Metro Area (and if you want also Morgan Geist) (and now Storm Queen)

I'd rather to that stupid Iio song.

I think if the album had dropped 18 months ago your impression would be very different, especially if you are/were a dance music obsessive. When those 12"s dropped they were something very special. They were "12 inch of the year" caliber releases when they were new.
Perhaps a bit of the sheen has faded over the last few months, especially after all the press they did.

When those records hit the streets they were the shit, still haven’t bothered to buy the album. Not sure I will, either.

each track also sounds a bit like they have taken 2 or 3 half finished things and slapped them together.

I'd much rather dance albums that are just a collection of club aimed / based releases, instead of huge sprawling ideas albums that meander through dancefloor styles....

...but even so, guess I missed the initial Metro Area hype, yet can't help feeling that if these tracks were presented in a series back then, I would have been scratching my head at some point about the point...

But "Muira" and 1 other track are down right essential. And Morgan Geist rules.

I couldn't help but feel that these tracks, with very few exceptions, were UN-classics for a reason. They're, uh ... boring. I'm not being lazy, I just think that's the truth. I mean, anybody can walk into a record store, look for unknown records on West End, Emergency, Profile, Unidisc, TSR, or whatever ... is it really that great? I don't think so.

Although, it does predate Lindstrom who kinda takes the whole Metro Area thing and runs into a big cloud of psychedelia. You know ... stripped down, half tempo prog-disco.

But, not to sound cheesy, but the track with Erlend Oye is my favorite Morgan Geist production by far ... and I don't even really care for Mr. Oye's vocals.

He's a great producer, and I do like several Metro Area tracks quite a bit ... this was just boring to me. I mean ... I realize that they weren't HIS tracks, but if I went to his house to listen to records I'd be bummed out if that was the best shit he had within that genre.

Like the post above my last one said ... ones he could buy rights for, etc. I realize it's limited, and it's not like "Unclassics: Best of Morgan Geist's Influences," but I was just bored.

My personal opinion.

Morgan Geist = good
Unclassics = pretty "eh ..." for all the attention it has gotten.

p.s. thanks for not yelling at me. haha. i was scared somebody was going to lampoon me.

metro area goes from alternatively making me slightly dully tap my feet to make me swoon, in a sexy smoove dance smile-a-thon

Anyone know what's up with Metro Area these days? Dan Selzer?

Metro Area 7 is out soon on Environ...

that took a while

Metro Area 7 will be a triple gatefold and when you open it up there's a pop-up cartoon drawing of Morgan and Darshan.

someone should do a gatefold with one of those little plastic tinny music-playing gadgets they put in greeting cards that plays the song!!

Has Morgan Geist released a full album since "Driving Memoirs"? That album is OK, but a bit too pre-electro to be as great as that Erlend Øye song.

pre-electro?

do you mean post-electro? or pre-electro revival? I'm confused.

baby oliver's stuff is hot. i dunno who he is, assumed name maybe? 'primetime' is great and i like the new one, 'shotcallin'

most people are guessing Baby Oliver is Morgan Geist. i like the new one a little less, but i've only played it once so far. maybe it'll grow on me.

Metro Area 7 soundclips over at flexx.be!

and it has vocals!

"This release finds Metro Area continuing on their quest for fresh sounds and timeless production, expanding the compositional palette while retaining the emotional spirit of their early influences. Metro Area have pushed themselves to once again make heartfelt, personal music that stands out from what the rest of the dance music pack is doing and the duo feel this EP is their strongest work since the release of their 2002 self-titled album. "Read My Mind" is the first full-on vocal track to actually be released by Metro Area (they had amassed a small catalog of unreleased vocal tracks since starting the project). Featuring the incredible pipes of Philip Owusu (of Ubiquity Records' Owusu & Hannibal), "Read My Mind" is a dynamic boogie romp full of contrast: sweet yet meloncholy, warm yet raw. It hearkens back to the days where songwriting and arrangement still had a place in dance music and we hope you'll love it. And for the beat purists, there's an irresistible "RMM Special Dub" version - perfect for doubles! Flipping to the B-side yields "Erodyne" - an incredible space-disco epic that rocks time and space, looking forward with angular arpeggiated riffs and futurist moods while anchored by an undeniably D.I.S.C.O. groove."

do you mean post-electro? or pre-electro revival? I'm confused.

