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Looper's Delight
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Medford, OR. Sometimes called Deadford (or Dreadford), Oregon (neither one in reference to an defunct rock band or a reagge hairstyle) Occasionally also reffered to as Mediocreville, Mudburg, or Mid-fraud*, Oregon [*For all the local good-ole-boy politicians and conmen (or am I being redundant?).] Nothing good ever happens in Meford. Ted On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 9:20 AM, bill bigrig wrote: > Howdy, > > I live in a cultural backwater too, (first, Lewis county, WA, now, > Benton county, WA). Where's yours? > > --- On Sun, 1/16/11, tEd ® KiLLiAn <tedkillian@charter.net> wrote: > >> From: tEd ® KiLLiAn <tedkillian@charter.net> >> Subject: Re: Backing tracks: A confession >> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com >> Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011, 4:36 PM >> Hi there Mark, >> >> Well if you were just playing to mere canned backing tracks >> (sort of in in effect a instrumental "guitar karaoke" thing) >> and doing covers of of other peoples' boring pop songs you >> might get a ribbing or two from some folks here. >> >> But the conceptual use of looping as "backing tracks for >> something else doesn't bother me at all. >> >> I've been on the list since early October of '96 (it began >> only a couple of months before that in June or July). >> >> And while I have heard some people express minor >> disappointment from time to time here that so-and-so used >> "canned" loops as opposed to "real" live looping, it hasn't, >> as far as I know, really been a major axe to grind for >> hardly anybody. >> >> I've been doing live tape-loop, analog and digitalL looping >> a long, long time. >> >> But I have also been involved in so-called avant-garde >> music longer than I have ever been doing "normal" music. >> >> In modern "art music" the concept of "music concrete" has >> enjoyed a long and wholly accepted tradition. >> >> And, a little closer to mainstream, a good deal of Pink >> Floyd's recordings and performances would not be what they >> were if not for generous use of all sorts of pre-recorded >> material (most of which along the lines of "music concrete" >> or ambient/environmental sounds, or the signature cash >> register sounds of "Money"). >> >> At some point in the mid '80s I thought it would be cool to >> acquire a Roland sampling keyboard (even though I'm the >> worst keyboardist in the world) simply so I could perform >> with some longish canned loop samples from from various >> sources - along with my "live" looping. >> >> I've been doing it all along. >> >> After the arrival on the marketplace of various kinds of >> desktop "phrase" or "groove" sample players (first >> from Akai then from Roland) I switched from the awkward >> keyboard hardware to that format to augment my live >> looping. >> >> I never hid it, and I even sometimes brought that sort of >> setup to some of the early Y2K fests with no complaints from >> Rick. >> >> Though I have largely NOT used canned loops for the past >> few years, I am about to begin doing it again in my MaxMSP >> laptop setup. >> >> I have an eight track sample player in my new rig that can >> link to a folder with literally hundreds and hundreds of >> sound files in it and automatically pick and play a new >> random sound file every few seconds . . . or every tiny >> fraction of a second if I so chose. >> >> I have all sorts of other controls over that content too, >> but that's beside the point. >> >> Is it "music" . . . ? >> >> Is it "live looping" . . . ? >> >> Am I playing it like an instrument . . ? >> >> I don't know but I sure the heck like mucking around with >> it and will continue to do so. >> >> And let's face it, I (like yourself) am a guitar player. >> >> Most of what I do with loops (canned or live) is to create >> a "context" for my primary mode of self-expression on my >> primary instrument. >> >> I use and have always used those tools as "backing tracks" >> for my guitar playing when other "contexts" (a band of other >> musicians say) has not been available, or capable of >> providing a compatible one for me. >> >> Though I like to perform with others (it does get lonely >> sometimes when you live in a cultural backwater) and will >> ditch the loops and do so at almost any opportunity that >> presents itself, I've always rather enjoyed being >> self-sufficient too. >> >> I have never been ashamed of that. >> >> I don't lay in my bed at night dreaming of different new >> ways to push buttons, and what those button pushes might >> do. >> >> What I dream, if my dreams are musical at all, is about >> stuff I might play on the guitar. >> >> If folks have a problem with that, it's their problem, not >> mine. >> >> The Keller Williams mode of doing live looping is fine. >> >> The "looper as another instrument itself" mode of thinking >> and working is just fine too. >> >> But I'm with you on this (I think), I'm not really "there" >> in either of those ways of thinking about looping. >> >> And I am certainly not "there" in being a purist as to >> what's live or not or what is a better way than another way >> or not. >> >> Musically, it's all just stuff. >> >> We do what we do. >> >> Hopefully we'll keep doing it a little longer before the >> universe tells us to pack it in. >> >> The point is, do you enjoy it? >> >> Does it make your soul soar? >> >> Anything that doesn't is a distraction or a waste of time. >> >> Do what works for you, don't be ashamed of it or feel like >> you must make excuses for it. >> >> Life's too short. >> >> Tell the critics to get stuffed. >> >> :-) >> >> Ted >> >>