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

DJ Wally & DJ Willie Ross: Mrs. Millers House
The Agriculture

Thirty collage-styled cuts of spooky breakbeat and hip-hop science from DJ Wally (Keef Destefano aka Pish Posh) adds up to the perfect Halloween soundtrack for scaring the bejesus out of unwanted visitors. Using a demented story about an equally demented Ozone Park, Queens resident (who spray-painted her house silver and her dog blue and threatened to kill trespassers who dared entry) as a springboard, turntable maestro Destefano (partnered with DJ Willie Ross) weaves countless film, television, and music samples into a ghoulish goulash of head-nod madness (like the ultra-dope “Something in Those Trees”). Add a dash of “Mamma Mia” here, a classical string passage and klezmer clarinet trill there, dress it up with an encyclopedic cross-section of voices and nightmarish noises, and then connect it all with crisp, down-tempo beats (“Close Your Weary Eyes” and “Kane's Alien Trainwreck,” among numerous others) and you might just wind up with something like Mrs. Millers House. Destefano's smart enough to know that interesting scenery alone won't do the trick so ensures a healthy share of substance (the irresistibly funky “What Dreams Are Made Of…” for example) appears amidst the haunted creaks and screams.

December 2006