V/VMMarch 15, 2006
*Name: V/Vm
*Are there any additional names used to describe this project: People certainly call V/Vm names, not sure I record as anyone else though. My part time work is to collate memories which appear as Caretaker audio.
*Do you use a pseudonym? Yes, I record as Aphex Twin, Kid606, U2 and rather bizarrely, Divine.
*Members: If you ever made a noise you are part of the group because I am free to use your work thanks to my copyright loophole system of abuse.
*Founding Member: I refer to myself as James Leyland Kirby. I started V/Vm with Animal Macgregor back in 1996. I am still in contact with the Animal who is now living the high life in Madrid where he can be found fishing in the Spanish backwaters. These days, I run it all alone but have the support from many glorious women around the globe, so life is good.
*Tape manipulations, digital deconstructions or turntable creations: Definitely digital, ever since I saw a friend's calculator watch back in about 1984, at my junior school, I knew that digital was here to stay and offered a way forward for sure.
*Another genre descriptor: I often refer to the things I do as being "the best of the worst of the worst of the best." That makes little sense, but for some reason V/Vm output really does divide people into making the choice of either loving what is done or hating it. It's always been like that fortunately. I try to force that opinion rather than being nice and having a lot of fence sitting people. It's great to be loved and great to be hated, to not be noticed is like being a roll of wallpaper.
*Location: Stockport which is about ten minutes away from Manchester in England.
*Original Location: Stockport which is about ten minutes away from Manchester in England.
*What is your creative/artistic background: I don't have one. I failed art at school, miserably, because the teacher was shocking.
*History: The ten year point passed just recently. The label was set up early in 1996. We were working before that date on a few unreleased projects so we probably started back in 1990.
*Born: I am a 1974 boy. Animal was 1973. We were both delivered in Stockport, I think.
*Motivations: Boredom of an insipid scene is an inspiration these days. There are too many yes men about who lick a*** to just try and make some cash. It's nice to be opposed to such people sometimes and can give you some energy. Also, the label exists to break rules and try new things. Years ago, I was really abusing copyright and now everyone does it, so it's not that important to do it. Nowadays, the challenge is in making music free for everyone, rather than putting a price on it, which too many people do. It's important for more people to say "F*** Off to iTunes, MySpace and all these other so called "cool providers of music" and just go it alone and make up their own rules. Times are changing for sure and only the brave will not buckle to these big services and to the lure of the musical dollar. You know things are f***** when you see old warhorses like Throbbing Gristle selling their old tunes on iTunes. I mean, they wouldn't have done it when those tunes were fresh, as they were against this style of system and this also goes against the ideal they sold; so the only reason they are now on there is to make money, so really they are f****** over all the people who bought into their work. It all stinks because you owe it to yourself to be true to your ideals. Let's rip up the rule books and create a new one. It sure as hell isn't gonna come from one of the majors, so people need to think more about ripping up the blueprint and creating a new one.
*Philosophy: Mainly to try new things and to get the response from people "you can't do that!" when it's already been done and is available. There are too many restrictions out there, but only if you think about them. More people should push audio and themselves more and push themselves out of their comfort zones.
How would you like to be remembered: As being deadly serious about what I do, despite outer appearance and the fact that the press dress it all up as being some kind of f***** prank. I'm in debt here for my years (of) service and it's no laughing matter. They cannot work it out, so it's a prank you can't make it up.
*Web address: www.brainwashed.com/vvm
