There comes a time when a label needs to reflect on what it has achieved and what it stands for, and so as New York house and techno institution Thema hits its fortieth release, it feels like the perfect time to take stock and celebrate the past, present and future of an imprint committed to forward-thinking wares for educated dancefloors. When the appropriate summary of the label roster requires eighteen individual spaces in which to flex its musical might, it says a lot for the depth and range that Thema has reached over the past eight years. When that collection of artists includes such respected luminaries as Christopher Rau, Mr. G, Norm Talley, Raudive and Ark, to name but a few, you know that resistance is futile. This is after all a movement born out of the streets of the Big Apple, an energetic balance of brains and brawn underpinned by a healthy serving of soul. With soft and tender moments sliding up alongside rough-edged club burners, Strength In Numbers shows off everything Thema has stood for to this date, as well as pointing the way ahead. There's no need for lofty concepts and fancy gimmicks, just an unending appetite for inspiring, exciting and life-affirming music to move the body and the mind.