El Michels Affair Meets Liam Bailey - Ekundayo Inversions - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Big Crown Records is proud to present Ekundayo, Liam Bailey's debut record on the tag. This album is a long time in the making, and after listening, clearly worth the wait. It didn't take a long time to record, but it did take years for all the stars to line up. Bailey, born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and Jamaican father got his early influences from his mom's record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today. Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London and doing the whatever-gig-you-can-get musician hustle with hopes of landing a record deal. And it was through this time that Liam first teamed up with Leon Michels, musician/producer luminary, and the co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records. Liam flew out to New York and those first sessions together produced the now classic tunes InchWhen Will They LearnInch and InchI'm Gonna Miss YouInch which still get spins at reggae spots around the globe. That trip helped kick off what was to follow next for Liam a slew of record releases, tag deals, and working with some wildly-notable mainstream producers. Even a just-famous Amy Winehouse heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo-fi recordings through a friend and liked what she heard. Regardless of the audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone through-all guitar, warm-rough and genuine soul. She signed him to her tag shortly after.But, as the story can go with major labels, they already had an idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push. With the typical pay-day enticement, Liam did his best to fit into whatever shape they put him to. Inch'Maybe I can make it work,' that's what you're thinking,Inch Liam remembers, Inchbut, you quickly find out that you can't.InchWhile Liam's career went through a bunch of recor

There has always been a Reggae influence in the music of El Michels Affair. From their cover of InchHung Up On My BabyInch done in a Reggae style, to the general sound and approach that permeates Leon's production style. While recording Bailey's 2020 Ekundayo album, they did some straight forward reggae tunes inspired by different eras alongside some modern R&B tracks that would fit more comfortably next to Frank Ocean than Jacob Miller. It is this same notion that old and new can live so comfortably together that birthed the idea of Ekundayo Inversions.Traditional dub came out of reggae in the late 60s and early 70s when pioneers like King Tubby and Lee Perry started taking the multi track recordings of songs and running them back through the board adding effects and additional instrumentation. These recordings are called InchdubsInch or InchversionsInch and are typically instrumentals with flourishes of vocals from the original tracks. El Michels decided to use the blueprints left behind and make something using the influences of today. He wound up straying so far from the traditional that it didn't seem right to use the word 'Dub', hence Ekundayo Inversions. All the songs are tied together by WhatsApp messages between Leon and Liam that perfectly narrate the story of this record and their working relationship. One of the highlights of Ekundayo Inversions is a guest appearance from the legendary Lee InchScratchInch Perry on the InchUgly TruthInch version. L$P switches between singing and talking, proclaiming his powers one minute and playing with the track's title the next. On InchAwkward Pt.2Inch Leon takes one of the most experimental songs from Ekundayo and actually straightens it out. A track that once seemed to be floating in space has now been anchored by the addition of drums and bass. InchFadedInch, a version of InchPaper TigerInch, is given the full EMA t

Fresh off of their 2020 offering Adult Themes, El Michels Affair is back with a new full-length . Titled Yeti Season, this newest album has everything we've come to expect from EMA's patented cinematic style of instrumental soul music. Where Adult Themes inspired a soundtrack to an imaginary film, Yeti Season brings us to a different place in time-with new inspirations. Taken with Turkish-styled funk and an almost Mumbai-esque take on soul, El Michels Affair offers us a different kind of drama and imagination with Yeti Season. If you've been following along, this shouldn't be viewed as too far a departure for El Michels Affair. The first single off of Yeti Season showed their hand back in 2018. A double-sided banger, that brought the musical textures to the fore that dominate this record. The first song, titled InchUnathi,Inch is fully realized with the beautifully haunting-yet-hopeful vocals of Piya Malik, formerly of 79.5. Singing in Hindi, Piya's ethereal voice is telling us to work and strive together toward progress. Even if you don't understand her language, you can still hear the urgency of purpose, creating a lasting vibe that sits on top of it all. Leon Michels explains that Piya had a vital influence on this record InchWhen Piya started singing in Hindi, she had a different voice, a different tone. I knew we had to do something together.Inch And so Piya appears on three other songs on Yeti Season InchZaharila,Inch InchMurkit Gem,Inch and InchDhuaan.Inch Each providing particular signatures to the album. InchZaharilaInch is a building and changing love song punctuated by blaring trumpets, driving drums, and Piya's pleading lyrics. While the more upbeat InchMurkit GemInch opens with a fuzzed out, Wu-Tang-esque baseline that buoys Piya's stylings. The psychedelic guitar and Piya's changing tones and textures singing about an all-consuming love are what pus