El Michels Affair

Led by multi-instrumentalist, writer, and producer Leon Michels, El Michels Affair are an R&B-rooted band synthesizing vintage groove-oriented jazz, soul, funk, rocksteady, and hip-hop, among other styles. Since introducing themselves with Sounding Out the City (2005), their LPs have typically been conceptual in nature, including the Wu-Tang Clan tributes Enter the 37th Chamber (2009) and Return to the 37th Chamber (2017), followed by Adult Themes (2020), Yeti Season (2021), the Black Thought collaboration Glorious Game (2023), and the guest-filled 24 Hr Sports (2025). These recordings have been interspersed with numerous associated projects such as Antibalas, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and Menahan Street Band, as well as the Expressions, the Decoders, the Arcs, and the Olympians. Michels and company have also been involved with high-profile sessions for the likes of Mark Ronson, Dr. John, Lana Del Rey, and Clairo.