How do you approach looping composition?

[cristian cascetta <cristian@accord.it>]

Hello,

It's my first post (even if I registered to the mailing list 5 months 
ago), so I'd like to introduce myself:

I'm a (non professional) bassist from Milan, Italy.

In the last 9 years I played mostly blues and rock-blues, then I started 
being interested in ambient dub after reading an article in Bass Player 
magazine about Bill Laswell.

At the same time I found loopers-delight, I appreciated the perfect mix 
between the importance given to the conceptual aspects of looping and 
the discussion about technical aspects.

Looking for looping bassists I found Steve Lawson's incredible website 
and this helped me to decide  to buy  an akay headrush  and trying to 
become a looping bassist.

My actual gear is:

Basses:
Fender Mexican Jazz Bass
Laurus (an Italian Luthier) Stylist 4 string Bass
'71 Gibson EB-2
Washburn AB-20 defretted

My effect chain is:

Bass -> EBS BassIQ -> Tech21 Bass Compactor -> EBS Multidrive -> Akai 
Headrush -> Rolls DI -> Behringer Mixer -> IBM Thinkpad (as recording 
unit).

I never used any looping device live, but the looping concept hit me so 
hard I decided to give up my actual rock-blues band and concentrate on 
the musical and conceptual aspects of looping.

After this (long) presentation (I couldn't resist talking about myself 
and my gear), this is my question:

How do you approach looping composition? I'd like to create some 
composition and a little repertoire, as I'd like to try some bass 
looping busking.

When I try to compose something, I start with some simple riff, then I 
add some layer, but soon I've the impression of overplaying and messing 
up everything.

I think that I'm focusing too much on the looping paradigm, and I lose 
the musical inspiration. Another disturbing thing is that I tend to 
answer and react to the loops I create filling every silent part 
producing a strong anxiety impression in what I play.

I know composing is a very personal matter, but I hope to get some 
suggestions from you experienced loopers.

cristian