------------------------------
Content-Type: text/plain

Loopers-Delight-d Digest                                Volume 96 : Issue 8

Today's Topics:
  Re: Acoustic sound and looping        [ matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias  ]
  More on Indonesian music              [ The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CAL ]
  Re: More on Indonesian music          [ patrick@his.com (Patrick Smith) ]
  Joni Mitchell                         [ studio seventeen productions <ambie ]
  west coast gigs                       [ studio seventeen productions <ambie ]
  new standard tuning                   [ studio seventeen productions <ambie ]
  Re: How about a Loopers-Delight CD?   [ Ray Peck <rpeck@PureAtria.COM> ]
  Re: MIDI Loops                        [ Ray Peck <rpeck@PureAtria.COM> ]
  BRACE YOURSELVES!!!                   [ Ray Peck <rpeck@PureAtria.COM> ]
  Re: Seven                             [ Doug Michael <dmic27@ccnet.com> ]
  Re: Joni Mitchell                     [ Olivier Malhomme <malhomme@infobiog ]
  Re: New Joni                          [ KRosser414@aol.com ]
  Re: west coast gigs                   [ matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias  ]
  Re: new standard tuning               [ matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias  ]
  Re: new standard tuning               [ studio seventeen productions <ambie ]
  Re: BRACE YOURSELVES!!!               [ The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CAL ]
  The latest on the West Coast Summit   [ The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CAL ]
  hellos; loop and improv. theory       [ Michael Preston <michpres@erols.com ]
  Re: see guitar player mag, etc        [ andre <andre@monmouth.com> ]
  Greetings (fwd)                       [ The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CAL ]

Administrivia:
Looper's Delight
****************

Please send posts to:

Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com

Don't send them to the digest!

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the Loopers-Delight digest version, send email
with "subscribe" (or "unsubscribe") in both the subject and the body, with no
signature files, to:

Loopers-Delight-d-request@annihilist.com


To subscribe/unsubscribe to the real Loopers-Delight list, send email
with "subscribe" (or "unsubscribe") in both the subject and the body, with no
signature files, to:

Loopers-Delight-request@annihilist.com


Check the web page for archives and lots of other goodies!

http://www.annihilist.com/loop/loop.html


Your humble list maintainer,

Kim Flint
kflint@annihilist.com

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 20:38:45 -0300
From: matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias Grob)
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: Acoustic sound and looping
Message-Id: <v01520d08aea13fc112de@[200.254.32.101]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dave Stagner:
>Not only is there nothing like live, there's nothing like purely
>acoustic.  Amplifiers and speakers (much less processors) do horrible
>things to sound.

Unfortunately, I must agree...

>... to try to set up sound that rises and falls in intensity in a
>regular way, without relying on a beat.  The Tibetans have learned to
>do these things and more with very simple instruments.
>
>And speaking of acoustic looping, a small aside... are there any fans
>of Balinese music here?

I visited Bali in '85 and followed the sound. (Like here hundreds of street
dogs bark all night :-)
What most stroke me of the Gamelan music was these waves. I remember it was
somehow tiring for me, to hear it grow and come down, grow and come down,
100 times in an evening (they don't stop easily!). The sound is very
metallic, quick and light - a way to call higher chakras.
Exteremly nice and independent, self secure and tolerant people, faithfull
and smiling.. Their tradition and religion really works, not only in the
music.
For me even more impressive was a theatre with about 30 male singers around
the "stage", creating the coments to the piece (I did not understand
anything of) using also impressive mouth and body rythms, noises and
screams. Although sitting, they had a choregraphy, moving toards or away
from the actors, shaking heads, showing fear, support and so on. Hard to
imagine, huh?

>(another aside... a few years ago, I found a set of windchimes based
>on a Balinese rather than Western scale.  Most windchimes are tuned to
>a Major 6add9 chord.  The stacked thirds are so syrupy it almost makes
>me ill to hear them for long.  My four-note Balinese chimes are tuned
>on a stack of fifths, GDAE.  Harmonic relationships are dominated by
>fifths and seconds, with NO thirds.  I *love* them!  I often sit on
>the back porch with my acoustic guitar, just playing along and
>reacting to the sound of the chimes)

Beautifull!

Thank you
Matthias

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 14:33:20 -0800 (PST)
From: The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: More on Indonesian music
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.91.961102143019.10334A-100000@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Sat, 2 Nov 1996, Matthias Grob wrote:

> For me even more impressive was a theatre with about 30 male singers around
> the "stage", creating the coments to the piece (I did not understand
> anything of) using also impressive mouth and body rythms, noises and
> screams. Although sitting, they had a choregraphy, moving toards or away
> from the actors, shaking heads, showing fear, support and so on. Hard to
> imagine, huh?

