SMOKING SOUNDS…Music to Smoke to
Because music is the perfect pair with cigars!
Artist: El Michels Affair
Album: Sounding Out The City
Moving on from the last edition of Smoking Sounds featuring Glass Beams (Check it our here!), I continue with another album that is instrumental in El Michels – Sounding Out The City. El Michels Affair is a large band consisting of horns, guitars, drums and keyboard.The group, led by Leon Michels, is based out of New York with a sound that is heavily Hip Hop influenced but SOTC has a more of a jazzy-funk vibe with some Afrobeat mixed in and is often labeled as “cinematic soul”.
I often listen to this while smoking as it is generally pretty laid back but funky enough to vibe to without demanding your full attention. Packed with funky bass lines and jazzy trumpet riffs that build to climax, it’s a great backdrop for reflection or conversation with a friend… The album itself shifts between moody tones and upbeat rhythms anchored by rolling bass lines and timely percussions, remedied by sharp horn breaks that prevent it from becoming monotonous..A lot of their songs have a familiar and nostalgic sound, often via interpolation of their influences and sometimes not so hidden as in their tribute track to Isaac Hayes “Hung Up On My Baby” (which they later dedicated a whole album to Isaac Hayes instrumentals that I also recommend giving a listen to).
Their infectious sound propelled them to opening for & providing backing for members of the Wu-Tang Clan on tour, leading to being the live band during the recording of an XM Radio Concert with most of the members of Wu-Tang. This collaboration laid the groundwork for their acclaimed “Enter The 37th Chamber” album, blending Wu-Tang classics with their signature funk and exposing them to a wider audience. They later followed that up with “Return To The 37th Chamber,” featuring more of their distinctive Wu-inspired instrumentals. El Michels journey continued with collaborations alongside Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, providing live backing for “The Diamond Mine Sessions.”, as well as with a few other albums of their own.They recently capped things off with the severely underrated gem “Glorious Game,” a full-length album of original tracks and flows from Black Thought of The Legendary Roots Crew!
I also highly recommend checking out ‘Enter The 37th Chamber’ and ‘Return To The 37th Chamber’…Whether you’re a hip hop head or simply entertaining guests for a smoke, it’s a funky instrumental backdrop that’s perfect for those oblivious to Wu-Tang or fans who may take a while to say, “Wait a minute, is this Wu-Tang?”!
You can listen to them here on Spotify or search for them on your preferred music streaming platform.
