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BIG BLACK


When Leon Michels and El Michels Affair released their first record, Sounding Out The City, in 2005, it was hard to guess what was next for Michels and his then-introduced, now-patented “cinematic soul” sound. Now, four EMA studio albums and scores of tribute and remix projects later—all while producing for some of the biggest names in the industry—Michels has trademarked his sound, with each project taking audiences somewhere new and pushing the boundaries of what he is known for. The man is a river, not a lake and this time he takes his golden touch into the realm of hip-hop laying down a musical bed for one of the greatest to ever rhyme into a microphone: Black Thought of The Roots crew.
Releasing on Big Crown Records, the LP is called Glorious Game and it is a remarkable debut partnership in more ways than one. Michels provides his bottom-heavy, soul-tinged production for Black Thought who gives us some of the more personal and transparent verses we've ever heard from him. Michels and Black Thought have been in each other's orbit for a while now. The two first met in the 2000s when Thought was first getting familiar with the contemporary soul scene. "Out of that whole world, Menahan Street Band was probably my favorite," recalling the funk and soul group Michels was a founding member of back in 2007. Fast forward a few years and musicians from that collective Dave Guy on trumpet and Ian Hendrickson-Smith on sax —are now full time players with The Roots. This connection eventually led Leon and Thought to doing a few fundraising events around NYC and Philly together. "Before long, Black Thought was coming around the studio and
would jam with us from time to time," Michels explains. "Then, fast forward to 2020 and COVID lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me to send him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy."
Being that Black Thought is the co-founder and emcee for, hands down, the best live-band group in hip-hop. Michels took a decidedly different approach to this project and instead of sending recorded tracks of live compositions, he pulled out the sampler and sampled himself and some records from his collection. "I'm a big fan of soul music," as if Michels has to remind us. "And part of hip-hop's appeal to me has always been the sample-based production" For Glorious Game, Michels would make wholly composed and recorded soul
songs in his studio, sample himself, then chop and/or loop up his sounds and create instrumentals for Black Thought. On some tracks he took a more traditional hip-hop approach, starting from samples of other people’s music but then adding live instrumentation on top. But for the most part, it's him reinterpreting his own compositions into something new. The result is an organic feel of loop-based tracks that breathe and fluctuate enough for Black Thought to flex on.
TRACK LISTING
Side A
Grateful (Instrumental)
Glorious Game (Instrumental)
I’m Still Somehow (Instrumental)
Hollow Way (Instrumental)
Protocol (Instrumental)
The Weather (Instrumental)
Side B
That Girl (Instrumental)
I Would Never (Instrumental)
Alone (Instrumental)
Miracle (Instrumental)
Glorious Game (Reprise) (Instrumental)
Alter Ego Feat. Brainstory (Instrumental)

The Players: Dave Riley - Bass, Santiago Durango - Guitar, Vocals, Steve Albini - Vocals, Guitar, Roland Drum Machine - itself.
Big Black was started by Steve Albini in 1982 while he was attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Lungs, the first Big Black release was recorded by Steve on a borrowed 4-track. He played everything on the EP himself - except the sax bleating courtesy of pal John Bohnen and the drums courtesy of Roland. Soon after, Steve recruited Jeff Pezzati (Naked Raygun) on bass, and Santiago Durango (also Naked Raygun) joined them on guitar. In 1983, together with live drummer Pat Byrne, they recorded the Bulldozer EP. By 1984, the band had done some touring and recorded the Racer X EP and the start of the Il Duce 7”. After that, Jeff returned to Naked Raygun and was replaced by Dave Riley. In 1985, Big Black recorded their first full-length, Atomizer, as well as finishing the Il Duce 7”. Atomizer was released in 1986 along with the release of the Hammer Party compilation CD. In 1987, the Headache EP and Heartbeat 7” were released. That same year, the band recorded and released the 7” of The Model/He’s A Whore as well as their second full-length album, Songs About Fucking. They toured extensively (for Big Black). And they broke up.
TRACK LISTING
Side A:
The Power Of Independent Trucking
The Model
Bad Penny
L. Dopa
Precious Thing
Columbian Necktie
Side B:
Kitty Empire
Ergot
Kasimir S. Pulaski Day
Fish Fry
Pavement Saw
Tiny, King Of The Jews
Bombastic Intro

