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METRO AREA :: DANCE MUSIC REVAMPED << back l page 2
Peeling strips from artists and sounds that have influenced the duo, and mixing them with their own originality and refreshing experimentation, Jesrani and Geist have unleashed a superb future classic of an album that is a summation of their careers at this point in time. Although minimal, this record is deceptively detailed with nuances in the production that induce repeated listens and any fears about this sounding like a collection of songs rather than a flowing album can immediately be dashed, for each track clicks together so finely and (seemingly) effortlessly. Newcomers and connoisseurs alike will revel in the incredibly wide sound spectrum that both sums up the last three years for the duo and hints towards their future sonic horizons.
Sounding far from average, Metro Area is a deceptively intricate maze of tight machine rhythms, tumbling bongos, smacking handclaps, warm keyboard stabs, zapping synths, tickling pianos, lively loops of flute, guitar flicks, and seesawing strings. Meditating on the experimental aspects of fusing many differing elements of dance music fused with electro touches and forward-thinking techy beats with live instruments and the creation of a sound, Metro Area boasts of a number of tracks that are fast becoming staples on DJ mix-discs.
The twinkling Spanish guitars, chunky piano chords and electro bass of the Latin-flavored "Piña" form an unlikely relationship that still solidifies into a proper head-bobbing groove. Spinning at about 108 BPM, "Piña" is too slow for comfort, but so, so right nonetheless, with the jazz guitar in the context of electronic dance music seems to mesh jut perfectly with the mechanisms like never before. Starting with a gentle and mournful Spanish-style guitar and a muted piano line, "Piña" song morphs into a Latin-tinged house track, providing an excellent stop-gap and is a variation from the otherwise primarily disco/house songs.
"Machine Vibes" beginning with some monster drums and a bubbling bass, which are eventually complemented by wispy flute and organ, and complements the lush and organic arrangements of the other music in this record.
With its funky organic rhythms and quirky synth lines, the bold, charging bounce of "Atmospherique," which was featured previously on the first 12-inch of Metro Area, Metroland, back in '99, displayed, for many, Metro Area's talent for producing addictive tunes that at first listen may sound a little too repetitive but, nearly four years later, still manage to sound as fresh.
Starting off rather slowly, then building up to a crescendo, "Soft Hoop," with its killer bass lines, is funky enough to keep the floor moving in to the lost hours of the morning but also mellow enough to keep you company as the sofa accommodates your dance weary bones.
The prelude-esque "Orange Alert," a mid-tempo house jams that wouldn't sound out of place at a roller-disco is a DFA remix of another of Metro Area's hypnotic disco funk anthems.
Ending the album is the long, winding "Caught Up," which sounds like an extended intro to a song, is reminiscent of the bump of the Boggle-bubble drum-pad.
Each track is full of life and creative combinations and refractions of the past that pays homage to the bygone days of boogie, old-school R&B, house, and pre-whitewashed disco. Skillfully and precisely crafted, Geist and Jesrani made sure that the album is kept at an even keel, where after each song's groove and theme is established, dynamic build-up is gradual as themes repeat with slight variation and grooves work themselves through, nearly uninterrupted.
Rare is it in music, especially electronic dance music, for a recording to become timeless. Listeners have fickle tastes, samples become dated and presets get overused. Thus, the task of assimilating good material and quality music of the past, present and future is left almost entirely to the DJ. Rarer still are records like this one from Metro Area. Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani have obviously mastered the challenge, as they provide listeners with old sounds with new ways to hear them. An album that sounds as good in the bedroom as it does on the dance floor, with tuneful and organic house music that will touch your soul, Metro Area is a fusion of disco, techno and electro, underpinned by lush organic sounds, with a pleasant mix of tempos brooding, stylish and bravely minimalist.
Keeping their music open - both stylistically now and towards their destination in the future, Metro Area sounds like a perfect urban soundtrack. More than just plain, simple sound, the duo's incredible mix of live instruments and electronics coupled with the emotional content and detail of their sounds gives their music incredible substance, as the emotional content brings listeners back to the song, and the detail keeps them interested as it plays, as the atmospheric and spacious production gives the head more to discover with each listen.
Despite attaining quite a considerable amount of fame and the incredibly positive response Metro Area has received in less than five years since they started, the duo continue to grow and mature musically as open themselves up to changes in their tastes. Working together has allowed Geist and Jesrani to nurture each other's new interests by playing "new" old records for one another, though they continue to live up to the cliché that the best work is still characterized by elegance and simplicity as they push themselves to the limit by continuously coming up with impressive sounds with limited tools. Staying focused on making music that excites them, Geist and Jesrani continues to keep Metro Area personal, and not just for profit. They remain idealists about it, and are bent on making sure that their music stays pure, exciting and creative for both the producers and the listeners/dancers/DJs, though the future could definitely expect the duo to continue rocking theories of time and space.
A record that sounds effortless on the surface but meticulously perfected beneath it, Metro Area is music at its most experimental as it breaks the formulaic monotony of dance music. Embodying the current climate of cool that the electro-clash scene has managed to generate around itself without the makeup and very obvious electronic motifs of the eighties, Metro Area brings back the mysterious and soulful experimentation of the early club classics while mixing moods with the fresh emotions of modern music.
© Valerie V. Mayuga, 2005
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Album opener "Intro" serves its purpose
functionally, followed by a whooshing building synth sound that introduces
"Dance Reaction," a hand-clapped filled, string soaked disco groove. One of the
many highlights of Metro Area's self-titled, debut album which displays the
duo's talent, the throbbing funky bass lines in "Dance Reaction" are combined
with some classic '70s disco beats with a similar rhythm, but different
instrumentation, being carried forward to the third track "Miura." The Metro
Area 4 highlight with its monophonic bassline, orchestral strings, and the
cooing vocals, the powerful robofunk crunch of Miura is the song where the
influence of '80s American funk is easily detectable.