gullbuy music review

Unclassics - selected by Morgan Geist

title

Unclassics - selected by Morgan Geist

label

Environ Records

format
various artists CD

Zonk CD coverUnclassics is a 10 song compilation that has some tracks with a 'Mutant Disco' sound and others with a chilled out version of instrumental dance music.

Victor's Go On Do It could have been on any of the volumes of Mutant Disco. It has an over the top feel and exaggerated vocals. Plastic Mode's Baja Imperial almost feels like an extension of the Victor track, though the male/female vocals at times have a Zappa feel to them.

My favorite of the vocal tracks is probably Gaz Nevada's Special Agent Man. Part of track has a talking female vocalist and reminds me a lot of the much more recent track Scientist by Doppler Effekt. Another part of the track has male vocals that sound like the first Ministry record With Sympathy.

Pluton & Humanoids' World Invaders was written as a homage to Giorgio Moroder. The track has vocoder vocals doubled with a falsetto voice. Following it is a short track by Morgan Geist recording as Unrhythm Trax. His piece serves as a bridge between the Pluton track and Margueritas latin flavored eurodisco track, complete with a trumpet part.

The liner notes on the CD are short - just the 2 panels inside the cover booklet - but they are very informative and entertaining. They explain why he made this record, what an 'Unclassic' is, and tell a little bit about many of the artists.

This compilation was put together by Morgan Geist - half of the NY duo Metro Area. Morgan also records under his own name, and runs Environ Records, home of such artists as the Kelley Polar Quartet. If you enjoy other stuff on Environ, this comp is a sure bet.

---Carl, January 18, 2005