Various, better known as the home and self styled record label of Various Production, the mysterious production outfit that sylised and pushed boundaries for grime, electronica, dubstep and Celtic folk sensibilities, have it seems now become a proper label. Gold Panda is the first artist other than Various Production themselves to have an EP released on the label.
The Back Home EP enters into a more 4/4 territory than ever covered by the label’s originators. ‘Back Home’ focuses on a house rhythm, with jittery electronics emphasizing a subtle bed of static and crackle, unearthing new and emerging micro-rhythms. ‘Long Vacation’ ventures into electronica, with woozy spurts and sounds, and a subtle backbeat that threatens to launch into more solid grime breaks, but it never does, instead getting absorbed by static and distortion. ‘Mayuri’ starts with a more traditional electronica template, similar to Boards Of Canada or Lukid, but morphing into a deep Detroit stepper reminiscent of Carl Craig or Martyn.
Various Production have been a favourite of mine for a while now, with their genre hopping antics, varied production projects, and attention to design utilising the illustration genius of David Bray (Bonesy), and now they are releasing others on their label. More please.
Wayne Stronell
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