Probably hard to believe for some of our readership, but Rinse FM come of age this month. 

There’s no use trying to encompass Rinse’ impact in a short paragraph, but, it’s fair to say that it has long been, and remains, one of the great institutions in contemporary leftfield music.

Since its inception in 1994, the station’s eclectic roster (grime, garage, funky, and whatever else the UK underground has kicked out) has broken countless artists, and a fair few genres to boot. As a label, too, it’s done the business: from its ongoing mix series to the crossover success of Katy B, it continues to set the agenda.

To celebrate their birthday, Rinse have launched a series of short films about the label. Vintage Rinse associates like DJ Slimzee, Uncle Dugs and Lady ST are all lined-up to contribute, and we’d expect a fair few contemporary faces to pop up as well. Each clip will be dedicated to a particular year in Rinse’s history, and the series will correspondingly run to 18 editions.

The first edition features a substantial interview with station founder Geenius. It’s a charming account of the station’s homespun beginnings as a low-rent pirate broadcaster. Geenius’ tales of transmitter glitches, stolen broomsticks and angry rugby fans are, for fans of the brand, compulsory viewing. [via Mixmag]