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Looper's Delight
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Dear All, In a message dated 11/23/02 9:37:49 AM, zvonar@zvonar.com writes: >Fripp is both a fine guitarist and a master promoter. He has done the >most to disseminate the compositional use of delay processing and the >idea of musical soundscape, though of course he invented neither. > >I'm personally more interested in where ideas came from than in where >they ended up, so I tend to trot out the akademic/historic stuff >whenever the term "Frippertronics" gets bandied about. I don't think even Señores Fripp and Eno would ever claim to have been the first to use a tape loop delay -- nor likely even claim to be the best at it. But the proof of anything ultimately IS in the music itself. After it's all said and done and sorted out in a couple of hundred years it won't matter who was the first "looper." Just who's music is still compelling, interesting and worth listening to. Does anybody even know the person who first invented and played a violin? Was their music "the best there ever was" on that particular instrument -- I doubt it. We probably still haven't heard all there is to do with "looping" in music yet. I believe it's future "golden age" (if it ever enjoys one) is still definitely in the future. We're still playing around in "nursery school" for the most part in regards to looping. Even the tools are changing and developing to a very great degree -- from mere delay devices to audio "Cuisinarts" capable of not only delay but also rearranging and slicing and dicing sound in new, spontaneous and creative ways. Who knows where it will all go? Who knows if they even recall any of this in 200 years time. Will the names Paul, Fripp, Eno, Reich and Riley still be familiar then? Maybe, maybe not. I actually rather doubt it. They will likely all be forgotten except perhaps in academic circles -- somebody will know who was responsible for the first "loop" and who did the first few decades of early experiments but will anybody else really care? God knows. OTOH, I do not at all mean to say that only music that's remembered 200 years from now is valid or good music. Heck, I enjoy what I do and don't anticipate being known or remembered any further than a very few of you in this little web community and a small circle of of other obscure west coast composer/musician friends. Ultimately, both ways of looking at it are pretty darn narrow . Trying to find and verify the "firsts" for historical purposes is really only useful for just that -- historical purposes. Trying to figure out what will still be appreciated when we're all dust, bones and a few minor footnotes (if we are really that lucky) requires all too much in the way of augury. Enjoy and create what you will while you can. This is the only real validity of music -- or any artform for that matter. All else is pure vanity. There should be no embarrassment or shame in NOT being being an "innovator" or "the first" or even regarded as "the best" or the "most popular" if you really like what you do. Heck, even if you are the ONLY one who likes what you do -- that should be enough (though that can surely be very hard at times, let me tell you). Others will sort things out "down the line" so-to-speak -- and who knows if they will be "right" in their assessment. Live and play now, goddamnit! Just play! Every day lost is just that -- lost. tEd ® kiLLiAn http://www.mp3s.com/tedkillian http://www.pfmentum.com/flux.htm http://www.mp3.com/Ophelia_Pancake