Re: Ravel as a looper

["kim corbet" <kcorbet@mail.smu.edu>]

> Enough ramblings....I will give it some more thought and try again.

Hayden...nice summation.  I think it's important to look at how styles are 
rooted in the past, for perspective and inspiration.  I like to think free 
improvisation is at the heart of much musical evolution.  Lack of 
documentation 
masks the value of such ancient (and modern) musical experimentation, the 
joy of
stirring experience with creativity, seeing the value of "accidents" in 
the 
developmental process...always looking for evocative techniques, tools and 
ways 
of combining/extrapolating sounds and textures.  

I never tire of reconfiguring my set-up, trying new approaches.  I'm 
constantly 
finding different ways to think and feel; to be, on occassion, more 
efficient 
and, on another, more measured and deliberate.  No matter how much I 
explore the
cave system, there's always another hidden room...another vein.
 
> I would like to hear how other loopers create a sense of form, growth and
> change in their music by using repetition.
......In GOUGE, 2 of us have boomerangs and 2 have jamulators.  The 
drummer is 
constantly feeding a drum machine with his Roland Spud.  We use no midi on 
the 
loopers and, therefore, have the potential of 5 independent multi-layered 
loops 
going at any one time, plus whatever live stuff may be happenin.  By being 
aware
of musical roles that organically emerge, it's great to hear the parallel 
layers
of different loops speaking to each other through common language and 
emotional 
content.  Lines, counterlines, insects, ascending phrases, distortion, 
note 
matching, a myriad of relationships....an aside, it is so cool and 
enlightening 
to be able to establish a loop and walk over to the guitarist or whoever 
to 
check out their perspective.  Often, at some point in the session, we may 
all be
walking around the space, bumping into each other or into the audience or 
to the
john or whatever...yet we're still THERE performing.  What a trip.
 
> -Do you plan your music in advance or is it always spontaineous?
.......as you know by now, I love free improv, everything else seems stale 
by 
comparison.  Thank God someone's still singing Gesualdo Motets.  I'm happy 
to 
listen and be inspired by their work.  Ideally, I want to be right where 
the 
brain sparks come from, allowing the music to flow directly from 
performers, 
audience, the effects of that evening's sushi buffet...as strained through 
the 
bowels of considerable practice and professionalism.  
 
> -What do you consider to be the your most effective compositional
> technique(s) when creating live looped music that relies on technology to
> produce the loops?
.........Growing up as an acoustic performer, I want the technology to be 
as 
immediate and responsive as possible.  That's why I like the rang.  It was 
made 
by musicians for live music making.  (understand:  this has nothing to do 
with 
other looper developers...whew...glad I thought to say that)   Anyway, for 
me, 
compositional techniques are derived from musical motivation.  Funky 
grooves, 
chantlike pedals, soaring harmonies, short delays to accent solo lines, 
slowly 
evolving textures that spin off a myriad of fascinating colors.  First the 
inspiration, then the techniques to satisfy the needs.  The allure of 
loopers is
their flexibility to enhance a thousand different musical situations and 
the 
challenge of mastering their capabilities to let performers reach more of 
their 
own potential.  

In other words, yadayadayada...