The unit 'vvm' is used for bioreactor culture. The first 'v' stands for volume of air (e.g. liter) ; the second 'v' stands for per unit of medium (e.g. liter); 'm' stands for per unit of time (e.g. minute). For example, 2 vvm (l/l/m) means in 1 minute time there is 2 liter of air passing through 1 liter of medium (from the v/vm website)
V/vm is the brainchild of noise prankster and Stockport resident James Kirby. Initial V/vm releases were minimalist digital noise, but over time V/vm dabbled more in the "reprocessing" of top 10 hits by mainstream icons, retitled in a rather meat-obsessed manner. Many V/vm titles feature references to pigs and butchers.
The first true classic V/vm "reinterpretation" was released in mid-2000: the "Lady In Red (Is Dancing With Meat)" (with Chris De Burger)/"All Night Long (Butcher All Night)" (with Loin-El Glitchie) 7" single, with Chris De Burgh's track becoming the creepiest thing you've ever heard, the vocal pitch-shifted down several octaves, and the backing track replaced with an unsettling drone, and Lionel Ritchie's classic 80s hit becoming a ear-shattering scree of filters and digital noise.
This idea naturally progressed with the release of the "Sick-Love" CD in mid-2000, featuring 22 V/vm versions of such hits like Robbie Williams' "Angels", Spice Girls "2 Become 1" and Yazoo's "Only You".
V/vm have also collaborated with various other leftfield electronica superstars such as Speedranch^Jansky Noise, Kid 606 (on the amazing "Attitude" 7" tribute to NWA), and Panasonic.
True Steppers heard the V/vm version of their "Out Of Your Mind" (retitled "Out Of My Mind and Bacon Rind") recently in an NME article - one of them hated it and was horrified someone would do that to his music, the other loved it and wanted to work with V/vm in the future...
Other V/vm releases of interest: Up-link Data Transmissions 12", Shoplift 12", Chart Runners LP, Masters Of The Absurd 12", Rock Me (H)amadeus 7", The Green Door (Abducted by Shakin' Stevens) CD.
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