El Michels Affair

Biography

El Michels Affair is a New York-based band founded in 2001 by multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels, who started recording at age 16 with his high school band The Mighty Imperials, releasing the Meters-inspired album Thunder Chicken on Soul Fire Records. As a teenager, Michels teamed up with bassist Nick Movshon in a bedroom studio using a Tascam 388 8-track, developing their signature 'cinematic soul' sound—a raw blend of 1960s soul, funk, Afrobeat, jazz, early reggae recording aesthetics, and soundtrack vibes that diverged from mainstream retro funk. Michels toured and recorded with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings for seven years while preparing their debut single 'Easy Access' in 2002 and full-length Sounding Out the City in 2005, which launched Truth & Soul Records after Michels acquired Soul Fire's studio.[1][2][3]

The band's breakthrough came after backing Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon at a 2005 show, leading to tours with Wu-Tang members and the instrumental Wu-Tang covers series Enter the 37th Chamber (2009), reworking tracks like 'C.R.E.A.M.' and 'Glaciers of Ice,' which exploded their global audience and attracted hip-hop samplers including Ghostface Killah, Jay-Z, J. Cole, and Travis Scott. Michels co-founded Big Crown Records in 2016 with Danny Akalepse, producing releases for artists like Lee Fields and Lady Wray, while contributing to projects like Menahan Street Band, Aloe Blacc's Good Things, Adele's 19 (writer credit), The Black Keys tours, and productions for The Carters, Norah Jones, and Don Toliver. Their evolving lineup includes Homer Steinweiss, Aaron Johnson, Thomas Brenneck, and others, maintaining a nine-piece live soul/funk outfit.[1][2][3][4]

El Michels Affair's legacy lies in pioneering 'cinematic soul,' bridging retro soul revival with hip-hop through the Shaolin Series, and Michels' prolific production career across labels and genres, influencing modern soul, funk, and rap production with a lo-fi, bottom-heavy aesthetic that remains influential today.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Leon Michels bought a Tascam 388 8-track as a high schooler and recorded the first EMA material in his bedroom, blending reggae aesthetics with soul to create 'cinematic soul.'[1]
• EMA's 2005 gig with Raekwon led to Wu-Tang tours and the viral Enter the 37th Chamber, with its 'C.R.E.A.M.' cover sampled by major hip-hop acts.[1][2]
• Michels received a writer credit on Adele's Grammy-nominated album 19 while simultaneously running labels and touring with The Black Keys.[2][3]
• The band started as a loose Soul Fire session collective but grew into a 9-piece live outfit known for backing Wu-Tang Clan.[1]

Members

• Thomas Brenneck
• Aaron Johnson
• Michael Leonhart
• Leon Michels
• Nick Movshon
• Tobias Pazner
• Todd Simon
• Homer Steinweiss

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• The Meters - Primary stylistic influence via high school band The Mighty Imperials' homage album (Thunder Chicken (2000)) [late 1990s-2000]

Key Collaborators

• Nick Movshon - Co-founder, bassist, core recording partner from Mighty Imperials (Sounding Out the City (2005), Enter the 37th Chamber (2009)) [2001-present]
• Homer Steinweiss - Drummer, band member (Various albums and live performances) [2000s-present]
• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Michels toured and recorded as member for 7 years (Multiple albums) [early 2000s-2007]
• Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan) - Live backing band leading to tours and Shaolin Series (Enter the 37th Chamber (2009)) [2005-2009]
• Jeff Silverman - Co-founder of Truth & Soul Records (Sounding Out the City (2005)) [2004-2000s]
• Danny Akalepse - Co-founder of Big Crown Records (Multiple label releases) [2016-present]

Artists Influenced

• Ghostface Killah, Jay-Z, J. Cole, Travis Scott - Hip-hop artists who sampled EMA tracks post-Enter the 37th Chamber (Various hip-hop tracks) [2009-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #cinematic-soul, #funk, #funk-soul