an essential loop recording of the 90's

[Dave Trenkel <improv@peak.org>]

Paul Dresher and Ned Rothenberg: Opposites Attract, New World Records 
1991: I'm not sure how essential this is on the larger scale, since I 
seem to be the only person to have ever bought this record, but it 
was certainly a huge inspiration to me. Paul Dresher has done a lot 
of work with tape-based looping systems. Ned Rothenberg is an 
NYC-based woodwinds virtuoso. Opposites Attract is the result of 4+ 
years of collaboration, and offers a number of interesting 
perspectives on the challenges of live-looping with an ensemble, and 
on how looping technology was evolving at the time (1987-1991).

The liner notes describe the process of making the disc. Dresher had 
designed a live tape-looping system, a 4-track reel to reel deck with 
an extra playback head, thus allowing 4 loops and 8 separate playback 
tracks. For the initial 1987 recording sessions, they did live 
looping with Rothenberg's various instruments (alto and tenor saxes, 
shakuhachi, bass clarinet and ocarina) and Dresher's guitar, and 
layed tape loops from Dresher's looping system onto 24 track tape. 
They then assembled a band of some of NYC's best avant jazz players, 
including Mark Dresser on acoustic bass, Anthony Jackson on electric 
bass, and drummers Bobby Previte and Samm Bennet, and overdubbed live 
parts onto the pre-recorded loops. There were immediate problems with 
the sessions, the loops were autonomous and didn't synchronize well, 
plus they felt the looping left the music static and limited their 
compositional freedom. So the project was abandoned for a few years.

In 1989, they picked up the project again. By this time, digital 
samplers and computer sequencers had become affordable. An 
opportunity for a live performance provided the impetus. They sampled 
the loops from the original master tapes, and spent several weeks 
constructing a single 45-minute piece which they performed live with 
a sequencer and a keyboardist triggering the loops. This was a 
success, so they returned to the studio and worked on the material 
again, using some of the performances from the original 1987 sessions 
and also adding new overdubs.

The music is similar to some of David Torn's work from the 80's and 
90's, only the loop sources are mostly from woodwinds instead of 
guitar. Several pieces are built around rhythm loops generated from 
keyslaps on a bass clarinet, amplified and EQ'd to sound like some 
mutant mix of roto-toms and a tabla. The songs range from edgy funk 
workouts to ambient soundscapes, with some terrific playing from all 
involved. This disc proves that extended technique woowind sounds are 
an excellent source for looping, and I'd love to hear more musicians 
explore this area.