# V/Vm

V/Vm was an alias of English musician Leyland James Kirby, used for producing experimental music. Although starting out mainly in the style of noise music, most releases under the V/Vm alias were plunderphonics, with some original compositions. Most, but not all, of V/Vm's music was released under the V/Vm Test Records label. Alongside the work of the V/Vm project, Kirby also recorded as The Caretaker. He currently resides in Kraków.

## History

Leyland Kirby began producing music under the V/Vm alias in 1996, mostly under his own label, V/Vm Test Records. Early releases were electronic in nature, including a split 12" release on Fat Cat Records. In 1999, V/Vm released the EP Pig, consisting mostly of the sound of pigs feeding, which some critics mistook as the sound of pigs dying.
In 1998, V/Vm appeared on the cover of The Wire (October 1998, issue 176). Under the banner "Harder! Faster! Louder!". The article explored a developing scene which also included Alec Empire, DJ Speedranch, Diskono, and Fat Cat Records.
The late 1990s saw V/Vm begin to produce music under the genre of plunderphonics, which was released in a manner which ignored copyright. At this time, V/Vm was in conversation with the artists spearheading the bootleg, plunderphonics, and mashup (a.k.a. bastard pop) genres. In 2000, V/Vm's plunderphonics song, The Lady in Red (Is Dancing With Meat), which sampled The Lady in Red, achieved Single of the Week in the NME. The Lady In Red (Is Dancing With Meat) later appeared on V/Vm's 2000 album Sick-Love.
In 2003, V/Vm received legal threats after he re-released "Relax", the seminal 1983 hit by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. In a reproduction of the original release, a double LP, a 7-inch picture disc, and a CD single were released, each featuring numerous remixes of "Relax." Within weeks of the release, V/Vm received legal threats, causing V/Vm to withdraw the release.

## V/Vm Test Records

From 1996 to 2008, Kirby ran the V/Vm Test Records label, which released records from About This Product, Goodiepal, Jansky Noise, and Fast Lady, among many other experimental musicians. The label used to give away free audio via the V/Vm Test Records website.

## Later projects

In 2005, V/Vm recorded a remix of the Alphaville song Forever Young, which was going to be used in an advertisement by Sony for the PlayStation. While the advertisement was recorded, it never aired, due to a dispute with TBWA Worldwide. Although it never aired, the advertisement was leaked and uploaded to YouTube.
In 2006, V/Vm produced V/Vm 365, which he spent the whole year on. V/Vm described V/Vm 365 as "The idea is basically to create and upload free audio for one whole year and leave a massive big mess behind, warts and all, for you to digest as you see fit." When it was finished, V/Vm 365 contained 603 audio tracks and six video tracks, with a total running time of 52 hours, 3 minutes and 57 seconds. Each day one or more audio pieces were uploaded along with text and a picture for the day.
In 2007, V/Vm received an honorary mention for his work as The Caretaker at the ARS Technica 2007 awards. He was also included in an exhibition in Madrid entitled "Ruidos, Silencios y la Transgresion Mordaz. De Fluxus al techno-noise"; the exhibit featured V/Vm video and artwork by V/Vm, Fluxus artists (Nam June Paik, Philip Corner, Wolf Vostell), and other contemporary artists and musicians (Ultra-red).
In 2008, V/Vm released the album There Was A Fish...In...The Percolator, the last album he would release under the V/Vm Test Records label. Later in 2008, V/Vm Test Records would shut down.

## Discography
### Selected releases

* Uplink Data Transmissions – V/Vm Test (1996)
* Fat Cat Split 12-inch – Fat Cat Records (1997)
* Machines – V/Vm Test (1999)
* Pig – V/Vm Test (1999)
* Auraloffalwaffle – V/Vm Test (1999)
* Lady in Red/All Night Long – V/Vm Test (2000)
* Sick Love – V/Vm Test (2000)
* Masters of the Absurd – V/Vm Test (2000)
* Snooker Loopy – V/Vm Test (2001)
* Helpaphextwin – V/Vm Test (2003)
* The Missing Symphony – V/Vm Test (2003)
* Stigma – V/Vm Test (2004)
* Sabam – The Sound of Belgium '89 – V/Vm Test (2006)
* White Death – V/Vm Test (2006)
* Vvmt365 – Daily Audio Downloads – V/Vm Test (2006)
* The Death of Rave – V/Vm Test (2006)

### Compilation appearances

* "Cha-ha Meat Skran-r The 15lb. Turkey" on Brain in the Wire
* "Engulfer" on Brainwaves (2006)
* "Female Pig Herder" on Split Series 1–8
Discogs has the most comprehensive release overview of V/Vm Test Records and V/Vm