Yeti Season

Yeti Season marks a significant evolution for Leon Michels and his ensemble, moving beyond the 'Cinematic Soul' label they helped define. While previous efforts focused heavily on reimagining hip-hop through a soul lens, this 2021 release draws primary inspiration from the psychedelic pop movements of 1970s India and Turkey. The album features prominent vocal contributions from Piya Malik, whose performances in Hindi and Punjabi anchor the record's global psych-funk identity. Recorded with Michels’ signature analog-first approach, the production is characterized by heavy tape saturation and a deliberate 'dusty' aesthetic that mimics the sound of a rare, discovered-in-the-wild 45rpm record. Critically, the album was praised for its seamless integration of disparate cultural influences without falling into pastiche, solidifying El Michels Affair as masters of mood-based, cross-genre fusion.