Loopy



The BBC's Review of The Loop Orchestra's very fine "Not Overtly Orchestral" CD seems to hit the mark pretty well. In fact, all of the reviews I've read have been deservedly positive and their comments on the band's creative processes and the music itself have also been insightfull.

The supposed anachronism of tape loops bumping up against the age of the digital sample is also mentioned quite a bit. I suppose because I'm old enough and have seen miles of tape strewn around a lounge room being pulled by a heavy duty capstan roller that it doesn't seem like a strange or stupid way to do things. In fact, I find it much harder to be excited by a digital loop. They often seem so redundant - after you've heard it the first time, it's not going to change even one small bit in it's 2 millionth time. So all you're left with is the mesmeric qualities of the repitition itself (on the 1st Liars LP they end with 20 minutes of a terrific sample from the song which preceeded it - I've only listened to it the whole way through one time, just so I could hear how it ended). Tape loops are a bit more organic simply because of the media and hardware being used. Oxide falls off, loops jam slightly somewhere in the room, fingers caress the capstan or the tape to add flutters. These all combine to make it seem less mechanistic and add sonic interest.

And don't even start me on tape hiss.

I wonder what techniques F&E (previous post) are using these days?