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Re: loopers hard talk questions and answers



Per et alia,

I've stayed out of this discussion (partly out of spending this past week being sick and unpacking from our cross-country move to Wyoming and partly because I wanted to see what the responses were), but I think that Per's comments pretty well sum it up.

As one of the people interviewed for the Boston Globe article (and I take a certain fiendish delight in being able to say I got the proverbial "last word"!), it is clear that there is a certain mass conception that "live looping" is something of a gimmick. Perhaps too much karaoke has caused this ... but so what?

The musician whose musicianship transcends the tools at hand will prevail, perhaps with a small audience, but one that is appreciative. While we, the users, obsess over the sometimes-arcane minutiae of our tools, the audience just wants to hear the music. While the cognoscenti among them may smile appreciatively that we are using a vintage piece of Lexicon gear or the latest software from an obscure little boutique developer, most folks will just be watching and listening.

And personally, I think that's how it should be.

The points of technique and the point of technology are to be invisible: from another realm and discipline, may I suggest reading this little gem, which has been an inspiration for me for many years:  http://gmunch.home.pipeline.com/typo-L/misc/ward.htm

Don't worry; it's only one long screen and there is no audio or video. But it reminds us on the need to focus on what's really important.

Best to all from Laramie (Where the skies are not cloudy all day!),

Dennis


On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 3:11 AM, Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 10:48 AM, L.Angulo <labaloops@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I dont know where looping will go in the future,

I don't think "looping" will go anywhere. Unless people use it *as an
instrument* to create interesting music. I think it's fair to compare
with any other instrument; guitar is not going anywhere - guitar music
does. So I think we should focus more on "live looping music" than on
"looping". It's a big difference.

"Looping" is a nerdy topic but "hearing live looping music" can
actually affect the masses. I can spend lovely hours discussing ways
to set up a floating twang bar on a Strat with another guitar player
but everyone else will go blanc-faced and hit a coma state if they
don't zombie away from us in time. But just talk about Bob Marley,
Jimi Hendrix or anyone that uses a guitar for making music, and the
discussion will bring in everyone around the table! People appreciate
beautiful wallpaper in a room but take no interest in the glue and
knife used by the man who rigged that room.

In your example with the busker using an RC2 the looper is typically
used as a recorder. That's not of interest to anyone - but the music
may be. What may "go somewhere" is when looping is used as an
instrument, i.e. to create unique sound and expression. The Robert
Fripp Guitar Player interview from 1986 that Richard Sales posted a
link to a couple of hours ago talks about this in general terms
regarding the use of guitar synth.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se
www.perboysen.com




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