Environ label head and one half of Metro Area, Morgan Geist drops his long awaited Unclassics mix, the culmination of the 12" reissue series of the same name. Focusing on obscure electrofunk & disco tracks from the late '70s and early 80s, the Unclassics 12"s have presented a tasty selection of rarities that have been influential to the Metro Area sound. This CD collects those initial singles alongside other complimentary tracks, all in a stellar mix. The mix winds its way through a late-night netherworld of post-disco weirdness inhabited by strange Italo and electro-disco tracks like Dischotheque's spacey mid-tempo "Disco Special(1)" and the nerdy electro-funk of Zodiac's "Pacific(2)"– a dead-ringer for a Metro Area out-take. The oddball-beautiful synth-weirdness of Pluton & Humanoids "World Invaders(3)," Victor's proto-house "Go On Do It"(4), and an amazing Alexander Robotnik production about which I could write a book (for starters, the "rapped" lyrics are about, ahem, buttfucking a prostitute) make a for strong articulation of Geist's "unclassic" aesthetic. These are weird and beautiful synth-based dance tracks whose greatness lies in their resistance to the very idea of played-to-death "classics." Tracks like Purple Flash's lush and sublime "We Can Make It(5)" and Gaz Nevada's surreal "Special Agent Man" sound exactly like what you always imagined those ultra rare 12"s would sound like. And though some of these tracks are certainly a bit cheeky in their appeal, Geist's subtle mixing style and masterful track sequencing undercuts any hint of irony that could have potentially marred the proceedings. One of best mixes of the year, and absolutely essential for fans of Metro Area and leftfield disco music in general. 13 tracks in all; highly recommended.

reviewed by Language