Enter The 37th Chamber El Michels Affair
Agathe Thies
But fitting the RZA's productions to a 1:1 ratio isn't quite the point here, even if their approach is still reasonably reverent. Enter the 37th Chamber works best as a series of familiar touchstones sifted through a filter of hazy, almost psychedelic mud-fidelity gloom, getting at the sorrow and menace of classic Wu-Tang at a somewhat different angle. The Affair have a similar ear for diabolical soul sonics and 42nd St. cinema atmosphere as the RZA, but they get to it through a more organic (or at least organic-sounding) route, transforming split-second snippets into fleshed-out licks and choppy loops into glass-smooth riffs. "C.R.E.A.M." is the highlight of the set, sweetening the horns, pushing a shivering, stinging guitar melody to a more prominent role and giving that iconic piano riff an understated jolt. "Criminology" is a little pared down-- the original's thousand-horn swagger feels a touch lighter in the brass department-- but those stuttering vibes are replicated beautifully and that loping bass-drum backbeat still swings its shoulders wide. And "Protect Ya Neck"-- well, it sounds like an unusually badass Booker T. & the MGs' instrumental from 1968, which does justice to the Stax/Volt side of RZA's affections. In The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the movie that inspired the Wu-Tang Clan's debut album title, Gordon Liu masters his training in all 35 chambers of Shaolin and subsequently forms the 36th as a way to teach others outside the temple. Seems that the 37th chamber involves unlearning what you already know.
My style is the best. When those first Wu-Tang covers 7"s dropped, it was definitely a lightbulb moment for El Michels Affair. The response was rabid (we moved hundreds of those records) while the diehard fans demanded more. Nearly three years later, the Shaolin project is completed in form of this full length. In addition to the versions from Enter The Wu-Tang ("CREAM," "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin" - so wicked, "Can It Be All So Simple," "Bring Da Ruckus," and "Protect Ya Neck"), the crew has picked some of their favorite solo Wu moments including "Cherchez," "Incarcerated Scarfaces," "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and others. Also look out for the hidden 37th chamber. Meticulous execution as usual, highly recommended.
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