Legendary label R&S Records announces ‘In Order To Dance 4.0’ celebrating 40 years of iconic artists, truly anthemic singles and the founders who changed the course of electronic music forever.
R&S and cutting-edge electronic music are as synonymous as Messi and football. You can barely speak of one without mentioning the other, such is the label’s impact on the scene over the last 40 years. To mark the momentous occasion, Renaat Vandepapeliere’s Belgian powerhouse is doing what it does best: serving up In Order To Dance 4.0, a brand-new installment in its legendary series that once again showcases new music from a mix of familiar names alongside next-generation artists. It is a timely reminder of where the label has come from and where it is going next.
The years in between have seen the label launch artists like James Blake, Lone and Blawan, offer a European home to US greats like Derrick May and Joey Beltram (whose classic “Energy Flash” on R&S remains one of techno’s biggest-ever tunes) and even work with the untouchable Aphex Twin, all while offering an endlessly high-quality stream of innovative techno. More recently the sounds have evolved into hip-hop and lo-fi soul, but the label’s famous prancing horse logo remains a respected stamp of authority.
The first In Order To Dance compilation came back in 1989 and showcased the best in-house and new beat, the latter of which being a homegrown Belgian sound that is very much back in fashion today. The artists on that album were all A&Red by Vandepapeliere’s expert ear, and it is that same ear that has carefully curated this latest collection.
Hyphen kicks off this new era with the stirring electronic soul of “Winter Sky”. It’s awash with melodic beauty and elegant beats that get you on your toes before Paul Roux’s “Baptéme” leads you inwards. The smeared chords convey brokenhearted melancholy over heavy broken beats. After that artful start, Subject 13 & Conscious Route showcase R&S’s other side: an irresistible dance floor sensibility with sleazy bars over ghetto beats. There is skewed futurism to the frosty hip-hop of Nphonix & Matrika’s “Rumble Around” which embodies the evolution of the R&S sound, while Saytek’s “IYNDUB01 (Live)” douses you in warm dub currents as you gaze off to the stars.
The mid-point is marked by the playful melodies and vocals of “Did This”, a truly original cut from Dino Lenny who has been embedded in the scene now for 30 years. Label purists will love the trio of tracks that follow and very much capture the essence of R&S: there are the twisted beats and cosmic synth sorcery of VROMM’s “Red Tuna”, punchy techno elegance of Insider’s “Something Flash” and raved-up energy of “Hold On” by Pascal Nuzzo. Things get even more visceral and direct with the frazzled jungle rhythms supplied by Som.1’s “Ultimatum” before the soulful breaks and chords on Dharma’s “Structured Chaos” provide room for thought. Adam Antine’s “Sortavala” is a funky breaks workout and Acidulant closes things out with a coruscated acid-electro cut designed to rip up the floor. The first In Order to Dance compilation was pivotal in the early evolution of electronic music, and 40 years on this installment is just as important.
There’s a series of cutting-edge music videos to accompany the new wave of In Order To Dance 4.0 tracks. Acclaimed artists and video directors, including Alessandro Amaducci, Ben Marlowe, and Gala Mirissa, have all stamped their digital artistic visions onto these stunning compositions, syncing audio and visual for a multi-sensory experience.
Tracklist:
- Hyphen – Winter Sky
- Paul Roux – Baptéme
- Subject 13 & Conscious Route – Dripping Sauce
- Nphonix & Matrika – Rumble Around
- Saytek – IYNDUB01 (Live)
- Dino Lenny – Did This
- VROMM – Red Tuna
- Insider – Something Flash
- Pascal Nuzzo – Hold On
- Som.1 – Ultimatum
- Dharma – Structured Chaos
- Adam Antine – Sortavala
- Acidulant – Make Love to a Machine
About the Founders:
Renaat Vandepapeliere is the “R” in R&S, a label which has over three decades established a reputation for forward-thinking electronica – as their In Order To Dance motto implies. Responsible for some of the most iconic techno, ambient and electronica releases over its expansive history, the label boasts an incredible list of artists, including Joey Beltram, Aphex Twin, CJ Boland, Derrick May, Ken Ishii, and more recently, Lone, Vondel Park, Blawan, James Blake, Batavia Collection, Loxy & Ink, Progedia, Subjective 13, Mikahl Anthony and Bruce Gregg. While the label’s prancing horse emblem might bring up associations with raving in the ’90s and beyond, for Renaat and Sabine Maes – the “S” in R&S and Renaat’s partner both in business and in life – the concept behind the label has never quite been that concrete.
Through R&S, Renaat and Sabine have created a sense of real sense of community over the years, and their resolve to always support the artist and their art has remained steadfast, even in the face of trying times. Today, the label is as strong as the iconic stallion that bears its name and is truly at the forefront of what’s to come in music. R&S artists continue to be supported and championed in ways that no other label can match, and the old-school attitude that R&S is just a techno label is being obliterated by the realization that R&S is the future of music.
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