Releasing on Big Crown Records, the LP is called Glorious Game and it is a remarkable debut partnership in more ways than one. Michels provides his bottom-heavy, soul-tinged production for Black Thought who gives us some of the more personal and transparent verses we've ever heard from him. Michels and Black Thought have been in each other's orbit for a while now. The two first met in the 2000s when Thought was first getting familiar with the contemporary soul scene. "Out of that whole world, Menahan Street Band was probably my favorite," recalling the funk and soul group Michels was a founding member of back in 2007. Fast forward a few years and musicians from that collective Dave Guy on trumpet and Ian Hendrickson-Smith on sax are now full time players with The Roots. This connection eventually led Leon and Thought to doing a few fundraising events around NYC and Philly together. "Before long, Black Thought was coming around the studio and would jam with us from time to time," Michels explains. "Then, fast forward to 2020 and COVID lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me to send him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy."
Being that Black Thought is the co-founder and emcee for, hands down, the best live-band group in hip-hop. Michels took a decidedly different approach to this project and instead of sending recorded tracks of live compositions, he pulled out the sampler and sampled himself and some records from his collection. "I'm a big fan of soul music," as if Michels has to remind us. "And part of hip-hop's appeal to me has always been the sample-based production".
For Glorious Game, Michels would make wholly composed and recorded soul songs in his studio, sample himself, then chop and/or loop up his sounds and create instrumentals for Black Thought. On some tracks he took a more traditional hip-hop approach, starting from samples of other people’s music but then adding live instrumentation on top. But for the most part, it's him reinterpreting his own compositions into something new.
The result is an organic feel of loop-based tracks that breathe and fluctuate enough for Black Thought to ‑ex on. "What I write about is determined by the equation of the producer's energy and my energy," Black Thought says. "It's about where we meet." So armed with Michels sampled and re-sampled soul cinematics, Black Thought rhymes through personal memories and distinctive.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: With Michels laying down scattered soul-infused hip-hop beats, and the legendary Black Thought on vocal duties, this was always going to be a superb outing, but it's the ease with which these talented producers work together that is really refreshing. Forging an entirely new sound through their respective, distinctive voices, 'Glorous Game' is even more of a triumph than expected. Brilliant.TRACK LISTING
Side A
1. Grateful
2. Glorious Game Feat Kirby
3. I’m Still Somehow
4. Hollow Way
5. Protocol (feat. Son Little)
6. The Weather
Side B
7. That Girl
8. I Would Never
9. Alone
10. Miracle
11. Glorious Game (Reprise)
12. Alter Ego (feat. Brainstory)

-
- LP
- £23.99
Usually ships within: 2-10 days - Cat Number
- TG93LP
- Release date
- 17 Mar '23
In 1983, together with live drummer Pat Byrne, they recorded the ‘Bulldozer’ EP. By 1984, the band had done some touring and recorded the ‘Racer X’ EP and the start of the ‘Il Duce’ 7”. After that, Jeff returned to Naked Raygun and was replaced by Dave Riley.
In 1985, Big Black recorded their first full-length, ‘Atomizer’, as well as finishing the ‘Il Duce’ 7”. ‘Atomizer’ was released in 1986 along with the release of the ‘Hammer Party’ compilation CD.
In 1987, the ‘Headache’ EP and ‘Heartbeat’ 7” were released. That same year, the band recorded and released the 7” of ‘The Model’ / ‘He’s A Whore’ as well as their second full-length album, ‘Songs About Fucking’. They toured extensively (for Big Black) and they broke up.
Available again on vinyl...
TRACK LISTING
1 Jordan, Minnesota
2. Passing Complexion
3. Big Money
4. Kerosene
5. Bad Houses
6. Fists Of Love
7. Stinking Drunk
8. Bazooka Joe
9. Strange Things
10. Cables (Live)

-
- Ltd 7"
- £8.99
Usually ships within: 2-10 days - Cat Number
- BCR152
- Release date
- 17 Mar '23
STAFF COMMENTS
Matt says: Off the back the Danger Mouse project (Black Thought's first official collaboration and #2 in our albums of 2022), the Roots rapper must have caught the bug for teamwork, as here he joins with new funk / jazz outfit El Michels Affair for a dynamite hip-hop cut which is joyously the first single off a new album planned by the two acts in question.TRACK LISTING
Glorious Game
Grateful

-
- Coloured LP
- £20.99
Usually ships within: 2-5 days - Cat Number
- WEBB222LPC
- Release date
- 20 Jun '20
- Format Info
Sea blue vinyl.
Sea blue vinyl.

