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RE: Music Scene



> > 
> > Kevin wrote:
> >> Look at Jamie Lidell's looping performance:
> >> http://www.jamielidell.com/video/rfh.html
>

Interesting clip, though I thought it would have been stronger at about 
half
the length...

I always find it fascinating to watch the different hybrid approaches that
loopers use when performing live - Looping is "just" a tool, not a musical
genre, but most of the interesting stuff that you can do with looping is
pretty incompatible with traditional song (and, indeed, musical) forms, 
IMO.
For those of us weaned on minimalism and/or free-form improv, there's a
fairly natural fit. As far as other forms go, it seems to me that you
usually have to twist or limit the form in fairly substantial ways to "work
in" looping, if that's what you want to do (those with more experience at 
it
probably have more valid opinions) - audiences (and, indeed, listeners in
general) don't always love genre-bending. 

In my experience, people value showmanship (already discussed in this 
thread
at length) and authenticity/integrity (and at least intermediate-level
instrumental competence, but that's just the entry requirement). It's not
clear exactly what "integrity" means in this context, but I can illustrate
by saying that it's more satisfying to me to hear someone go hog-wild with
looper-induced ecstasy than to hear someone try to make up for the lack of 
a
bass player in a song by looping a full chorus of bass synth before really
jumping into the tune (playing over the bass). The first scenario
demonstrates deep involvement with and commitment to the instrument, the
second seems to be an economics-based (or convenience-based) compromise.
When I'm listening to music with a looper, I want to hear music that
*requires* a looper. (maybe I'm a hypocrite, since I don't feel the same 
way
about, say, guitar or piano or even a guitar effects box, or maybe loopers
are just in a different category)

Does art happen on stage or in the studio?  Clearly, in both places, but
they have different goals, at least for me. When I'm in the studio, I try 
to
produce a recording that I will enjoy listening to over repeated listenings
spanning many years. When I play in public, I'm playing improvisations that
will necessarily be less focussed and "perfect" than edited work, but will
have all those joys of spontaneous expression that most of us here know
well. Also, in public, if I'm really on, I'm "playing the room" rather than
playing my instrument - the audience *is* my instrument - and they'll need
to go clean their brains with a good solvent afterwards, just as I do my
strings :-)

Warren Sirota
 
Come hear *The Sandbox* at The Monkey in NYC, April 23rd, 8PM  - details at
www.warrensirota.com/sandbox
Most recent recording: Play Date - http://cdbaby.com/cd/sandbox