The reactivation of Belgium’s mighty R&S label was one of the highlights of last year as classic albums became digitally available for the first time as the seminal Belgium techno imprint showed it hadn’t lost its touch by hitting the dance charts once more with new singings. R&S supremo Renaat Vandepapeliere started Apollo in 1993 as a more musical alternative to the trouser-blasting electronic assaults of the mothership label. Although often described as ‘ambient’, the calmer excursions of David Morley [here with his gorgeous remix of the Golden Girls’ ‘Kinetic’] and Aphex Twin’s ‘Heliospan’ were simply more geared to home listening and chill-out rooms than peak time mayhem, while cherished by trainspotters. The reappearance of Apollo is welcome news and, as expected, this first release is more than just a greatest hits. Thankfully it features immortal gems like Mundo Muzique’s shimmeringly beautiful ‘Andromeda’, which will melt the sternest melon, and Biosphere’s sepulchrally pattering ‘Patashnik’, but there’s equal emphasis on new talent like Pinback and Bullion [more like female-sung indie-rock], plus surprises like label stalwart Dave Angel contributing a conscious vocal track to great success, Finlay Quaye singing on Manna’s haunting ‘Who Changed The Order?’ and Underworld’s ghostly ‘Sola Sistim’. Further good news is that, like R&S, everything in the catalogue will be reissued while Apollo launches its modern assault on the future. The mission continues…
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs
