- Various Production are not the first producers to use anonymity as a marketing tool, in their case accompanied by über-hip designer graphics of naked girls and horses. But there is also a musical purpose: Masking your identity also allows you to indulge in a bit of style-shifting chameleonism. On ‘Diver’, the duo dispense with the folk and downbeat leanings of their back catalogue to make a track built for a big sound system. The percussive force is hard-edged, while the one note riff and deep analogue synthline are simply menacing. Something akin to an angry Redshape track, this is a dancefloor destroying 4/4 beast with a hint of old school rave to it.
Flipping over, ‘Pintman’ also kicks off in a threatening fashion with a bombastic analogue fill and a well-placed MIA sample. More IDM than 4/4, it’s good, but somehow feels cluttered after the purity of ‘Diver’.
The short closing track ‘Monster’ is also somewhat messy, and a less satisfying listen overall. It phases through a metallic riff in classic Warp fashion, but without much real development.
Zealous fans will know that this 12” is a re-release of an ultra-limited pack that came out last year, this time without the T-shirts, USB stick and screenprints. Pick it up for ‘Diver’, which is worth the price of entry alone.
Tracklist01 Diver
02 Pintman
03 Monster