Planet Mu's compilations, when they aren't focusing on specific genres such as footwork or dubstep, have often marked an anniversary year for the label or a hundredth catalog number. Compared to µ20, a massive box filled with previously unreleased material by artists from throughout the label's history, PlanetMµ25 is a bit more in line with more casual promo samplers like 2014's Life on Planet Mu or 2008's Plan µ, functioning as a non-comprehensive hour-long summary of the label at a certain moment in time. The comp contains one track from every artist who put out something on the label during 2020, as well as material from several planned 2021 releases. No particular style or scene takes precedence, but all of it can be described as forward-thinking experimental electronic music, usually coming from some angle of club culture.
The album starts with the intricate yet smoothly flowing grime of East Man and Streema's "Know Like Dat," and another one of Anthoney Hart's projects, Basic Rhythm, turns up later with an exclusive remix of "Get Off Me (Betta Get Back)" by DJ Nate, adding an extra bounce to the Chicago producer's frenetic rhythms. The acidic juke of RP Boo and Afiya's "Finally Here" is more party-friendly, while tracks by Jana Rush and Ripatti (aka Vladislav Delay) are mind-bending avant-garde pieces that push the twisted samples and throbbing rhythms of footwork to their furthest limits. Skee Mask's remix of Konx-om-Pax's "Rez" is an elaborate IDM-rave fantasy, while tracks from excellent albums by Rian Treanor and Gábor Lázár are more hypnotic, layering fizzy effects on contorted elastic rhythms. Other highlights from the label's 2020 releases include the abstract glitch-jazz of Speaker Music and AceMo's "Techno Is a Liberation Technology" and the fragmented power ambient of FARWARMTH's "Shadows in the Air." Bogdan Raczynski's "tteosintae" is a surprising departure from the hyper-jungle of his earlier releases, trading breakbeats for modular synth burbling, and coating cool-toned ambient melodies in static. Meemo Comma's "Tif'eret" intriguingly sets Hebrew prayers and choral vocals to backwards Amen breaks and crunchy kick drums, and Eomac's "All the Rabbits in the Tiergarten" is an emotional banger with flute-like melodies, decayed trance synths, and restless broken beats. Coming so soon after the label's previous anniversary-themed collection, and especially arriving during a year that took such a toll on the music industry (and life in general), it makes sense that Planet Mu didn't celebrate a quarter-century in the music business with its most ambitious compilation ever, but the label has always remained on the vanguard throughout its existence, so even a more snapshot-like release such as PlanetMµ25 covers a lot of ground that other labels aren't touching.