Re: loops with a drummer?

[Matt Davignon <mattdavignon@gmail.com>]

I have my loopers in my improvised space music band Tiny Owl
(http://tinyowl.bandcamp.com), but I use them much more sparingly than
I do for solo work.

Most frequently I use them for drones and textural stuff.

When I have a rhythmic loop, there's a few different ways we approach it:
--My drummer see it as an opportunity to play texturally instead of
rhythmically, which she's happy to do.
--The drummer and the rest of the band try to follow the loop, but
there's usually some drift, which leads to...
----I can do the start/stop to resync it with the band. (When I do
this, it tends to start feeling like a rut that's hard to get out of,
at least with the DL-4.)
----I can discard the loop and start doing something else. (To me,
part of being in an improv band is being willing to discard things
when they no longer fit.)
----I can start modifying the loop by running it through fx, changing
the speed, toggling forward/reverse, playing with volume, etc. This
can be cool, since it results in a perception shift - the loop becomes
an improvisational element rather than the rhythmic anchor.
----Sometimes, if the loop is something very simple, such as 2 beeps
every few seconds, I just turn the volume down quite a bit and let it
keep going. Then when that particular jam cools off, you'll have that
one leftover element that can tie the end to the beginning as you
finish.

-- 
Matt Davignon
mattdavignon@gmail.com
www.ribosomemusic.com
Podcast! http://ribosomematt.podomatic.com


Teddy Kumpel <teddykumpel@mac.com> was all:
> As I read all the posts on this list I'm starting to wonder.... Is 
> everyone here a solo artist?
>
> Does anyone use loops in a band context?
>
> If so, how? What are using? Do you only make ambient loops in the band, 
> or do you play rhythms?
> If you play rhythms and there's a drummer how do you get locked up with 
> the drummer.
>
> I have my own solution, I've been doing it for 4 years now and I'm happy 
> with the results... I'm just wondering what other people do.
>
> thanks for chiming in
> Teddy
>