Re: Why...?

[Teddy Kumpel <teddykumpel@mac.com>]

On Oct 22, 2011, at 1:45 AM, william middlemiss wrote:

> Why do you 'loop'? What got you started on this path?

I've been looping since the 80's with a Digitech Delay. I always loved the 
idea of recording myself and playing along with it.

I am, by trade, a guitar player, producer and mixer, so my job is to 
create layers of sound that compliment each other, that's how I make a 
living. Looping is just a way for me to do that on the fly.
> 
> Was it a mechanism for solo performance? to record a vamp?

I'm not so interested in playing solo, but the ability to setup a few 
vamps that can be changed overtime at will, or turned on and off is very 
appealing to me.
> 
> A compositional device, a new avenue of expression? (repetition as 
> compositional device?)

the layering is the most interesting thing about looping for me. I like 
things that repeat and I also like things that take a long time to come 
back around to the start point, so they seem random
> 
> An 'artistic statement' in itself? as if to say "I DONT NEED NO STINKIN 
> BAND!"

no way. I am not a solo artist. All of my looping work has been with a 
guitar trio. see http://teddyjam.com
it's songwriter meets jam band meets jazz rock blues... mainstream folks 
think it's weird and weird folks think it's mainstream.... go figure
> 
> A fallback for artistic roadblocks? (as in--an easy way out)

What's an artistic roadblock and how would a looper fix that? There's 
nothing easy about looping, it's a whole instrument unto itself.
> 
> A way of exploring new rhythms?

no, more a way of enhancing old rhythms and mixing layers
> 
> A textural apparatus? sound design?

sure
> 
> A means of 'warping sound'?

sure
> 
> With me, it's been all of the above, and I've jumped among 7 or 8 
> devices along the way.
> 
> How about you?

I went through these chronologically
Digitech blue delay
Jamman
Line 6 DL4
EHX 16 second delay
Boss RC-50, which is by far the best machine in it's ability to send a 
click track to my drummer which allows me to loop without being the time 
keeper, an essential part of making the music REALLY groove, if you ask 
me. Anytime the gtr is the timekeeper of the band the drummer tends to lag 
behind it and make it feel like the gtr is rushing, which is the opposite 
of my playing style. So this has been an excellent solution.

thanks for asking
Teddy K