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Re: FIRST LOOPING MEMORIES




Back in High School..mid to late 70s...someone turned me onto the whole 
"tape loop" theory.  Being curious, abstract, avant, and seeking out new 
sounds, other than the rock music most my peers were into, I "borrowed" my 
Dad's Reel to Reel 4 track (remember "quadraphonic sound" guys?) and found 
a 
second (only a two track) at a garage sale.  I remmeber making my own 
"looping" setup, with the long tape loop running across my bedroom floor. 
Ha, Rick..I thought I was so clever, too!
Some real sick and twisted sounds were made, by me, my trumpet, my rather 
hideous guitar playing, and my friend's micro-Moog.  Ah, I remember it 
well.
Wasn't too long later someone showed me an Echoplex. Got me thinkin'...
Then I saw a Roland Space Echo...and HAD to have it!  My Dad got his tape 
deck back, but he was rather annoyed at me. What had I done to the record 
heads?
Then in 79 or 80 I saw Robert Fripp doing the Frippertronics thing at a 
festival in Annapolis, Md.  I had been hip to Fripp and Eno (evening Star, 
No Pussyfooting etc...all staples of my record collection), but seeing and 
hearing it live (well..seeing is misleading...he was just a shadow on the 
stage, a sillouette of a man, his guitar and two Revoxes). Tho' I did not 
really understand all he was doing...it sounded incredible!  And really 
changed my whole way of perceiving music, just as seeing Miles had a few 
years earlier.
The Space Echo went to good use...lots of use, although I think only 
myself, 
my micro-moog toting friend, and a few warped co-horts really appreciated 
all the madness.  The first "experimental" band I was in I played "Roland 
Space Echo"; just treating and looping sound.
Spent some time away from it all whilst I learned to play bass...really 
play 
bass, but then got an Effectron and a some early Digitech digital delay 
which had an infinite repeat/hold function.  This would be the mid-80s, 
and 
I was BassLooping!  Of course doing such got me fired from many bands....
Much later, I met Mr. Loopool Walker, and his nefarious  brother....they 
forced me to get a JamMan...and well, the rest is in the loop....
Max

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