Re: Loop dynamics

[matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias Grob)]

>It seems that there are two extremes:  Pure repetition and pure chaos.  As
>loopists, we tend towards the pure repetition, but as it has been stated 
>on
>this list, this is static and tends to be boring.

Many are repeating chaos. Is that a mixture in your sense?

>The exciting part (for
>me, anyways, is the introduction of a perturbation into pure repetition,
>which propagates, and gives a dynamic or chaotic aspect to the music. For
>me, Steve Reich was a master at this.  He played with slight alterations,
>especially in the melody, where he would develop a melody one note at a
>time, and then disintegrate the melody one note at a time.  Different
>melodies would "rise and fall" in parallel, but with different start and
>end points. "Music for 18 musicians" and "Music for mallet instruments" 
>are
>great examples of this.  Often, I have played this music for people, and,
>upon first glance, they think it to be repetitive and boring.  On the
>contrary, I love it because it is continually evolving.  Each moment in
>time is related to past and future moments, but it is not the same!

Like history, repeating, sometimes even regularely (with the planets?) but
never the same.

>This is what I am trying to work towards.  I am just now starting to
>explore the possibilities of the NextLoop function on the Echoplex DP.  
>Has
>anyone experimented with loading a bunch of really similar loops in there,
>then changing between them with Next Loop function, to give the 
>impresssion
>of movement, without a drastic change?  Has anyone experimented with using
>MIDI commands (perhaps driven by a sequencer) to switch between the loops?
>Any startling revelations in this area?  Also, anyone using interesting
>tricks with the feedback pedal to introduce dynamics?  If so, please
>explain!

Good hint! Maybe I was not able to use multiple loops so far, because I was
searching for different parts like in compositions.

I do long loops out of multiplied medium ones, and then alter each one of
the repetition of the medium ones by adding notes or reducing feedback,
sometimes even to zero, so that the long loop turns into a coming and going
of a nearly repeating thing. Would that be dynamic loops?

>(sorry if I reverted back to gear talk, kim...perhaps there is a "loop"
>quality to our talks, as well.

You did not. We are not talking about gear but about the use of it - very
different for me!

Matthias