Glorious Game

Description

With four studio albums from El Michels Affair as well as numerous tribute projects, remixes, and production for some of the biggest names in the industry, Leon Michels has established his signature sound, his evocative and orchestral soul. This time, he brings his magical touch to the realm of hip-hop by creating a musical foundation for one of the greatest MCs of our time: Black Thought, from the Philadelphia hip-hop group The Roots. Glorious Game is released on Big Crown Records and marks the beginning of a remarkable collaboration in more ways than one. Leon Michels offers his rich, soulful production to Black Thought, who delivers some of the most personal and transparent verses we have ever heard from him. Leon Michels and Black Thought first met in the 2000s, as Black Thought began to familiarize himself with the contemporary soul scene. But it was in 2020 that the two artists embarked on the project, looking to stay busy. Instead of directly sending Black Thought live recorded tracks, Leon Michels takes a decidedly different approach for this project. He samples his compositions and a few records from his collection, then cuts and/or loops them to create instrumentals for Black Thought. The result is an organic sensation that emanates from the loops, which breathe and fluctuate enough for Black Thought to work with. Armed with evocative soul pieces that are sampled and re-sampled, Black Thought rhymes through personal memories and distinct perspectives.