Re: How far does looping go back? Farther than you think....

[Scott Duncan <scottd@webworkz.com>]

Slightly different (non-cave), same concept --person hearing their own voice reflected/ delayed/ echoed:

On Route 129, mountain overlook of Lake Calderwood, TN  (a "U" shaped section of lake/ w dam on upper right) -- a loud yell or shout-out will return for 5 or 6 seconds on a calm day -- approx 1.3 sec for 1st repeat; 3 distinct -- center, left, right, plus fades.......NTS (needless to say) some days are better than others....
.  
We've been human for quite a while now....with "echoes" all along.....

cheers-

scott 

On Wednesday, November 28, 2007, at 10:50 AM, Krispen Hartung wrote:

> Wow, what next? A hand drum made by yourself in the rain forest, with the skin of an animal you slayed yourself for nourishment, and the wood of a tree you cut down for shelter? :) Back to basics.
>
> What is the most primitive looping technique and experience in the world? One might imagine a Homo Habilis (~2.2 to 1.6 million years BCE), Homo Erectus (~2 to 0.4 million years BCE), Neanderthal (~200,000 to 30,000 years BCE), Cro-Magdon (~40,000 to 10,000 years BCE) shouting, singing, or banging an object in a cave (in Europe) or a large canyon (in Africa), and being amused by the echo (loop).  I'm quite sure some human/hominid ancestor experienced this phenomenon and the intrigue with hearing our voice or some other sound repeat by means of a power outside our control.
>
> So, did looping start with Terry Riley or Steve Reich? Maybe from a modern technology standpoint, but certainly not in principle as a human experience or even from a general technological standpoint (given that tool use is a form of technology and goes back to ~2.6 million years ago). I'd say it is very likely that the proto-humans experienced their first looping experience over 2 million years ago.
>
> BTW, what's the longest delay time you've experienced by shouting in a large canyon or cave?
>
> Kris