The World is Gone

"Various won't remain such a well-kept secret for much longer after this!”
- Fact Magazine

"Beautiful”
- DJ Sureplayer (4.5/5)

"This mysterious crew are unstoppable”
- Mixmag (5/5)

"A smouldering avant-pop classic.”
- Vice Magazine [on 'Sir']

"'See you later, I'd hate to see you soon' has to be one of the great vocal kiss-offs of our age”
- NME [on 'Hater']

"…nothing less than a throbbing piece of future folk genius”
- Straight No Chaser

Following a string of vinyl-only singles - the immaculate trio of tunes 'Hater', 'Foller' and 'Sir' - Various [yes, that is their name!] announce their signing to XL Recordings with their classic-in-the-making debut album, 'The World Is Gone'.

Various are simply one of the most thrilling electronic pop outfits to have emerged in years – ferocious beats that are manifestly rugged and raw, whilst the melodies are pop incarnate. As Vice Magazine said of the last limited edition single 'Sir', it "could be dubstep cocooned in velvet”, while magazines from Straight No Chaser to Mixmag are reigning praise upon them.

On a Various production, genre walls come tumbling down from the very first moments of buzzsaw frenetics of 'Thunnk', the echo chamber warble of 'Don't Ask', the sweet oblivion of 'Soho', the apocalyptic drop of 'Sir' to the epic Eastern grandeur of the title track 'The World is Gone'. There are no handy pigeonholes to cling to, especially when the tougher electronic tracks are set against such Sandy Denny-inspired moments as 'Circle of Sorrow' and 'Fly'. This is really quite something else!

The audacious way Various wilfully throw aside tags and conjure up a new form of pop is nothing short of breathtaking. One can safely say that Various are utterly singular in the contemporary music field, even more so because they are the complete creative package – brimming with a vision that spills over into their stunning illustrated artwork, their fresh and bold production sounds and individual style. The mainframe of Various revolves around the two mysterious figures, Adam and Ian. The duo act as a lynchpin around which a vast array of vocalists display their respective talents.

"Force us to choose a single act or record label that defined 2005/06, and Various would roll off our tongues without a single moment's hesitation.”
- Boomkat