R&S Vinyl & CDs

Review: Mikahl Anthony's debut full-length, Muse, offers a profound auditory journey reflecting his expansive influence across the alt-soul and hip-hop realms. Renowned for collaborations with Mick Jenkins, Chance The Rapper, and others, and as a core member of THEMpeople, Anthony presents a richly layered narrative through this album. Muse integrates self-directed visuals with its deeply personal and introspective content. The project explores themes of self-growth and reflection, blending various voices and experiences with Anthony's own lyrical depth. The title, representing 'Ms. Using Sensual Energy' and 'Making Use of Seclusion Every Day', hints at the album's dual focus on intimate self-discovery and isolation as a creative force. Tracks like 'La Flare' and 'MollyAmory' showcase a mix of ethereal melodies and gritty textures, while the closing piece employs reverb-drenched saxophone to evoke emotional complexity. The music, crafted with a cinematic sensibility, engages listeners in a dynamic exploration of personal and communal stories, making Muse a compelling reflection of Anthony's artistic vision and growth.

Review: What can be said about this timeless banger that hasn't been said before? From the iconic throbs of acid to the delirious string hook, the menacing intonation of "ecstasy" to the eerie plastic strings, this is as seminal as a rave track can get. While many out there will no doubt have this jam tucked away on any number of techno compilations or cramped up on one of the original single issues, "Energy Flash" is a track more than worthy of its own luxuriant single-sided release, and in doing such a release so many years on R&S are making a powerful statement.

Review: R&S Records warmed up on what was another fruitful year with the first full release from recent addition Bullion, and what a revelation it is! There's always been a craft and ingenuity to whatever the London producer has released, be it that Beach Boys meets Dilla debut or the stunningly inventive and psychedelic almost-album for Young Turks, but Say Arr Ee fully reveal's Bullion's new found confidence in his singing voice. This addition to Bullion's arsenal was first revealed on "Ralph", his contribution to the R&S compilation IOTDXI, and is explored fully on the two tracks here. On the title track Bullion chooses to mask it amidst a typically sumptuous pop arrangement built around oven warm synths, it is however overshadowed by the B Side. "What Does She Know" combines Bullion's undeniable craft for hazy electronic psychedelia with an actual song and deserves to be appreciated on a level equal to sometime label mate James Blake.

Review: R&S Records return with a dazzling new rerub record from Dino Lenny, whose 'Lose Control', recently released in original mix form, now also gets the remix treatment from Tea With Quincy, alongside a fresh '4am' mix of the former record's B-side, 'Washington Street'. The latter steals the show via a fantastic set of urbanomic trance-jazz impressions, lending overlaid synth to sax to a beguiling uptempo undulator unafraid of the chromatic or ghost notes. Tea With Quincy's version is a much more surreal experience, with muted group chants juxtaposing salient "burning down the dancefloor" vocal samples and what sound like strange Konnakol scats, making for an otherworldly jazzdance experience to say the least.

Review: There are plenty of question marks over the man who founded and still runs the R&S label, but the music it releases remains crucial. This time it is a reissue that gets us excited with Belgian artist Marcos Salon aka The Outlander's debut EP from 1991 in the spotlight. The visceral five track offering is all about high impact, floor facing techno with dramatic synth builds and driving drums. Often thought to be one of the most most intelligent rave release's R&S put out during this period, it still fits right in today with artists like Ben UFO never afraid to reach for the classics.

Review: In Order To Dance 4.0 is along, long overdue follow up to the Belgian label's last legendary entry into this series many decades ago. In the years since, the prancing horse logo has become synonymous with cutting edge techno and electronic music from names as revered as Aphex Twin, Derrick May and Joey Beltram. This instalment shows that label founder Renaat Vandepapeliere's curation skills remain as sharp as ever, with a mix of new school names and enduring pioneers all contributing fresh sounds. Hyphen's 'Winter Sky' opens in lush melodic fashion, veteran Dino Lenny impresses with his 'Did This' and Dharma's 'Structured Chaos' is a more soulful moment of chord-led calm.

Review: Hatti Vatti's new album, Zeit, brings a diverse blend of organic electronic music. Drawing on a wide range of influences, it channels the essence of festival bands like the Ullulators and evokes the mellow, cosmic vibes of Hawkwind during Harvey Bainbridge's era. This Polish experimentalist, aka Piotr Kalinski, combines electronics, guitar and production to create an album for those who enjoy their dreams in tangerine hues. Zeit marks Hatti Vatti's first LP since 2017's Szum. For this album, Kalinski collaborated with notable Polish jazz musicians, inviting them to improvise with his compositions. Rafal Dutkiewicz (drums), Pawel Stachowiak (bass), and Piotr Checki (saxophone) contribute their talents, having worked with renowned acts like EABS, Skalpel, and Slawek Jaskulke. The resulting album is an eclectic mix that transcends genre boundaries, echoing Japanese ambient, krautrock, jazz, and dubby UK bass. Zeit stands out as a distinctive, dubby electronic space rock album, adding a unique flavour to the label's impressive catalogue.