Get to know: Renaat Vandepapeliere

R&S label founder answers our questions before taking over the club with the likes of Mariel Ito, Evigt Morker, Ada Kaleh and more...

It’s hard to imagine what today’s dance music realm would look like without R&S Records. The thought of no Aphex Twin, Beltram or Bolland is rather dark, to say the least, and this could have been the case had Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes not stepped in to unearth the sounds of a particular group of artists who soon shaped the European electronic music soundscape. 

Launched in Ghent back in 1984, the seminal imprint turns 35 this year, a landmark for any label in today’s market of free music at our fingertips. From the moment Joey Beltram created Energy Flash in Vandepapeliere’s matchbox-sized apartment to signing Aphex Twin’s ‘Selected Ambient Works’ despite endless scepticism from his peers, Renaat Vandepapeliere still has a knack for signing innovative talent to the long-running label. 

35 years on, R&S have managed to usurp all expectations and come out the other side with a plethora of established and up-and-coming talent who make up the new generation of the imprint including Blawan, Paula Temple, Pariah, James Blake, Tessela and many more. 

Hosting our first ever R&S showcase on July 21st, co-founder Renaat joins us with an impressive cast of recently signed R&S affiliates counting Mariel Ito,  Evigt Mörker, Ada Kaleh and G-Prod billed for the monumental night... 

But where to even begin when it comes to interviewing Renaat himself? Considering the ups, downs and monumental shifts in the dance music industry, there’s so much to ask Renaat before delving into the past, present and future of the label. 

Catching up over Skype, the Belgian record label pioneer answers our questions with as much clarity and enthusiasm that’s still, refreshingly, present as ever… 

R&S is one of the most iconic labels in existence. The likes of Aphex Twin inspired generations but ultimately, it was R&S which inspired generations. How do you feel, 35 years on, knowing that you are responsible for releasing some of the most monumental tracks in dance music history? 

I don’t think about it to be honest, it’s just a public perception. I have to work and continue to find the next ones, I have to follow the path in supporting new talent. At the time, those guys you mentioned were completely unknown and this is what R&S does. 

It’s very easy to follow the hype and work in a format - which I could do if I wanted to. I could be a specific techno label or drum N bass - anything - but it’s about finding those rare guys who are trying to write the page again. 

My work is certainly not finished. It’s like I have to re-start every day. I’m flattered but I’ll only think about it when I’m 150 years old in a wheelchair and I have nothing else to do. 

So when it comes to pushing someone else and unearthing another artist for the label, how does it work? You must receive hundreds of demos daily… 

Yes, I get approached 24 hours a day with demos. I do a huge amount of research and the internet really helps. It’s an enormous forest. I spend about 10 hours looking, scanning and searching Bandcamp for what I can find. 

Everyone is fishing in the same pool. Once they find a format of fishing, that format stays with them forever. It’s a personal thing. I’m a rebel so I have to find those unicorns and like-minded people. 

Everyone from beginners to big names ask me ‘what can I do to be on R&S?’. I always say if you have no personality and if don’t know what you’re doing, it’s not going to work. 

Looking at how dance music has evolved, there is a heavy commercial aspect in today’s current soundscape. You just have to look at the ‘superstar DJ’ lifestyle portrayed on Instagram with some artists posting in the midst confetti, champagne, elaborate dancers…there wasn’t any of that when R&S started out, did you ever envision such egotism and elitism would arise?

Well back then my guys would play for free and there was a whole community involved in organising a party. It was just wonderful. But it’s ok, money inevitably becomes involved, it’s a circle - everyone has to make money at some point. But I’m the Che Guevara of the industry. I would like to be the counter-culture of this industry. 

If you put all the excess away in today’s club culture, again, where is the music? You have nothing. It’s a circus and it’s not my world. I grew up with Marvin Gaye, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin - all these great unique artists whom we don’t have anymore. It’s hard to find this in electronic music especially and to re-invent the wheel. 

