Re: Philly loop show reviews?

[Jonathan Brainin <jbrainin@easyway.net>]

Adam Levin wrote:

  Does anyone who attended the Philly loop show care to share their
  impressions of the show?

  By impressions of the show, I don't mean:

  "TwangWooooWOOOOOOwOOOOOoooooBEEEEEPTwangWooooWOOOOOOwOOOOO..."

  8)

  -Adam

  ---
         "...if one strives at hearing for the sake of constant
  virtue,
         out of seeking liberation from cyclic existence, gradually
  one
                             becomes a Hearer."
                             - Chandrakirti

Well, it sounds to me like you already heard about the show!!!  Anyway,

I'll give it a whirl.

The evening started with Emergence of Man, who feature Paul Mimlisch
on looped Chapman stick accompanied by percussion as well as guitar
and flute.  EoM's performance was very tight and managed to avoid chaos
by limiting the looping to only one instrument.  Compositionally, EoM
made nice modern ambient music.  Although no one in EoM is a crafty,
they had the "craftiest" sound of the evening while still able to get
beyond Fripp!

The next performance was by Fingerpaint, a duo of crafty guitarists.
Their sound was perhaps the most suprising of the evening.  I was
expecting to hear a major Fripp influence from Fingerpaint but was
treated to an aural dissertation on the history of Krautrock.  Their
very capable performance was quite inspirational.  So was the
opportunity to check out the stuff in their racks.  After their
performance, Fingerpaint sold their cassette for $5 each.  It was an
excellent purchase that sounded even better the day after the event.

The third performer was Charles Cohen was played a Buchla analog
synth as well as an EH 16 scond digital delay and other sundry
devices.  WOW!  Talk about getting beyond Fripp, Charles trancends
all of the academic electronic music I've heard.  Morton Subotnik,
Gordon  Mumma, Terry Riley--whoever.   Charles blew them all
away.  His music is decidedly non-commercial, and might even qualify
for the difficult listening hour but it is engagingly beautiful music.

The fourth act was the group Accidents will Happen.  They opened
with an extended bass solo that was effected and looped (I think).  The
drummer was the next to join in followed finally by the guitarist.  As
things evolved, it became apparent the this was not your usual looping
performance.  Here the loops were only part of the whole.  The music
could have worked  well without any looping.  I felt that AwH sounded
like a cross between Polytown, Cream and the Ginger Baker trio (with
Frisell and Haden.)

I think that the evening was quite successful as were all of the
performances.  Everyone had a great time and all performers acquited
themselves quite favorably.