In the past several years, Bunker Records has emerged with an international reputation for quality underground dance music. And with
Legowelt being one of their top dogs, it's only fitting to finally compile the group's finest moments from the past five years and several EPs onto disc for the first time. Notably absent is their finest moment, "Disco Rout" off of Ghostly International's
Disco Nouveau compilation from 2002, but fans of that sound will immediately be sucked in by the album's opening track, "Sturmvogel," which utilizes many of the same instruments and sounds that made "Disco Rout" one of 2002's best dance songs. The jagged sawtooth basslines and catchy melodies that ring throughout bring about instant comparisons to
New Order,
Kraftwerk, or any number of catchy synth pop bands so influential during the early to mid-'80s. But what sets
Legowelt apart from the pack of neo-electro imitators is that the band actually incorporates fresh ideas into its compositions, rather than rehash some tired and easily predictable melody lines. Free of pretension,
Classics is quite simply an outstanding document of a group on the verge of breaking through to mainstream dance music success. ~ Rob Theakston