here and now / evolving loops

[Matthias Grob <matilists@atarde.com.br>]

I just had this inspiring chat with Thiagy, a brasilian musician  
living in London:

Thyagi das
   ...we who?then, arises: Who am 'I'? What is the 'I' that will 'do'  
it?
   What is 'I'?
Matthias Grob
   It does not necessarily areise.
   if it does, just listen to your loop
Thyagi das
   but isn't listening to the loop add up to more 'conditioned'  
living? instead of spontaneous here and nowness??
Matthias Grob
   the loop is like the motion lines in a comic
   http://www.mangatutorials.com/tut/motionlines.php
Thyagi das
   flow...
Matthias Grob
   yes, the loop adds direction to the here and nowness
Thyagi das
   so end of history. no one to die of this or that, to kill for this  
or that, to struggle for this or that...just effortless
   Intelligent Existence, flowing, or rather, adding direction as it  
goes along the core Stuff that Runs It all...somehow!

possible practical looping conclusion:

how about helping the listeners to concentrate on the live playing (if  
on the music, at all...)
  because most energy happens there,
  while the loop is as dead as a recording, just the history to  
indicate the direction?
a point can be described by its coordinates and its velocity vector.
the history of movement suggests such a direction and thus a point in  
the future (conservation),
  but it can also change suddenly (revolution)... at least it should  
be corrected a little (evolution)!
looping helps the player to maintain a direction, with less surprises/ 
shocks,
  and thus leaves the listener more confident and at ease (relaxing)
  but it brings a problem if it becomes static (boring)

without looping
  we mainly have to learn to play steady and flowing
with looping
  we mainly have to learn to renovate and change
  (I observe that often a new layer does not change direction at all...)
  use feedback and multitrack to evolve, rather than just color the past

there is nothing wrong with building a song just like painting a  
picture.
but we don't watch painters, we just look at the final painting (which  
corresponds to the filled loop)
the personal benefit from "telling a story" may be bigger than from  
"painting a situation"
    give it a try!

interestingly the delay machines before 1992 mostly forced us to  
evolve, because they were fading
  (some had a freeze   function but it often brought a hickup)
while the more recent loop gear like a RC20 hardly lets us evolve...

in case you did not do so yet, play with a long delay (2...6sec) with  
60..95% feedback
   and get the feeling of motion lines that follow you!