Monday, January 15, 2007

El Michels Affair- Cream B/w Glaciers of Ice -7" Single (Now and Again Records)

El Michels Affair- "Cream" B/w "Glaciers of Ice" - 7" Single (Now and Again Records)

This is a funky pair of instrumental covers from saxophone player Leon Michels' band. Based in Brooklyn along with everyone else keeping classic funk alive these days, El Michel's Affair have been around for a few years. More recently, they teamed up with Wu Tang Clan, adding a deeper funk dynamic to the 'Clan and apparently improving their live appearances according to people who have witnessed the pairing in action on stage.
The A-side, "Cream", is a slow, simple but brooding jam highlighted by some tasteful keyboard licks.In fact, horns practically take a back seat on both of these jams. The bass line is a little heavier on the "Glaciers of Ice" B-side. It's a little faster than the A-side too, but the murky, almost trance-like sound of both these cuts must have knocked out the Wu Tang guys. This single is definitely worth grabbing whether you dig funk or if you're a hip hop head. Let's see who's the first to slap their own rap on one of these tracks.

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