El Michels Affair - 24 Hr Sports

Leon Michels has quietly become one of the most sought-after producers in music. His signature sound has caught the attention of the mainstream while continuing to inspire the underground. Since 2023’s El Michels Affair & Black Thought album Glorious Game, Michels has been busy producing records for other artists; Norah Jones’ Grammy winning Visions, Clairo’s Grammy nominated Charm, Kali Uchis’ “Moonlight”, as well as albums for labelmates Brainstory, Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, Thee Heart Tones, and Liam Bailey.

His new album 24 Hr Sports marks the highly anticipated return to recording under his own moniker, El Michels Affair. 24 Hr Sports was inspired by the fashion and graphic design of ‘80s & ‘90s Sports Illustrated magazines, MF DOOM’s Special Herbs
albums, the sample sources used on them, and gospel music a la Pastor T.L. Barrett. The sum of those influences with Michels’ impeccable creative touch prove to be the recipe for an instant classic that will surely be one of the most heralded releases of 2025.

24 Hr Sports sees a significant departure from the largely instrumental music of the El Michels Affair catalog with a roster of vocal features that manages to mirror the undefinable genre of his music. Featuring Clairo, Norah Jones, Shintaro Sakamoto, Florence Adooni, Rogê, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Dave Guy and with musical contributions by Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, Marco Benevento, Lady Wray, Brainstory.