El Michels Affair has been active for over 25 years – and with 24 Hr Sports, Leon Michels delivers yet another album that bears his unmistakable signature: retro soul with intent, groove with backbone. Michels remains true to the analogue colour palette of the 1960s and ’70s and shapes from it a musical language that feels both nostalgic and distinctly contemporary.
24 Hr Sports is a production with wide horizons. Spanning lush funk, classic soul, subtle dub elements and occasional forays into gospel, psych-folk or samba, Michels demonstrates his prowess as an arranger and producer. Even the instrumental skits maintain coherence and flow. All the more remarkable considering how many doors are open to him these days: production credits for Kali Uchis, The Carters, Norah Jones or Clairo, performances with Wu-Tang Clan or The Black Keys – and yet, 24 Hr Sports remains entirely his own vision.
Once again, he succeeds in crafting something original from familiar ingredients. Michels relies on organic instrumentation, sharp brass arrangements and warm grooves that guide the listener through an open, stylistically diverse album. What keeps the vintage character from collapsing into mere retro aesthetics is the confident production: 24 Hr Sports sounds optimistic, versatile and unmistakably like El Michels Affair.
