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

Deadbeat/Monolake: Random Brown
Cynosure

Score one for Cynosure, as Scott Monteith makes a rare Deadbeat appearance on another label besides his usual ~scape, while Robert Henke performs rare Monolake remix duty. Deadbeat's “Random Brown” original downplays his familiar dub-based style for something closer to tactile techno-funk. There's almost a booty-bass vibe at work, as Monteith incrementally bombards the tune's buoyant swagger with bleeps, swizzles, and drips before a mid-song breakdown ups the intensity ante and unleashes the cut's jacking house bounce. Calling it eight minutes of quintessential Deadbeat genius wouldn't be far wrong. Clubbier than his usual Monolake material, Henke's version morphs the song into a slamming techno monster that stomps with royal aplomb. The cut's writhing pulse relentlessly heaves and churns for a glorious seven minutes, leading one to ponder how extraordinary an entire Deadbeat-Monolake remix album could be.

December 2006

This review also appears in Grooves.