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: Fresh vintage Aphex meat in the shape of this expanded reissue of the classic rave era anthem 'Digeridoo' from 1992. Treated to a modern remastering job by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, this double pack features the four tunes on the original 12" - 'Digeridoo', 'Flaphead', 'Phloam' and 'Isoprophlex', as well as bonus versions by Richard D James himself said to be encoded through his Nakamichi CR7e cassette deck, utilising vari-speed to create versions at different speeds which "felt right at the time". The legend is that he wrote the tune to annoy hippies who liked to attend raves and jam with their digeridoos - or digeri-dont's as they quickly became known - but it's being delighting fans of that golden era between hardcore rave and jungle ever since.

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: 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.