I think I saw this sort of thing staged here at CalArts a couple of years 
ago -- it's called Monkey Chant.  If done as it's supposed to be done, 
it's apparently very impressive.  Unfortunately I only saw the version 
that was staged by students here at school, many of whom had little if 
any tangible affinity for music.  But still very interesting.

--Andre

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 18:38:45 +0200
From: patrick@his.com (Patrick Smith)
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: More on Indonesian music
Message-Id: <v01520d03aea12889c2eb@[205.177.25.43]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>On Sat, 2 Nov 1996, Matthias Grob wrote:
>
>> For me even more impressive was a theatre with about 30 male singers around
>> the "stage", creating the coments to the piece (I did not understand
>> anything of) using also impressive mouth and body rythms, noises and
>> screams. Although sitting, they had a choregraphy, moving toards or away
>> from the actors, shaking heads, showing fear, support and so on. Hard to
>> imagine, huh?

And then Andre wrote:

>I think I saw this sort of thing staged here at CalArts a couple of years
>ago -- it's called Monkey Chant.  If done as it's supposed to be done,
>it's apparently very impressive.  Unfortunately I only saw the version
>that was staged by students here at school, many of whom had little if
>any tangible affinity for music.  But still very interesting.
>
>--Andre

Anyone interested in this check out the film Barkaka. There is a beautiful
segment where they film the Monkey Chant outdoors, in Indonesia. It is also
available on a Balinese Court Music CD, but not the same.

I had the priveledge of seeing a Balinese Orchestra a few years back at the
University of Maryland, and many smaller ensembles at the Festival of
American Folklife in DC.

If you ever visit DC, you can sit in with either a Balinese or Javanses
Gamelan at the Indonesian Embassy.

Patrick

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 17:27:42 -0800
From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Joni Mitchell
Message-Id: <199611030127.RAA17418@barley.adnc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

andre (ECV) said:

>Any Joni Mitchell fans out there????

I too am not afraid or ashamed to admit that I've loved Joni's music for
many years.  If you haven't tried it, check it out!

And apparently her new guitar synth allows her to switch tunings in an
instant (which is perfect for her, because she's been composing songs in
alternative tunings since the mid-60s...)

All without using those pesky tuning keys...



dave at seventeen

173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

*               *  *  *  *  *    I'll be downstairs if you need me.  I'll
still be 
*                  *     downstairs if you DON'T need me.       
*                          *         (Mr. Blint, Consequences/Godley & Creme)
*                        *
*                      *

visit: http:www.adnc.com/web/ambient/index.html
seventeen: the ambient music page

173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 17:33:00 -0800
From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: west coast gigs
Message-Id: <199611030133.RAA17507@barley.adnc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>
>That's the number of people I've counted thus far (not including myself, 
>which I s'pose makes it eight, huh?) interested in doing a West Coast 
>looping gig:
>
>Dave Trenkel (current holder of the long-distance award)
>Sean Echevarria
>Joe Cavaleri
>Matt McCabe
>Chris Chovit
>Ted Killian
>Tom Attix
>Andre LaFosse

You can certainly count me in too (I'm in San Diego) but my schedule is more
of a problem than driving to LA or whatever.  I can't absolutely commit, but
if it's a couple months away...and preferably on a SATURDAY!

I think it would be good (but with 8 ++ performers it's going to be a
LONNNNNNGGGGGGG show...) to hear several different approaches to live
looping performance.



dave at seventeen
173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

*               *  *  *  *  *    I'll be downstairs if you need me.  I'll
still be 
*                  *     downstairs if you DON'T need me.       
*                          *         (Mr. Blint, Consequences/Godley & Creme)
*                        *
*                      *

visit: http:www.adnc.com/web/ambient/index.html
seventeen: the ambient music page

173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

------------------------------
Date: Sat, 2 Nov 1996 17:39:41 -0800
From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: new standard tuning
Message-Id: <199611030139.RAA17582@barley.adnc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

matthias said:

>>I now only play in RF's new standard tuning for guitar.
>
>I am ashamed to ask in this club. I almost participated on a course, but I
>cannot learn such way. So please, tell me the RF tuning. Thanks.
>

from lowest to highest:

C   G   D   A   E  G

Only the D remains from Old Standard, although you do have the high E (now
on the second string).  And of course the G and C are LOWERED.

This acheives perfect fifths across the lowest five strings...and you must
then learn to deal with the anomaly of the high G (not hard with practice).

Three warnings:

1) RF has said that the tuning alone is not much use without all of the
other GC exercises and disciplines

2) This is hard on guitars, and for the first TWO or THREE years I was
CONSTANTLY breaking my high G string (or the E or the A...)  Now I never do,
a gentle consistent approach, and familiarity with the language...at some
point it finally all clicked.

