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

The New Law: The New Law
The New Law

The New Law (Seattle-based Adam Straney and Justin Neff) creates epic hip-hop instrumentals infused with jazz, funk, drum & bass, and Eastern flavour and bolstered by a palpable live feel. Judging by their backgrounds, one presumes it's Straney who handles the guitar and drum chores and Neff who brings his piano and saxophone chops to the disc's fourteen cuts, after which the two collaboratively work all of that and a library's worth of samples into the album's final form using digital technology.

The jazzy trip-hop of “Deconstructed Funk” nicely sets the stage for the outpouring to come. Guided by a marauding bass presence, Straney and Neff prepare a steamy brew of Bird-styled sax riffery and funky snare and hi-hat interplay. DJ Ideaz opens “Highly Sophisticated” with some tasty scratching and then moves aside to let the duo's cinematic hip-hop to take over. The tune's mood turns lethal as ululating voices slip and slide over the thunderously propulsive groove. A good number of strong cuts surfaces elsewhere too: soul, hip-hop, and funk electronically collide in the powerful head-nodder “Falling Autumn,” a groaning acoustic bass drives the sax-driven jazz-hop of “Bloody Mary,” and “MCMLXXXVII” nicely caps the disc with a dramatic outro of melancholy synth business. The New Law's affinity for the Old West is borne out by the album artwork, of course, but it also emerges in a number of tracks. “Fa Lude Oh!” sounds like The New Law jamming with Ennio Morricone at Sergio Leone's ranch while bongos and guiros help situate “Banshee on Valium” in a dusty Dodge saloon.

December 2006