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

Takagi Masakatsu: World Is So Beautiful
Carpark

Though Takagi Masakatsu has issued two inspired DVD projects in 2006, both were, in fact, released years ago: the CD-DVD project Journal For People and the DVD World Is So Beautiful first appeared in 2002 on Harumi Hosono's (ex-Yellow Magic Orchestra) Daisyworld label. World Is So Beautiful was created as a collaboration between Masakatsu and the French fashion designer agnes b., its videos initially displayed in nine agnes b. shops in Japan and subsequently at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo and at The Singapore Art Museum. Inspired by the agnes b. winter 2002-03 collection, Masakatsu created ten videos using footage he'd compiled from journeys to Turkey, Guatemala, Cuba, Indonesia, Nepal, Germany, Japan, and France.

Masakatsu's videos are brilliantly coloured wonderlands that champion diversity and celebrate humanity. He typically saturates the footage with painterly effects, and complements the visuals with rich tapestries of electronic and traditional sounds. We watch colourful sprites dancing in a Japanese forest, swimmers in Havana, Cuba silhouetted against cerulean waters accompanied by tinkling piano cascades and swirling voice patterns, and traditional musicians in Xela, Guatemala almost exploding with colour as they perform a waltz. In “Run on the Planet,” figures hike through solarized landscapes to a jazz-gamelan soundtrack, while in the captivating “Sorina Street,” a child plays an accordion on a street in Istanbul, Turkey. The title piece—the work's thematic essence—emphasizes the natural footage of joyous children running, doing cartwheels, and playing soccer with music box melodies treated as a delicate backdrop. Masakatsu's life-affirming vision, so refreshingly free of cynicism, is wondrously realized by this presentation.

December 2006