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Looper's Delight
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Speaking as a "Chicago Looper" I have never found talk of a "looping scene" really all that productive. It doesn't exist here. Like Richard Z. and Andre F. eleoquently state, looping is more or less a compostional device, not a musical genre. What ties us together on this list is not a musical style or genre, but a specific set of audio effects devices, combined with the possibility of learning of techniques, gear bargains, and even some opportunities to gig together. Of course, these technologies do influence the ways we make sounds and music, and these technologies may tend to lead us toward similar ties in terms of styles, and then location and travel... But, what makes the list is the versatility of the machines, so I don't want to all together dimiss that a common way of music-making could lead to a "scene" of some sort. Case in point, every mention of organizing a Midwest LoopFest that I've responded to has met with no response. It probably doesn't need one. I imagine most of local musicians that I work with consider a loop-based music very limiting, given the musical potential of computer-based means, analog synth, and so forth, versus their virtuosity on traditional and electronic instruments. I'm refering to players who are informed by, and performing in a context of free improvised music. My own perspective would be different of course if I were making electronica, hip-hop, techno, or some other (as yet unnamed) genre of beat-oriented music... As far as the weather goes here in Chicago...yes, it keeps you on your toes (or shivering under the covers, or gasping for dry air) ...but the list of wonderful players here that are serious and eager to play (sans loops) is welcoming, even overwhelming. That said, I've enjoyed playing in L.A., Berlin, Balitmore, New York and look forward getting to Santa Cruz, S.F., S.D. Seattle, Louisville, Birmingham, Szcecin, Stralsund, Linz, Cologne, Sydney, and numerous other places where people are interested hearing and making strange sounds. Oh, and since I chime in on this list so rarely, some readers might be wondering who the f__k I am... I joined the list back '99 to see if a JamMan could be purchased for me to use for making my sounds for Plasticene, a physical theater company that I compose for and perform with (since 1995) in Chicago. With the information I learned from the Looper's Delight website, I was convinced that Plasticene should buy an Oberhiem Echoplex Digital Pro, which they did. I purchased it from a private owner and since then have used the EDP in numerous solo and group improvised music in the US and elsewhere. With Plasticene, the EDP as been indispensible for creating what you might hear as cinematic soundtracks for "experimental" theater. I still find the EDP a little tricky to use, and I'm interested in exploring ways to use the EDP with alternative controllers (something I've been wanting delve into for many years now) given the self-built instrument I use. In addition to this I'm hoping to find time to learn and use Max/MSP to create software-based processing that I can to compose and control my sounds (be they environmental, from my Korg-MS 20, the Springboard) and the EDP. Now that I've digressed from e-topic at hand...Regarding salons...submitting proposals... My "business" requires this. It's a tedious process. Often like getting a gig in a venue of noteriety, simply frustrating. After applying for an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship (the only grant, aside from a MacArthur or Guggenheim, that actuallly allows a recipient to spend the funds on equipment, rent, dental work, or whatever..) year after year, for fourteen years, I've recieved finally one. (I shouldn't say this, if anyone can direct me to a paying commission for a film soundtrack, this seems fantastical.) Lastly, I get a small thrill out of reading the posts from the many people on this list...enjoy the fact that we're tied together in a small world...I first heard of Richard Zvonar from a friend of mine in 1983, from John Goss a painter, video and performance artist who was then a grad student at Cal Arts. Sincere regards, Eric -- Upcoming Performances: Feature in Drunken Boat Issue#4, online journal for the arts: http://www.drunkenboat.com/ Eric Leonardson web page: http://pages.ripco.net/~eleon