Pre-electro revival. By Morgan Geist's 1997 debut, it was still all about techno.

the vocal on the new metro area makes my flesh crawl.

baby oliver rules. "primetime" was mega and "shotcaller" is close on its heels.

but geir...electro-revival was in full swing when Morgan's techno records were coming out. The influence on Metro Area has more to do with disco and boogie and a dash of new wave.

the string hits on "feelings 2" are insane! and the rest of the stuff sounds a LOT like "the driving memoirs"-era geist

Is that a good or bad flesh crawl stirmonster? Those sould clips sound delicious to me. I also love the Baby Oliver releases.

Oooh, I am loving the clip of "Read My Mind."

Yeah, the production sounds just immaculate, and that's from a sound clip on ear buds.

i have been listening to the kelley polar lp a lot lately. is he on this new release?

i love the phrase neurotic nu-romantics

Metro Area 7 is on iTunes today. The A-side ("Read My Mind") is a vocal track, unusually enough. Can't download it yet, though, since I'm getting an error message whenever I try to check out. Goddammit.

Yay! iTunes Plus! It's working for me...

Tim's post is OTM, especially about that "hort-circuit between surface dazzle and hidden depths", which I think is one of the major things I latch onto in overtly happy pop. Anyway,this is the best number one in recent memory.

*short, oops, C+p error

http://www.officialcharts.com/music-charts/

Not heard MK version but original is far better than the 2 records that followed it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfe2d9Yrfuc

also

Not heard MK version but original is far better than the 2 records that followed it

so wrong!

big congrats to mr. geist.

don't get this:

http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/storm-queen-scores-first-uk-number-1-with-look-right-through-2600/

it's not the OG tune that has gone to no. 1 is it? it's the MK vocal remix? what's been playlisted on R1 for weeks now? yet they're calling it "look right through" full stop?

Got this one cheap recently too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exaR9koGISc

its the MK vocal remix that gets played on the radio and that got it to number 1, if it was called look right through (MK vocal remix) it probably wouldn't have got to number 1. i really don't like this version but i'm still happy that metro area are making a pile of cash.

fwiw i think i like each original SQ track more than the last. let's make mistakes is the pinnacle.

2nd is my fave.

This is hardly the first time people have conflated a successful remix with an original version (that didn't chart separately) - who bothers to specify that the version of Robin S's "Show Me Love" they like is the Stonebridge Club Version?

i wonder if defected will try to repeat the success by doing the same to the other two records?

"it goes on" is my have too.

fave. bloody autocorrect.

I'm fully expecting Defected to commission MK mixes of one of the other two singles.

if it was called look right through (MK vocal remix) it probably wouldn't have got to number 1.

What do you mean by this?

large numbers of people are buying a tune not a remix. if they were buying a remix its just confusing for people and the promotional push doesn't gel with that.

So the version that's being sold now doesn't advertise the fact that it's a remix?

the one cog linked upthread one of my favorite "microhouse" tracks

fwiw the original is included in the remix EP, but tim's right, whether a song is the remix or not is hardly ever specified in the official chart listings (see also "professional widow")

loving this at no 1 though

Lol I remember when "professional widow" was on the charts and for some time I just assumed it was the original and was like o_O

It's actually specified as (MK REMIX) on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_Singles_Chart_number_ones_of_the_2010s#2013

which feels needlessly pedantic

but then I'm trying to remember the last time there was a club track at #1 but primarily a remix of the original and struggling

The MK Vocal Remix is the one which will be on Now 86 next week.

Eleven years ago, the first album I reviewed for Uncut was by Metro Area. Now Morgan Geist is number one. This makes me feel good.

credit where it's due

No Galleria chat yet? I think I prefer Mezzanine to Calling Card but the fan-made video for CC is a lot of fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzrFOZb8wfY

Hadn't seen that fan video, sweet! Galleria chat happened in other threads (freestyle ones?) but glad it exists & wish it'd had more traction in various EOY things considering what other 80s pastiches did.

Also, breaking news:
https://twitter.com/MorganGeistNYC/status/690235600004321280

Darshan and I put together a @Spotify playlist of some of the music that inspired each track on our @MetroAreaNYC album. Hope you enjoy it. https://t.co/0jGJUkZTfQ

— Morgan Geist (@MorganGeistNYC) November 20, 2017

Fun little "album X-Ray" playlist for the Metro Area s/t - hearing the Larry Levan dub of "Somebody New" immediately after "Miura" is a penny-dropping moment.

could you post that playlist etc? i don't use spotify.

Pretty new to Spotify myself, so found the first tool I could that converts something to plaintext:

Metro Area: Album X-Ray
Join Metro Area on a journey through the music that influenced their eponymous debut album. Each Metro Area title in the tracklist is immediately followed by a sampling of songs that inspired its creation!