-
- Ltd 7"
- £4.75
Usually ships within: 2-10 days - Cat Number
- IMSO015
- Release date
- 11 May '15
Both songs recorded with Radio Birdman /New Christs' Rob Younger at the desk. Loose Cannons kicks out your speaker dust with a sound that can only be from Australia, loud guitars, riffs a-plenty, hi energy rock and roll with killer vocals. and then theres "big black cars" on the flip, a previously released live version blew peoples ear offs, this studio version is even more proof that rock and roll action from Australia is superior to all!

-
- CD
- £7.99
Usually ships within: 2-5 days - Cat Number
- BDCD264
- Release date
- 6 Apr '15
They have to go to the place where Beck makes a sandwich with The Beach Boys and Captain Beefheart, where Faust and The Fall tango. In Rock and Pop you are allowed to pretty much be yourself. If you are a blue and green eyed boy from Brixton with the sallowest of white skin you can become the epitome of crystalised soul, itself. It swings both ways. So… Young Fathers are breaking out of the ghetto. Fuck these constrictive selling boxes.
For the purposes of this mission, this album, this 'White Men Are Black Men Too', is rock and pop. And hip hop, too No, you don’t box in the R&B Hits 2003 generation that easily. This sticker is only for the business. The listeners can decide for themselves.
The sounds are closer on this album, closer to your ears. It sounds as if you are in the room during the recording, possibly experiencing a little existential trauma, but not enough that you don’t notice an earworm hook when you hear one. These hooks, they stay with you. ‘Is that what they mean by pop’? you ask yourself. Could be, Madonna, could be. There are less words than before. Why, for fuck’s sake? Where is the hip hop? It slides in, like a reverse version, a negative, of the hip hop blueprint of eight verses and a sweet, female wail of a hook (while comedy rapper number 6 mutters ‘uh huh, uh huh’, you know, keeping it real). But YFs lob raps into songs that morph into sung verses then back into the tune, with no respect, none! for the law.
These are grown men, battle fit and in their prime. There are no celebrations of dole queue theatre, no fake politics - there’s no need. YFs are right there in the middle of the question: what is your ID? Why claim to speak for a dispossessed white or black class or group or generation? When you can only ever speak for yourself.
When they chant ‘nigger nigger nigger’ the group are singing their enemy’s song (and you can all sing along) - it’s not a war cry, it’s the off switch, the left hand turn in the ignition, the pop-hiss of deflation. No more war, motherfucker. The tension is sexual, tuneful, it’s only fun about to kick off.
TRACK LISTING
Still Running
Shame
Feasting
27
Rain Or Shine
Sirens
Old Rock N Roll
Nest
Liberated
John Doe
Dare Me
Get Started
A1. Still Running
A2. Shame
A3. Feasting
A4. 27
A5. Rain Or Shine
A6. Sirens
B1. Old Rock N Roll
B2. Nest
B3. Liberated
B4. John Doe
B5. Dare Me
B6. Get Started

-
- LP
- £17.99
- Cat Number
- TG090LP
- Release date
- 9 Dec '13
- Format Info
Includes coupon for an MP3 download of the
album and a 24” x 36” poster insert.
Includes coupon for an... [ + ]
TRACK LISTING
A1 Cables
A2 Pigeon Kill
A3 I'm A Mess
B1 Texas
B2 Seth
B3 Jump The Climb

-
- LP
- £19.99
Usually ships within: 2-5 days - Cat Number
- WEBB222LP
- Release date
- 22 Feb '10
- Format Info
180g vinyl.
180g vinyl.
Spending their formative years drinking from the fountain of American classics – everything from Buffy Sainte-Marie, to the likes of Conor Oberst – it shaped their way with song writing, arrangements and even the use of a second language. Audiences have been falling at their feet, enraptured by their pure, shimmering voices in harmony. Until now they have been rightfully praised for their astonishing cover versions, such as their infamous YouTube phenomenon of Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”, but First Aid Kit are now unveiling some remarkable songs of their own. The first flourishes can be heard on this masterly debut album, built around the sweeping majesty and almost telekinetic, intricate weaving of their voices. Sounding like the dreamy and spectral nieces of the Indigo Girls or Michelle Shocked coming in from the campfire to settle at the Stockholm kitchen table, the Söderberg’s distil all of their collective influences and make them their own.
TRACK LISTING
01. In The Morning
02. Hard Believer
03. Sailor Song
04. Waltz For Richard
05. Heavy Storm
06. Ghost Town
07. Josefin
08. A Window Opens
09. Winter Is All Over You
10. I Met Up With The King
11. Wills Of The River