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Hello to all the group: I'm new to the 'net, new to the group, new to looping, but have been doing music for quite a few years. This thread is as good a time as any to introduce myself. I recently purchased an EDP and have begun to experiment with live looping. I've spent the last fifteen years studying North Indian Classical music both in the States and in India. I'm having lots of fun looping with sitar and surbahar (bass sitar), as well as other middle eastern/south asian stringed instruments like the Turkish baglama, the Iranian tar, and the Afghani rabab. I'm sure it's been discussed in the past, but I'd like to make some recommendations for "traditional" music that incorporates rhythmic and melodic repetition in a "looping" sense. Here are some good recordings: "Ritual Mouth-Organs of the Murung" Auvidis CD W 260084 -- this is traditional ensemble music from a tribal people in Bangladesh -- there's no relation at all to the "classical" or even the folk music of India/Pakistan/Bangladesh. Hard to describe the music, but the "mouth organs" have a reedy quality not unlike an electric organ, and are played in interlocking repetitive sections. My wife heard this from the next room and thought it was Brian Eno! Come to think of it, it even sounds a bit like a less thickly-textured Terry Riley. The Auvidis website is http://www.mcm.asso.fr They have many great recordings of traditional music from around the world. Almost any music you can find from "Balouchistan" which is more of a cultural area than an independent country. The Baluchi area basically overlaps eastern Iran, western Pakistan, and part of Afghanistan. Shanachie records # 65013 "Mystic Fiddle of the Proto-Gypsies" despite it's misleading title has some great music played on the "sorud" -- an upright fiddle which is also known throughout south and central asia as "sarinda" and "ghichak." A very haunting sound. I'd also recommend 2 recordings on the French Ocora label. The first, Ocora C 560105, is called "Balouchistan The Instrumental Tradition" and features not only the sorud, but also an incredible flute called "doneli" which is held more like a recorder (*not* the electronic one!) but is actually a "double flute" consisting of one flute for drone and the other for melody. A really interesting instrument played here is called the "benju" which is a Japanese "toy" instrument that's almost like an Appalachian dulcimer but played with a typewriter-style keyboard. Despite the silly look of the instrument, the gentleman playing it here is absolutely virtuosic. You would think it was an Iranian sehtar or other long-necked lute. The second Ocora disc (C 580017/18) is a double CD featuring all of the instruments mentioned above, as well as some singing and "healing ceremonies." I'd recommend only to investigate this one if you hear and like the others. A little closer to home (?) is a recording of Sardinian folk music on the Al Sur label (ALCD 157) called "Sardaigne - Les Maitres de la musique instrumentale" or "Masters of Instrumental Music." The first few pieces are recordings of the "organetto," a small accordian. These are mainly dance pieces. The remainder of the disc is taken up with various flute/recorder instruments, the most fascinating of which is called "launeddas" which are reed pipes that are played (like the "doneli" above) either in pairs, or even in threes. Circular breathing is used to create a continuous sound. The melodies themselves are short, repetitive kernels which are played over and over, but not always symmetrically. I imagine that on the page this looks pretty dull, but hearing it you'd be surprised how much it rocks. I apologize in advance for being somewhat off-topic but I think that anyone interested in looping and in traditional music would find these interesting. Looking forward to more interesting discussions with the group. James Pokorny