Metro Area - Dance Reaction
Gino Soccio - Try It Out
Bobby Thurston - You Got What It Takes
Dance Reaction - Disco Train
Metro Area - Miura
Jamaica Girls - Somebody New (Larry Levan Dub Mix)
Lipps Inc. - Funkytown
Eddy Grant - Living On the Frontline
Metro Area - Piña
Sylvester - I Need Somebody To Love Tonight
Kid Creole And The Coconuts - I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby
Balil - 3/4 Heart
Metro Area - Square-Pattern Aura
Indian Ocean - School Bell / Treehouse (Mixed with Love by Walter Gibbons)
Wet - That's The Game - Instrumental
The Human League - Only After Dark
Metro Area - Machine Vibes
Ron Trent - Morning Fever - Album Edit
Mikki - Dance Lover - Extended Mix
Time Zone - Wildstyle
Metro Area - Evidence
Michael Wilson - Groove It to Your Body
Syreeta - Can't Shake Your Love - Larry Levan Mix
Touchdown - Ease Your Mind - Extended Mix
Metro Area - Atmosphrique
Daniel Wang - Like Some Dream I Can't Stop Dreaming
El Coco - Cocomotion - Single Version
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle - (7'' Remix Edit) [2015 Remastered Version]
Metro Area - Soft Hoop
The S.O.S Band - High Hopes
Brandi Wells - Watch Out - Remix
Curtis Hairston - I Want You (All Tonight) - JM After-Session M&M Mix
Metro Area - Let's Get...
War - Galaxy
Cloud One - Atmosphere Strut
Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music
Metro Area - Orange Alert
Prince - Controversy
Pal Joey - Gettin' Hot
Stephen Duffy - Kiss Me (1985)
Metro Area - Strut
Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It
Gayle Adams - Love Fever
West Phillips - Sucker for a Pretty Face - I'm Just a
Metro Area - Caught Up
Kleeer - Happy Me
Inner Life - I'm Caught Up - In a One Night Love Affair
Advance - Take Me to the Top
Peter Brown - Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me [Long Version]

excellent, thanks a lot!

oh hell yeah

Oh wow! Classic album and fascinating playlist to join it! Wish all artists made this for their albums, always love hearing the influences behind each song.

There's a nice remaster now out of the original Metro Area LP, with a cleaner sound (especially in the bass) and segues between tracks removed. No bonus tracks.

and you can get it on cassette.

I'm ready for my Storm Queen album, Mr. Geist.

sometimes i think this album is the best thing that ever happened to me

I've been looking for a Metro Area live dj mix that I lost awhile ago... it started with Queen Samantha's "take a chance" and segued into Visual's "the music's got me"... and it's like 3 hours long, iirc? Wish I had it back.

The world may be falling apart, but if you feel like buying a triple-vinyl package at this juncture may I suggest our 3LP @MetroAreaNYC repress? About 300 copies are hitting stores now. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/vaz1j5qcpH

— Morgan Geist (@MorganGeistNYC) September 21, 2020

new storm queen single!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9EToZqCACI

wow! I'm so happy :D

although I hope this doesn't mean that Damon C. Scott is no longer part of the project.

New project Au Suisse, a collaboration with Kelley Polar, second "single" up today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi7GqFRAIac

(1/3) This past weekend marked 20 years since the first release of our Metro Area album. We wanted to do something nice for the 20th anniversary, but we had already remastered and re-released the album for the 15th. So this time around, we’re doing something a bit different. pic.twitter.com/fVjSr6xQ9G

— Morgan Geist (@MorganGeistNYC) October 24, 2022

(2/3) Environ has remastered and will reissue the first four 12” records: Metro Area, Metro Area 2, Metro Area 3 and Metro Area 4. Unlike the album reissue, these include the original, extended 12” versions of all songs, including some which have never been re-released.

The good news is we have the test pressings and the remastering and cuts by @mattcolton sound absolutely incredible. The bad news is the supply chain is upside down and release dates have been delayed to early 2023. But we wanted to at least announce the news this week.

I had to open up 20 year old quark files in indesign to make that artwork. They were a mess.

i heard you ripped something off for that artwork ... but i don't know what. please tell us

late 70s/early 80s Virgin Records vinyl labels.

ahh!! in my defense, according to discogs i only have one of those (the rest have the "conjoined twins" art)

https://i.ibb.co/P115JCZ/R-14360135-1572958118-7444.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Bftz2zB/R-14360135-1572958114-5380.jpg

oops sorry for large img

think it was used on more new wave releases, which was very much the vibe when listening to Atmosphrique.

i am old wave, like the laurie spiegel jam