El Michels Affair - 24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version).
Label: Big Crown Records.
Format: Vinyl.
When Leon Michels drops an instrumental version of an El Michels Affair record, it isn't just a bonus disc for the crate-diggers - it’s an entirely new lens on his architectural mastery.
In 2025, El Michels Affair released the vocal edition of 24 Hr Sports. It featured massive names like Norah Jones and Clairo. However, recently, El Michels Affair released 24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version) on Big Crown Records. It strips away the lyrical narratives to expose the raw, analogue muscle beneath. What remains is a breathtaking masterclass in cinematic, vintage-textured library soul.
The original album drew quirky, vibrant inspiration from the aesthetic of 1980s and 90s Sports Illustrated magazines. This includes the bold typography, the fashion, the colourful optimism. In the vocal-free version, this translates into a brilliant, retro-futuristic broadcast tape.
Michels infuses the record with the spirit of MF Doom’s legendary Special Herbs instrumental series. It feels less like a traditional album and more like an immensely cool, fictional late-night AM radio sports program.
Without the star-studded vocalists taking centre stage, the immaculate chemistry of Michels' studio band includes staples like Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, and Dave Guy. They take total control on this sixteen track musical masterpiece.
Here’s the track-by-track breakdown of how this record functions when the rhythm section, tape saturation and arrangements take total centre stage.
Side A: The Starting Lineup,
Opening the album is ‘Drumline.’ It’s an anthemic, high-energy thesis statement. Without vocal distractions, you can truly appreciate the crisp, marching-band precision of the percussion and the thundering, layered brass arrangements. It feels like the opening credits to an incredibly cool, forgotten 1980s sports broadcast.
The original version of ‘Mágica’ featured the celebratory, fútbol-inspired vocals of Brazil's Rogê. Stripped bare, the track transforms into a low-slung, hypnotic bossa-hip-hop groove. The focus shifts entirely to the incredible warmth of the bassline and the brilliant use of space between the acoustic guitar plucks and the crisp snare clicks.
’24 Hr Sports Theme No. 1’ is a quick, 26-second micro-dose of vintage television aesthetic. It’s pure FM-synth and horn-blast gold, serving as a perfect transition piece that leans heavily into the record's overarching Sports Illustrated concept.
‘Say Goodbye’ was originally fronted by Ghanaian vocalist Florence Adooni’s distinct flair. However, the instrumental relies on its cyclical, rolling Afro-soul rhythm. The woodwinds and rhythmic guitar strums hold down the fort, morphing the track into a deep, meditative groove that floats effortlessly.
‘Oakley’s Car Wash’ is, without doubt, one of the highlights of the album. It’s built on a sun-drenched, seventies AM-radio groove. The instrumental spotlights the spectacular, soaring trumpet lines of Dave Guy of The Roots. The real magic happens in the final third, where Michels dissolves the arrangement into a dubby, echo-drenched outro that sounds incredible on headphones.
‘Anticipate’ originally showcased the indie-pop magic between Michels and Clairo. The original is reminiscent of her album Charm. As an instrumental, the aching, nostalgic vulnerability remains completely intact. The lush, airtight keyboard chords and sweeping woodwinds carry the emotional weight beautifully all on their own.
Quite simply, ’Eastside’ is a masterclass in restraint. This track feels like a slow sunrise over the ocean. Michels places his immaculate sense of arrangement on a pedestal here, letting a gentle melody breathe against a steady, effortlessly cool rhythm section.
The vocal version of ‘Clean The Line’ featured the ethereal layers of Japan's Suginami Children's Choir. Without them, the celestial, dream-like quality is sustained by the plush, drifting key arrangements and crisp percussion, closing out Side A on a beautifully serene note.
Side B: The Second Half.
‘Cortex’ is akin to a sudden kick to the chest. This brief, sub-two-minute track trading on pure cinematic intensity features gritty, distorted rock guitars and thundering drums. It sounds like the soundtrack to a high-stakes car chase in a gritty 70s neo-noir.
On the original version of ‘Shining,’ Michels handled the lead vocals himself. The instrumental allows the listener to bask completely in the sun-soaked, breezy soul foundation of the track. It’s warm, inviting, and driven by a bouncy rhythm that makes it impossible not to nod your head.
’24 Hr Sports Theme No. 2’ is the second brief interlude of the record. Like its predecessor, it locks down the retro-fictional radio broadcast aesthetic, bridging the gap into the album’s final stretch.
Shintaro Sakamoto featured on the original version of ‘Indifference.’ The instrumental highlights the swanky, playful groove beneath his original spoken-word musings. Here, the focus shifts entirely to the bouncing, elastic bassline and tight, snappy flute chops.
‘Carry Me Away was originally a vehicle for Norah Jones' smoky vocals, the instrumental layout reveals a remarkably intricate jazz-soul framework. The delicate piano chords and plush background textures create a dreamy, floating atmosphere that is deeply immersive.
It’s no exaggeration to sat that ‘My Hand’ is towering centrepiece. While the original relied heavily on the Fabulous Rainbow Singers choir, the instrumental leans directly into its heavy gospel and blues lineage. The true star here is the brilliant, archival saxophone solo from the late jazz legend Rahsaan Roland Kirk, which reverberates magnificently over the contemporary rhythm section.
‘Open Season’ is a mid-tempo, piano-driven groove. On the vocal cut, a group chant anchors the track, but here, the focus is entirely on the driving rhythm. It has a triumphant, slow-motion swagger to it — the perfect audio accompaniment to an old-school sports highlight reel
‘Victory Lap’ is the perfect title for the closer. A dreamy, euphoric, and beautifully hazy wind-down that allows the band to slowly ease off the gas. It acts as a gorgeous sonic cooldown for an incredibly cohesive, rhythmic journey.
24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version) is perfect for late-night driving, vinyl spinning, and anyone who appreciates the pure tactile grain of analogue studio production. Very few albums of this quality are released each year.
While the original album was a brilliant showcase of Michels' ability to produce world-class vocalists, 24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version) proves that the music never needed them to begin with. It’s leaner, punchier, and forces you to appreciate the immaculate groove geometry that makes El Michels Affair one of the definitive soul outfits of our time.
Stripping away a star-studded lineup of guest vocalists to let the underlying architecture breathe is a bold move, but for Leon Michels, it’s an invitation to a masterclass. 24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version) takes the brilliant cross-genre experiments of the vocal edition and distills them into a continuous, cinematic library-soul experience.
By letting the groove geometry and tape grain do all the heavy lifting, 24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version) functions beautifully as a standalone piece of art. It’s less of a companion piece and more of an essential listen for anyone obsessed with modern soul production.
El Michels Affair - 24 Hr Sports: (Instrumental Version).
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