Re: Ravel as a looper

[inti@webtv.net (Carlos Carrillo)]

I think it is important to remember that some composers tried to break
free of 
the germanic aesthetic by turning their back on many of the established
forms and methods of musical composition as far back as the late 1800's. 
 
Claude Debussy was one of the first radical innovators. A true
revolutionary in the musical world. A man who almost single handedly
changed the course of an art form that had become stagnant and
complacent as the result of years of conservative teachings and
practices. 
 
One of my favorite orchestral pieces is "La Mer" (The Sea). In this work
Mister Debussy conveys in music the many facets and transformations of
an ocean. 
Even though the piece is subtitled as three symphonic sketches, it is
far from being a conventional work of the time. Themes are only hinted,
melodies are almost formless, the piece through its entirety is
constantly moving and changing. Dynamics! Dynamics! Dynamics! 
 
I hope to be able to apply some of these ideas of constant evolution to
my looped compositions. I have some of the tools mentioned in this
mailing list (Jam-man,
Echoplex DP, Vortex, Boomerang) and even though I have discovered that
each has its own endearing qualities. I find myself preferring the way
looping is implemented in the Vortex and Boomerang. I like the way
volume (Vortex) and dynamic replacement (added material gradually lowers
the volume of previous material in the Boomerang) affect the way a loop
varies over time.
 
Lowering the feedback control or using a pedal to alter feedback does
not have the same effect. I hope to see something like 
this implemented in the Rom of the higher-end units as a user option for
the future.

Carlos R. Carrillo