Classics (Model 500 album)

Classics
Compilation album by Model 500
Released	1993 (1993)
Genre	Detroit techno[1]
Label	R&S
Producer	Juan Atkins/Model 500
Model 500 chronology
Classics (1993) Sonic Sunset (1995)

Classics is a compilation album by Juan Atkins under the alias of Model 500. It was released in 1993 by R&S Records.

Production and music

The album's tracks were initially released between 1985 and 1990.[2] Select noted that tracks "No UFO's" and "Off to Battle" have been "polished in the studio".[1] Juan Atkins has stated that George Clinton's bands Parliament and Funkadelic were important to his musical awakening.[3] He grew up listening to The Electrifying Mojo's radio shows.[3] He also acknowledged Kraftwerk as one of the influences on his music.[4]

Release

Classics was released in 1993 through R&S Records.[2]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Select	(4/5)[1]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

In a contemporary review, Select gave the album a four out of five rating, calling it "a fairly comprehensive collection of the work of Juan Atkins"[1] The review noted on the album's release that Atkins "has lately become something of a forgotten hero," and that this release should "encourage him to get involved with the present again."[1]

AllMusic gave the album a five out of five star rating, praising tracks such as "No UFOs", "Sound of Stereo", "Night Drive" and "The Chase".[2] The review concluded that the album s track "form one of the most consistent, forward-looking discographies of the decade, alternately noisy and sublime."[2] Tiny Mix Tapes praised the album in 2012, stating that "Electronic music is often stigmatized as having a shelf-life like milk. Some trends from just a few years ago are already dated, yet Classics still sounds fresh. Sure, it doesn’t sound like it came out last week, but I would argue that many listeners would be shocked to hear that some of these songs are over a quarter century old."[6] The review compared the album to Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express, Boards of Canada's Music Has the Right to Children and Burial's Untrue as electronic music "that sounds timeless"[6] In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), gave the album four stars and noted that "[Atkins's] most important work post-Cybotron came under the moniker Model 500, whose singles including the great "No UFO's", ""Off to Battle" and "Night Drive (Time, Space, Transmat)" are collected on Classics"[5]

Track listing

All track written by Juan Atkins/Model 500[7]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"No UFO's (remix)"	6:58
2.	"The Chase (Smooth mix)"	5:42
3.	"Off to Battle (remix)"	6:04
4.	"Night Drive (Time, Space, Transmat)"	6:04
5.	"Electric Entourage"	6:46
6.	"Electronic"	6:00
7.	"Ocean To Ocean (instrumental)"	6:42
8.	"Techno Music (M500 Version)"	5:35
9.	"Sound of Stereo"	6:51

Credits

Credits adapted from Classics liner notes.[7]

• Juan Atkins/Model 500 – writer, producer, performer
• Third Earth – art

References

Footnotes

1. Howe, Rupert (August 1993). "New Albums". Select: 84.
2. Bush, John. "Classics - Model 500". AllMusic. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
3. Eede, Christian (April 9, 2019). "Techno pioneer Juan Atkins is rewiring his electro legacy". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
4. Atkins, Juan (November 11, 2012). "Juan Atkins on Kraftwerk". Electronic Beats. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
5. Brackett & Hoard 2004, p. 27.
6. Bowe, Miles (January 9, 2012). "1985-1990: Model 500 - Classics". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
7. Classics (Liner notes). Model 500. R&S. 1993. RS931CD.

Sources

• Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0743201698.