While retaining their seal—a gorgeous Cavallino Rampante sampled from Ferrari—Renaat and Sabine, the founders of R&S Records, have had their roots infused with the gritty attitude of London dub. The catalyst? Their relocation to the UK from the label’s founding home of Ghent, Belgium.

Having kept a low profile of late, R&S have been championing forward-thinking electronica since the 1980s. With the revival of the label’s classic In Order to Dance compilation series, we’re happy to welcome them back.

The smorgasbord on offer in the first CD, which showcases the talent cultivated by the label over the last 18 months, should satisfy most appetites. But if the feast leaves you desperate for more, the second disc is filled with some sweet, unheard delights.

DJ’s familiar to R&S’ new breed will skip the main for the dessert to sample the exclusives and pick out some choice tracks to debut on the weekend. Most of the songs on this CD have a techno/old-school undercurrent and will sit nicely in the basement raves.

A select few harness a deeper atmosphere rendering them preferable to the solitary confinement of your bedroom for a more cinematic effect. Heads will no doubt bop to the industrial rhythms of Blawan’s ‘Shader’ and Untold’s nostalgic ‘U-29′, but it is the more alternative meddling that stands out. Bullion’s ‘Ralph’ is an intriguing addiction in its slightly off-kilter approach; the techniques employed very much what is on showcase in the first highlight CD.

And it is the first CD that underlines the eclecticism that shapes Renaat & Sabine’s outlook. Spearheaded by the likes of James Blake, Lone, Blawan, Untold, Pariah, and The Chain, the record label houses some of the most cutting edge and pioneering young talents of today whilst still drawing on the sounds of the pre-2000 rave culture. An introspective and intelligent approach to dub, minimal and electronic is on display here, each artist very much doing their own thing; their uniting element: a reminiscent approach to forward-thinking electronic music.

words Adam Finn

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Buy IOTDXI
R&S Records website