Various

It's one of those moments where AYF? goes off about something new. Not so new as to be undiscovered, but still pretty new. This collective out of the UK is called Various Production, and they're making people notice with an eclectic set of releases on 7" vinyl ("Hater" being the big hit). Their music is all over the place, from well-produced dub-step (yes, grime still sucks) derivative indie/electro/R&B to lap-folk, to straight folk (check their rendition of "Byker Hill" renamed as "Biker Walk" -- bizarre, yes).

What blows me away is their originality in sound, technique, and feel. Sure, "Sir" hits up Suicide, but fuck that; these guys and girls can sing, and they can make their tracks interesting beginning to end, regardless of the lazy tempo. It puts the pretenders to shame.

I can only hope 2006 brings us more of this. More eclecticism, and more of the thick atmosphere from the wholly original, R&B-spiced likes of Various Production and Velella Velella. See also: Jackson & His Computer Band who come in on the techno end of this equation, and Jamie Lidell who does the scruffy white-boy R&B thing.

Various Production - Sir
Various Production - Hater
Various Production - Home
Various Production - Foller

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Shout outs to Oh No! who have linked us up, and To Here Knows When (named after a My Bloody Valentine track, which is always a good thing).