Re: Zurich Loopfestival comments

[Matthias Grob <matthias@grob.org>]

Rick said

>I just got home from the Zurich loopfest,  I had a fantastic time 
>and feel so inspired to create and so turned on to new techniques 
>and ideas that I saw at the show, at the workshops

yeah... that worked well in the space that studio owner Simon Grab offered!
I had this in mind for a long while but did not know how to do it, so 
Bernhard asked Simon

>  and just jamming a lot (with Andy, Per, Bernhard, Michael, Thomas, 
>Rolf, Matthias and Bill).

yes, that was incredible, Per and Andy used every object they found 
and Tom did the Didj... no electronic loops, but music that comes 
from the loop inspiration it seemed to me... the freedom we learned 
to enjoy, and when we come together we are enought to play it all by 
hand...

>      Michael Shieffel's fantastic show

Schiefel works better: http://schiefel.de/

>also was the coolest multiple use of the EDP that I have seen so 
>far.  He has mapped all the functions out to a midi keyboard and did 
>a wonderful, spontaneous, funny, moving and beautiful set with just 
>his voice.  Astonishing.

Yes, I consider him the most advanced EDP composer I know...
plus maybe the best skilled singer I know
and an easy going, helpful companion...

but there was a lot of talent at the festival all over!
I would like to mention
Andre Müller who sold the most CDs with his very appealing stick playing 
and
Matthias Loibner who surprised with the powerfull use of his historic 
instrument and
Andy Buttler who did the most perfect presentation (although he 
complained about things that went wrong) yet still very alive and 
moving... :-)

A general impression was that very skilled musicians had a fight with 
their equipment. Almost each one had technical problems and sometimes 
could not hide them or we felt the nervosity. Thats a pity and leaves 
the impression that looping is not a professional method, while 
probably it mostly comes from the lack of a sound check.
I dont have a solution, though...

I was once more amazed how all these people that hardly know each 
other smothly worked together, without masks... well, maybe a 
football team can come together just as easily... but maybe not quite?
I would like to repeat a sentence that came to me at the microphone 
at the end of the event: "By looping we learn to play with ourselves 
and thus to play with others"
Maybe we learn to send out more energy of a kind that we like to 
receive as well... or at least we can understand better how others 
react to us?
-- 


          ---> http://Matthias.Grob.org