ARTICLE
2006 10 Favourite Labels

ALBUMS
aMute
Art Ensemble of Chicago
Asphalt Jungle
Joseph Auer
Avia Gardner
Tommi Bass
Caural
Cdatakill
Christ.
Conjoint
Contriva
Cursor Minor
DJ Soul Slinger
DJ Wally/DJ Willie Ross
DoF
Electric Penguins
Encre
Flashbulb
Fuckpony
Funckarma
Cedric Gervais
Eglantine Gouzy
Greater Than One
Greg Haines
François Houle
Housemeister
Jan Jelinek
Eleni Karaindrou
Kode9 + Spaceape
Takagi Masakatsu
Mini
Move D
The New Law
Nuuro
Qwel & Meaty Ogre
Rant
Max Richter
Janek Schaefer
Svarte Greiner
Thighpaulsandra
Unwed Sailor
Geoff White
Wilt
Yellow6
Jesse Zubot

COMPILATIONS/MIXES
4 Women No Cry Vol. 2
Analog for Architecture
Assemblage Sessions
Jimmy Van M
King Unique/Nubreed
Monza Club Ibiza
Pop Ambient 2007
Rub-N-Tug
Thankful
The Rorschach Suite

3"/7"/10"/12"/EPs
Baseheadz
Big Toe
Franco Cangelli
Richard Chartier
Deadbeat/Monolake
Depth Affect
Diebombshelters
DJ Koze
Eltron
Johan Fotmeijer
Hellothisisalex
Mitsuaki Komamura
Múm
Ozka
Seekers Who Are Lovers
Strategy
Tandem 5
Andi Teichmann
The Twilight Sad
Ray Valioso

Joseph Auer: Inner Galaxies
Boltfish

VA: Tandem Series 5
Boltfish

Boltfish has issued more than its share of quality electronic music during the past few years but Inner Galaxies, a superbly crafted, hour-long collection of lush tech-house material by Japan-based Joseph Auer, may very well be its strongest release to date. On his third album, Auer, who works as an IT Software Engineer in Yokohama and lives with his family in Tokyo, draws upon cities of personal significance—Japan, London, Chicago, Detroit, and New York City—for inspiration. The Chicago-born Auer treats his titles seriously, too, with many of them matched to their aural content: layers of churning rhythms dominate “Industrial Funk,” incessant barrages of electronic noises stream like meteor showers in “Inner Galaxies,” and lustrous acid streams streak across the sky in “Starknight 303.” Throughout the thirteen-song collection, Auer's multi-layered melodies unfurl iridescently while pulsating, sometimes tribal beats bump and roll. The album's jubilant spirit seemingly peaks with the penultimate “Love Disco Love (Analog House Mix)” and its sparkling fusion of electro motifs and disco-funk beats but then ascends even higher during the near-euphoric closer “Outer Galaxies.” In true Boltfish spirit, Inner Galaxies' crisp material manages to be both accessible and melodic without compromising its integrity or quality.

Boltfish's latest Tandem release pairs Milieu (South Carolina resident Brian Grainger, who began producing computer-based material in 2002 after teaching himself how to play guitar, drums, bass, and keyboards) with ENV(itre) (Polish-born Miroslaw Majewski whose graduated from playing with 8-bit Atari sounds to producing his own material in 1997 using sampled sounds).

In contrast to Auer's material, Milieu's exudes an understated ambient hip-hop vibe that merges woozy Boards of Canada-styled psychedelia with downtempo beats—the ideal soundtrack for making it through that groggy Sunday morning. Though the six tracks are all decent, the heavier plod of “Charcoal” makes a strong impression while the clusters of warm synth figures in “Schoolbells” sparkle effervescently. ENV(itre)'s evocative material offers a natural complement to Milieu's though Majewski's tracks occasionally veer into grimier territory. “Oaetometq,” for instance, comes closer to machine-oriented funk than hip-hop, with assorted clangs peppering its burbling funk rhythms. His four tracks show a wide range, as evidenced by the darkly dramatic “Salecareal” and the dreamy oasis “Loyr vacn.”

December 2006