Various Artists - 10 Years of Rhythm Section International (6LP Boxset) [Rhythm Section]

Format: 6x12" Boxset. Printed inner sleeves. Limited edition of 500 copies.
CAT: RS0XLP

Rhythm Section International, the unclassifiable label founded in South East London by Bradley Zero in 2014, has reached the grand old age of 10. The funny thing is, it feels like it's been around for almost twice as long. It's hard to imagine the London music scene without this foundational force whose influence is felt more than ever today.

With this special anniversary release, the label takes a moment to survey this moment, presenting a compilation split into three parts - PAST, REIMAGINED & FUTURE; a celebration of the label's tradition of paying homage to what came before while keeping its gaze firmly set forward.

With over a hundred releases in its extensive catalog — spanning virtually every imaginable style and making an impact on every inhabited continent — it has been an extraordinary decade for this independent label, which started with a shoestring budget funded by Rhythm Section's now-legendary Peckham basement parties.

From modest beginnings to becoming a generational benchmark, few would have anticipated the label's slow but steady ascent and the impact it has had on generations of DJs, musicians, and listeners, both at home and abroad.

Across 6 discs and 30 tracks, the compilation begins by taking us on a nostalgic journey, selecting one track for each year of the label's activity and unearthing some forgotten gems from its archives across the first two discs.

For discs 3 & 4, the label invited its family of artists to choose a track from the catalog to reinterpret in their own language. The result was a collection of incredibly playful contributions from artists such as Ruf Dug, Session Victim, and Private Joy, whose reinterpretations add new layers and depth to the original material.

Finally, the two closing discs are dedicated entirely to unreleased material for 2024, continuing the legacy of the SHOUTS compilations, whose goal has always been to give visibility to new music from emerging artists. Highlights include new productions from RONI, Gayance, douniah, and Dhanya, as well as a special appearance from long-term label mate Jordan Rakei under his Frank Liin alias. As ever, moods range from the peak-time floor energy of Bamao Yende and Low Jack to the slow-burning Sunday morning enchantments of Cousin Kula, once again demonstrating the label's breadth and ability to escape any classification while still connecting all its releases through an undefinable musical thread.

Rhythm Section is for everyone. Rhythm Section speaks to the post-tribal music generation. Rhythm Section is alternative, soulful, and, above all, deeply sincere.