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Re: essential loop recordings



hi there,

this is an interesting question.  not being a regular reader of gear 
junky type magazines, its hard to know exactly what it is about the 
setups of particular bands that makes there sounds what they are.  older 
recordings have had more time to be analysed, interviews conducted, 
whereas, recordings from the last decade have had less of this.  so the 
following list is a list of bands whom I suspect, from their sound, 
incorporate some type of looping, or I have heard through rumour, or 
have seen live and can confirm.

tortoise - their sound and arrangements lend to the presence of some 
sort of looping tools.  after seeing them live I suspect the guitarist 
uses a looper, and perhaps some sort of looping is employed at the live 
mix as well.  

papa m - the first album by dave pajo under his pseudonym (ex-tortoise 
member too I think) features plenty of looping and I at least can 
confirm he is a boomerang user in the flesh.

dirty three - I have been told that Jim White uses two boomerangs to 
fill out his guitar sound but Iīve no way to confirm this.  Anyone know 
for sure?  If true then everything the dirty three have done stands out 
as being non-loopy looping in this sense.  waves of sound.

stereolab - well, everything the lab does is loopy in so many ways, but 
I donīt actually think they employ any real-time looping devices.  that 
said, early lab especially has inspired me to greatly to pursue the way 
of the loop.

directions in music - there has to be some revese looping going on here. 
 wonderful lush instrumental harmonising with smart arrangement offset 
by subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) use of looping.  

i have to also say that bands like godspeed you black emporer, a silver 
mt zion, black heart procession... all COULD use looping to make there 
sounds what they are, but I have no idea.  the whole process of layered 
building crescendos of sound is one closely associated with looping for 
me.  

oh yes, and flying saucer attackīs use of feedback loops on a fourtrack 
remains one of the simplest and most effective uses of that other type 
of looping.  beautiful - I cried (but that probably says more about me 
than the music, i donīt know).

cheers
michael noble