DJ Premier discusses 'The Elmatic Instrumentals'

With the impending release of The Elmatic Instrumentals, DJ Premier took some time to check out the new interpretations of some of his classic productions, as covered by Detroit band Will Sessions. After explaining the background behind the beat for “Memory Lane,” he’s predictably impressed with the new instrumental versions for “Represent” and “Detroit State of Mind.”

Earlier this year, Detroit emcee Elzhi boldly released Elmatic – his reinterpretation of the Nas’s classic Illmatic. Eyebrows everywhere were raised as not only did Elzhi impress with his lyricism, but the sound of the album’s classic production was recreated with stunning precision by the Detroit band Will Sessions. By using the original sample sources as a foundation, producer and bandleader Sam Beaubien recorded each player’s part individually and reconstructed each entire song from scratch, ensuring that it maintained the same mood and vibe of Illmatic. Demand for the instrumental versions from Elmatic led to a deal with Fat Beats Records for the recordings, and The Elmatic Instrumentals will be released worldwide on September 27 on CD, 180g vinyl and digital formats.