway through, the mood dramatically shifts and the drums and organ that drive the original RZA sample, take over. A dubbed out Lee Fields taps in like only he can, and the song spirals into outer space.

 Side B finds El Michels dipping into the deeper side of the Wu catalogue with Raekwon’s ‘Verbal Intercourse’. Mixing the grimy, gritty production aesthetic of the original with elements of dubbed out reggae, El Michels Affair once again pushes the definition of a “cover” and truly makes it a tune of their own.
Released on the 3rd of March you can pre-order and listen to the single HERE.

 

The Shacks – Orchids

Here is the latest video from The Shacks. “Orchids” is produced by Leon Michels of El Michels Affair and taken from The Shacks self titled EP out now on Big Crown Records.

El Michels Affair & The Shacks – Strange Boy

El Michels Affair have teamed up with New York band The Shacks for the new single, “Strange Boy” b/w “No Surprise”.
Strange Boy sounds like the Five Keys met Neil Young and cut a record with Jane Birkin, but in English. A fuzzed out, heavy backing track with doo-wop background vocals create a peculiar, but perfect bed for singer Shannon’s dead pan celebration of her strange boy, of whom she would gladly “drink the kool aid from his cup”.
Side B, No Surprise is a perfect blend of El Michels Affairs hazy, cinematic soul and 60’s pop ala Sonny and Cher.
The 7″ single is available to buy now from Big Crown Records.

 

El Michels Affair – 4th Chamber/Snakes ft Lee Fields

The wait is over, El Michels Affair is back with the follow up to 2009’s underground cult classic ‘Enter the 37th Chamber. The first single 4th Chamber, a cover of one of the toughest GZA tunes from Liquid Swords finds EMA’s signature sound stronger than ever. Fuzz guitar and synths reminiscent of Morricone scoring Scarface dance over absolutely crushing drums giving the original RZA production a proper run for its money. The lush production and choices of instrumentation take a Hip-Hop classic and bring almost a Heavy Metal influence to it while never losing the groove.
The B side is something of a Big Crown family affair, El Michels inviting the one and only Lee Fields to the track to sing the vocal part over from O’l Dirty Bastard’s rawer than raw album cut Snakes. The tune starts with a sweet stripped down vocal performance from Lee then quickly turns dark and tests the durability of your speakers. EMA taking a small bit of the sample track and turning it into a thing of its own, once again the tried and true pairing of producer and singer bring us yet another timeless classic. Seven years later it is safe to say El Michels Affair is sharper than ever.
Released April 15th on 7″ and digital download listen and buy your copy HERE