Various Production

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Various Production will be playing Saturday on The Last.FM/Presents Stage

Once heard, VARIOUS’ sound is difficult to miss. Rising up, seemingly out of nowhere, in 2005 with their critically lauded 7” Hater/Biker Walk, the production company left journalists, fans and critics baffled as to the origins, intentions and meanings of their unique style. They could be billed as a kind of eclectic fusion of electronic beats, soulful, melodic lyrics, and folkish introspections. But even this broad NME-friendly description doesn’t really capture their essence. Those who have heard them know that each release will bring something different. VARIOUS’ subsequent 7”s Sir/In This and Bruk/Home attracted much critical acclaim, stirring up a storm in independent reviews and fan blogs, but passing quietly under the mainstream radar. In a modern age obsessed by categorization, VARIOUS are unwilling to play ball. VARIOUS don’t want to be a nice box of clear definitions delivered to your ‘myspace’ doorstep. They want you to discover their music without preconceptions,

“We make music so we don’t have to articulate what it means to us. We want you to take from it what you want.”

This attitude has been interpreted as hostile by some interviewers, frustrated at the difficulty of finding an angle on the smooth surface of the band’s exterior. However, VARIOUS are not hostile. They are actually very friendly. They understand people’s need to know more about them, and they apologise for their failure to provide those interested with their inside leg measurements. VARIOUS’ intention is to create an aural experience that is inclusive, rather than exclusive, a band that can be approached from any angle the listener wants. And, it is this freedom that their growing legion of devoted fans have come to embrace.

“These guys are not only wonderfully anonymous, they also seem to operate without any of the usual baggage associated with trying to establish a name or a following – just doing what they do without even a faint interest in public opinion, comment or fashion.”
BOOMKAT.com- independent music specialist

This freedom of interpretation stems from a freedom of expression. Orbiting around the central partnership of members Ian and Adam one finds an eclectic mix of musical satellites. From Cat Power to Missy Elliot, no genre or movement is out of bounds for a VARIOUS production.

“Everything is an influence, from reading something in the paper, to seeing a building in a different way. We’ve always been different and always evolving. We don't really have the attention span to just make the same music, we make whatever we like.”

If their words don’t have the usual Hollywood sheen, then that’s how VARIOUS would want it. They only care about the music. So forget about the biographies, the personalities, the genres and the ambitions. What are we left with? An experience in a record sleeve. So if you really want to get to know VARIOUS, they suggest you listen to their music. Pick up 2006’s album The World Is Gone and glance down at the intriguing artwork that wraps itself around every VARIOUS release. It has been drawn by a bloke called David, a friend of the band, and its abstract, yet striking, simplicity seems an appropriate visual symbol for a band with no context.

Take out the record, sit back and listen. Then repeat.