Let's clear this up right now - where you to force us to choose a single act or record label that defined 2005, Various Production would roll off our tongues without a single moments hesitation. Despite only having released a handful of immaculate 45's (with a tantalising disregard for protocol or precedent not seen since the heady days of Irdial, Basic Channel or Warp) - Various Production have slowly but surely clawed the attention of every sharp A&R operative in the country, making them the name on more or less everyone's lips as we brace ourselves for 2006. But really, there's very little vision required to assess the brilliance on display here - it's just an absolute no brainer. Various have not only managed to keep their identities shrouded in complete secrecy (ok, so we all now know who's behind Sleeparchive, but these people??), they've managed to inject deviant music with a humanist, popular resonance that exudes a sort of effortlessness I can't quite remember encountering on the fringes of popular music these last 10 years. To put it simply - you just get the feeling that the people behind this label/concept/collective couldn't give a damn about...well, about anything that might influence them or steer them away from their marvellously splintered agenda.
A Sir
B In This