It’s so important to have something to say. It can be done though, look at Nils Frahm and Nicolas Jaar. We try to support at R&S and shine a light on these artists and say ‘hey, it can be done’. 

What about these artists you’re currently shining a light on, like Evigt, Ada and Mariel who will join you next week at the club, what was the process before signing these producers? 

Lots of research and conversations. I’ve known Eric for years, he’s a very interesting guy and he listens. He can doubt himself but in a good way. In his case, once you get a big name for yourself, you become typecast. You have to do what people expect. So one can lose freedom and creativity. 

His heart is still with electronica and he wants to experiment and make the mistakes in between. That’s why I said to Eric here’s a platform for you to do whatever you want, I’m not going to ask questions.’ I’m very blunt, I either like it or I don’t. If the whole world thinks it’s fantastic and I don’t like it, I don’t care. It’s all quite simple. 

It’s going to be an interesting night at the club because the artists know they have the freedom to do what they want. So with your own DJ sets, do you have the same approach? 

I come in, I check out the place, then I go. It’s not a radio show which is different but for a DJ set, I travel with 80,000 tunes covering rock to jazz to house to whatever. A track is about timing. It depends on the moment and the vibe. I have to create, that’s why I prefer to play long sets. I build up, look around and test. I take my risks. 

So, in the last 35 years, what’s been the most positive change you have seen take place in the dance music industry? 

Yes, it’s great to see artists making a lot of money now. 

So the money-making aspect is a positive change? 

Exactly. Everyone is happy. But not the labels, labels will always lose money. 

It’s certainly not straightforward or financially viable (in most cases) to run a label. There’s a lot of young people out there who are sick of sending their tracks to labels and getting rejected. 

What advice would you have for producers who want to set up their own a label just so they can have some sort of platform to get their tracks out? 

Just do it. Don’t ask too many questions because you can’t please everyone. Take those risks for the future. There is still a good tech house and techno and all that of course but it really takes more work (compared to the old days) to find it. 

My biggest frustration in life is that I don’t know everything! But I do the effort to search and to try because it’s interesting. 

You’re coming to London on Saturday, how often to do you play here? Are you familiar with the electronic scene we have over here? 

I just want to have a good time. I don’t prepare. If there’s one guy just standing there, I will play 10 hours to please him. It’s my job, that one guy is very important. It can be a thousand guys or one - it’s exactly the same. 

I will do be the best I can for them. But I need good ventilation - that’s essential. I hate when it gets too hot. 

There are probably countless groundbreaking moments for you throughout the years but what was the one moment that left a huge mark on you from the last 35 years? 

There was a moment in Kiev recently which was probably the best, I really felt the energy. I thought YES clubs can still do this - they can book two DJ’s and let them play for 10 hours and work for their money. Of course, I will make mistakes in a set but that’s part of the creativity - I am not afraid of anything. I want to be unpredictable. 

In fact, we’re collaborating with fashion designers from Kiev. We’re going to have a new R&S clothing line coming out in October with a brand called Riot Division. We’re going to do a big launch party. 

I love Kiev, I played 12 hours there and the time flew. I still wanted to play one more record when the promoter asked me to stop. 

How did you feel after those 12 hours? 

Fresh! I wanted to keep going and the crowd was mental. It was a rollercoaster. It was the same in Istanbul, I ended up playing 10 hours just because I wanted to. 

Moving forward with R&S, is this your vision for the imprint? To be unpredictable? 

I will never be on the same highway, never. It’s against my nature. I want to be in love non-stop. It’s all about instinct - don’t be afraid to fail. Failing is nice! It wakes you up, it’s part of life. It’s all too fucking perfect! Mr Imperfection right here is coming - that’s my middle name.

 

 Get tickets to R&S Records with Mariel Ito, Evigt Morker, Renaat Vandepapeliere, Ada Kaleh and G-Prod: Here

Warm up with: Interview: Niamh O'Connor