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

Strategy: Fields of May
Orac

Fields of May finds Paul Dickow taking time out from his Community Library doings to contribute a predictably arresting 12-inch of Strategy material for Orac. In a manner similar to Dickow's equally expansive “World House,” “Fields of May” effortlessly conflates African boogaloo, Chain Reaction dub, and Detroit techno into a barrlehouse hybrid. The tune swoops into view in a steely haze of fluttering, Fluxion-styled exhalations, then promptly segues into a snappy, kalimba-accented groove that spreads its global wings towards Africa, India, Berlin, and the Australian outback. Radovan Scasascia (aka AM/PM) gives the tune a dubby Secondo remix that slightly arrests the original's quicksilver flow and instead grounds it in space-funk territory. Tiny electronic glissandi leave spiraling trails across the night sky while a hiccupping funk pulse inches its way across the floor. The opening tracks are strong but matched by the B side's “VCoda,” a gloriously funky, nine-minute serving of dub-soul-disco that's as cool as an ocean breeze. Though we're presumably hearing the fruits of sampling wizardry, in an alternate universe one might imagine Dickow surreptitiously hitting ‘record' after cottoning to the studio magic his session musicians are producing during a loose, impromptu jam.

December 2006

This review also appears in Grooves.