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Looper's Delight
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...is brought to you by the word "Insomnia." So apologies in advance if my assessment of 24 hours past is a bit wonky. First of all: What a wonderful group of people to play for. The audience was great: very attentive, tuned in, and supportive. Definitely not something to take for granted. Many thanks to everyone who was there; you were a delight to play for. Show organizer Tony Moore was a model of efficiency and hospitality in getting things set up and operational for us. The gig simply could not have happened without him, and I think we'd have been hard pressed to find a more enthusiastic host for this sort of thing. Rick Walker was absent only in physical presence; he came up in conversation numerous times at the show, and it would likely not have taken place without his encouragement. So Rick, thanks for kicking LA in the rear end and getting a loop gig together, after a mere 4 1/2 years of talking about it. Last but certainly not least, Ric and Steve were fabulous guys to share the bill with, both musically and personally. Thanks to everyone involved for granting me the opportunity to take part. My favorite aspect of the whole night was the chance to compare notes on exactly what on earth looping is about in 2001 -- not just in conversation with people, but in listening to what was being played. A lot of us were very struck at how different each set was, both in terms of the general musical slant, and in terms of the technicalities of how looping was integrated into the material. A couple of philosophical issues about the craft have been drifting around my brain in the days before and after the gig, and at this point I don't know if I'm any closer to having them resolved: The main one, which I've been trying to come to terms with for years now, is the almost ever-present issue of equating "looping music" with "ambient music." I don't think there's any question that real-time looping lends itself to ambient, spacy drones, rubato waves of sound, Frippian soundscapes, Eno-esque textures, and various other cliche'd colloquialisms, none of which I can presently muster up enough energy to drop right now. I've played plenty of that sort of thing myself -- hell, I played plenty of it last night. And if there was a common thread to the SOUNDS of the three sets last night (aside from the obvious technical aspects), I think it was that they all featured a certain abstract, textural, dronesque quality -- not just in the sheer sound, but in terms of how it captured the audience's attention. Now, certainly, everyone had their own distinct identity. Steve's extremely melodic and compositional approach was a sharp contrast to Ric's more textural, chordal tap-delay rhythms and expansive leads. I still don't know what the hell I played, but I'm gonna hazard a guess and unofficially refer to this as my "John Fahey meets Ravi Shankar as produced by Squarepusher" phase. Three distinct sets, but some definite common threads and aesthetics. Lots of expansive and improvisational sonic textures. And if Ebows were illegal, all three performers would be trying to post bail right now. So the crucial issue for me at this point is: how much of the ambient looping paradigm is a deliberate gesture on the part of the performer, and how much of it is the apparatus of the craft dictating the performer's actions? Do people play ambient music with looping gear because they're drawn to ambient music in the first place, or do loopists tend to play space music because that's the sort of music that the gear lends itself to? Steve mentioned to us that he would take it as a complement if the audience went to sleep to his music. Now, Mr. Lawson has a sense of humor so deadpan that it makes Steven Wright look like Sam Kinison, but he also seems genuinely comfortable with his music taking on a more passive role. (Please correct me and/or slap me upside the head if I'm wrong on this, Steve.) I personally had no problem focusing on either of the other guys' sets. But when I loop, I feel trapped from a performance point of view by this detached, abstract characteristic. The main struggle for me with looping at this point is trying to use the thing to engage the listener/audience in a more active way, which directs their attention in a very focused manner. And to try and find a way of having the looping feeding my own playing, as opposed to my playing feeding the looping. How to reconcile that with a musical technique fundamentally based upon repetition of sound? I wish I could answer that one. Of course, I could just stop spouting this rubbish, shut the hell up and go to sleep (much like anyone who's tried to read this post has surely done by now...) Anyway. Thanks once again to everyone involved in the gig; I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. --Andre LaFosse http://www.altruistmusic.com