Re: "Live Looping"

[Mark Hamburg <mark_hamburg@baymoon.com>]

I liked Dani's post. I've also responded offline to Rick Walker about what 
I
think is a disconnect between us on what a brand means. To me it's a
marketing tool that you use in the hopes that an audience will say "I liked
so-and-so and she played X music so maybe I'll also like this other guy who
plays X".

Since none of the people who have actively used Live Looping as their
moniker/brand/... have stepped forward to give an audience-based definition
-- i.e., one that isn't about the technology -- let me try based on my
experiences of a number of such people's work (and biased by the fact that
my music falls within this label). Remember, this isn't a boundary. It's a
gravitational center or a sphere of influence.

Live Looping music is music that let's one hear (and see) the construction
process. Through use of repetition, layering, and modification, the music
evolves and builds. It is not without abrupt changes, but the changes
frequently are more incremental. It is frequently built from relatively
simple elements with the musical interest coming in their juxtaposition.

Contrast: Process music. Again one gets to hear the evolution and again it
generally relies on repetition, but process music is more likely to set a
mechanism going and then have minimal interaction from a performer.

Contrast: Real-time sampling. Real-time sampling is based on grabbing 
pieces
of sound while performing and working them into the performance on the fly.
It can use much the same technology as Live Looping but the loopiness of 
the
samples is generally far less significant.

Now applying the above definition of Live Looping, I'd have to say that not
everyone who played Y2K3 was doing Live Looping. Some of them were doing
Real-Time Sampling. If one uses the center of gravity image, it's also
possible to imagine performers drifting between Live Looping and Real-time
Sampling and other musical centers.

I would also have to say that Ricochet-era Tangerine Dream would meet my
definition of Live Looping though they weren't doing an audio looping. From
an audience standpoint, however, listening to evolving sequencer lines 
isn't
necessarily distinct from listening to Echoplex work. But then, when Hans
Lindauer is performing, not everything that repeats is coming out of his
EDP.

And finally, it's perfectly fine to say "I just use looping as a technique
to play rock'n'roll." The Live Looping label just isn't useful to you. And
of course you can drift between loop-inflected rock and rock-inflected
looping. From a promotional standpoint, you associate yourself with the
labels that will help attract a receptive audience. It may be a bit
unfortunate that the name Live Looping suggests that this is the only way 
to
use a looper live, but bear in mind that Drum'n'Bass doesn't define the 
only
way to play drums or bass.

Mark