Pioneering Belgian label R&S Records host free gig in city to celebrate homecoming
ON July 22, 2025, R&S Records came home.
The pioneering Belgian label, founded in Ghent in 1984, staged a free party at the week-long street festival, Gentse Feesten, transforming the city’s historic centre into a vast, open-air dancefloor.
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With thousands gathering to hear Nastia, Charles Webster (live), LTJ Bukem, and founder Renaat Vandepapeliere himself, the night felt like both a celebration of R&S’s stories past and a bold statement of intent for its future.
Renaat’s set was as fearless as his impeccable, genre defying label with a diverse selection of electronica challenging and delighting the crowd.
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For Vandepapeliere, the night was a leap into the unknown. “Honestly, I almost backed out myself,” he admitted. “I’ve never played for 6,000 people and I was nervous. I even called around to find someone to replace me, but a few friends convinced me to just go for it.
“The main goal was to take a risk and hopefully entertain some new people. Many had never heard us or the music before.”
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Risk-taking has always been central to R&S. From the early days of releasing Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash, Model 500 and Aphex Twin, to shaping the careers of CJ Bolland, James Blake and many more, the label has built its reputation on fearless choices.
“We had no idea, we weren’t trying to be anything other than sharing music we liked and believed in,” Vandepapeliere reflected. “Let’s be honest, good music is good music. There is, as I always say, the right time and the right place to play whatever it is.”
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That philosophy was evident in the Ghent lineup, which spanned genres and generations.
“It’s an opportunity to bring other people into the genre that aren’t necessarily into those sounds,” Vandepapeliere explained. “It has raw authenticity and a depth behind it. I could make a billion lineups like that, there’s so much talent and exciting music to share.”
His own set was guided by instinct and emotion. “It was intuitive, with many influences,” he said. “Today, if a set is different, it could be bad, so my honest opinion is to ask the crowd.”
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The reaction was telling. He added: “You didn’t see any phones going up and all that. It was random people wondering what the hell was going on, of all ages, which I also find very interesting.”
For Vandepapeliere, who has spent much of his career behind the scenes, the experience rekindled something powerful. “Let’s say it’s actually set a new spark,” he admitted. “I now want to play more.”
Looking ahead, he is keen to build on the success of the Gentse Feesten. He said: “I would love to do more events. I don’t know if it’s possible, but yes, I’d really love to. Keeping it different, keeping it fresh, I think that would be really cool.”
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But through all the years and transformations of dance music, Vandepapeliere insists the spirit of R&S hasn’t changed.
“We always wanted to be an eclectic label,” he said. “Not really be pushed into a certain corner and have a freedom of expression.
“It’s definitely not about formula. I wanted to be free. That’s all. You have to love what you’re doing and work for it. Nothing comes that easy. It is work, with a lot of failures and a lot of frustration. But hey, that’s the price you have to pay for freedom.”
