Top 10 Album Covers of 2007

Top 10 Album Covers of 2007 (in no particular order) by Dust La Rock

1. Brian Eno & David Byrne- My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t throw a wrench in the proverbial works and go backwards in time for my first selection. This album was reissued last year and was originally released in `81. The good Dr. Alex Paterson introduced me to this album a few years back after ten hours of smoking hash spliffs and I haven’t been the same since. Named after a book by Amos Tutuola this record had some great samples and influenced innumerable producers and DJs throughout the years. The cover has a static-ish video projection vibe and my vinyl version has a gold foil Helvetica title and track listing and credits.

2. Midnight Juggernauts- Road to Recovery
Everybody and their mother is been hitting up Nasa’s image archive this year for a bit of the ole esoteric. Released on Institubes, I believe Akroe handled this one and he killed it.

3. Well Deep: Ten Years of Big Dada Recordings
This is a super sharp cover. Great way to showcase a label’s legacy and it has a touch of Damien Hirst to me for some reason. I would have liked it better if they Photoshop’d out the cylinder under the glass shelf but hey, fuck it ya know?

4. Stones Throw- Badd Santa
Another example of how super clean design takes the cake. The elements are pretty minimal but when used together create a striking whole. I couldn’t find a picture of the back of the CD packaging, which is better than the front but a good look all the same and a great take on the holiday vibe.

5. Curses- Hungry for Love
Probably my favorite cover of the year hands down. Another selection from the Institubes camp, not sure who did the artwork but it has a painterly Japanese anime vibe to it. Luca (Drop the Lime, Curses) made some noise this year and I look forward to seeing where he takes it in `08. Heavy bass music!

6. Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures Collector’s Edition
I have to give Justine D. a shout for putting me on to the Factory Records steez earlier this year. I know, I know, I’m a bit late on this but their catalogue remains fresh 20 years later. Not to mention that Peter Saville guy.

7. Baby Elephant- Turn My Teeth Up
This reminds me of some Kraftwerk shit reworked by ESPO. Lovely.

8. Deerhunter- Cryptograms
The sleeve art makes me want to puke. It’s that good.

9. Thom Yorke - Eraser
I can’t say I listened to this album the whole way through, Thom sounded whinier than usual and the beats were eh. However the sleeve artwork was a breath of fresh air in a digital world. Op-art wood etching meets clean, clipart-esque branding. Cheers Thom.

10. Spiral Tribe- Network 23 Represses
Last but certainly not least, this UK based traveling free party sound system killed it in the early `90s and were pretty much the catalyst for the Criminal Justice Act. Network 23 was their record label and the releases have been pretty hard to come by until being repressed this year. I’ve got doubles of the original laser etched 12″ featuring Youth’s remix of “Forward the Revolution” if anybody’s interested. Definitely for the heads!

Dust La Rock is one-third of the raising record label, Fool’s Gold, a label his friends A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs created. When he’s not assuming the art director position at Fool’s Gold, Rock is designing websites and print materials for clients like Roxy Cottontail, MTV and various magazines from Beautiful Decay to Missbehave.

Read our interview with him here.