3) Forget about BENDING.  It will break strings, almost always.  (Of course
you can get away with on the bottom 3 or 4 strings if you really want.


have FUN



dave at studio seventeen



173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

*               *  *  *  *  *    I'll be downstairs if you need me.  I'll
still be 
*                  *     downstairs if you DON'T need me.       
*                          *         (Mr. Blint, Consequences/Godley & Creme)
*                        *
*                      *

visit: http:www.adnc.com/web/ambient/index.html
seventeen: the ambient music page

173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 00:19:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Ray Peck <rpeck@PureAtria.COM>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: How about a Loopers-Delight CD?
Message-Id: <199611030819.AAA28418@pure.PureAtria.COM>

Michael Peters writes:
>hi Ray,
> 
>> I'm not in if this is done as a semi-commercial vanture like this.
>> I thought it was just going to be a friendly list disk.
> 
>We're still discussing several possible models of how to exchange ideas -
>we haven't decided for a commercial venture, nor against it (I think).
>Maybe we should first do a CD just for list members, and then see if it has
>enough 'commercial potential' to produce larger quantities.

OK.

>At any rate, I'm sure everyone would agree that the disk (or whatever will be
>the outcome) should foremost remain a friendly project!

Gosh, I didn't mean it *that* way!  ;-)

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 00:54:42 -0800 (PST)
From: Ray Peck <rpeck@PureAtria.COM>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: MIDI Loops
Message-Id: <199611030854.AAA29355@pure.PureAtria.COM>

>I really enjoyed the flexibility of Max combined with the portability of
>my Powerbook.  About the only drawback was that the resultant sounds 
>lacked the complexity of "real" strings.  

The folks at CCRMA claim that one DSP board driven with SynthBuilder
can run a physical model of a 6-string electric guitar.  Given that
David Jaffe is working on it, and given what he did with stringed
instrument synthesis 10 years ago, this should be incredible.  If
you've got an old PC laying around this might be worth looking into
(the PC doesn't do the processing, so a 486 should do it).

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 01:27:13 -0800 (PST)
From: Ray Peck <rpeck@PureAtria.COM>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: BRACE YOURSELVES!!!
Message-Id: <199611030927.BAA00485@pure.PureAtria.COM>

>The idea is this: To try and stage some sort of live gathering of loop
>artists.  

Speaking of a Bay Area gathering, a friend of mine is involved in an
Expose (prog magazine) concert series.  I'll bet they'd love to host
such a loopers' show.

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 03:08:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Michael <dmic27@ccnet.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: Seven
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95.961103030511.23116A-100000@ccnet3>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Sat, 2 Nov 1996, The Man Himself wrote:

> That's the number of people I've counted thus far (not including myself, 
> which I s'pose makes it eight, huh?) interested in doing a West Coast 
> looping gig:
> Dave Trenkel (current holder of the long-distance award)
> Sean Echevarria
> Joe Cavaleri
> Matt McCabe
> Chris Chovit
> Ted Killian
> Tom Attix
> Andre LaFosse
> 
> Now then, a number of people have asked for a Bay Area performance.  This
> I personally could do, if it's held an an appropriate time (i.e. minimal
> academic conflicts).  What do the other SoCal loopists say? 

Hello,
  You can count me in - definitely if it is a Bay Area gig.   
        Doug Michael

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 16:59:57 +0100 (MET)
From: Olivier Malhomme <malhomme@infobiogen.fr>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: Joni Mitchell
Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.95.961103165639.22729B-100000@lovelace.infobiogen.fr>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Why in the hell would there be reason to be ashemed!!!!!
Her music is very good. She has respect from the best players, and a lot
of the best have been working with her (M. Landau, S. Lukather, J.
Pastorius, W. Shorter, R. Ford, J. Porcaro and many others!!!) Mingus even
wrote her an album called...Mingus!
Besides she is using a VG-8 from roland to get those open tunings...
Definitely in love with her work-Olivier Malhomme

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 13:11:37 -0500
From: KRosser414@aol.com
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: New Joni
Message-ID: <961103131136_1981319341@emout13.mail.aol.com>

In a message dated 96-11-02 12:50:36 EST, you write:

>Any Joni Mitchell fans out there???? 

Yes, very much so.

>wait - she'll really cool - check out the cool loop on "Empty- Try Another"
>on Dog eat Dog - it's a sample of the sound an empty cigarette machine
>makes...

How 'bout that loop of coyotes howling behind "The Wolf That Lives in
Lindsey"?  One of the most captivating pieces of recorded music ever, IMHO.

>but here's my question - does anybody know anything else about her upcomnig
>new album with a VG-8 heavily featured???!!! This much i know: she has one,
>she loves it, and being an alternate tuning pioneer, she's waited years for
>something like this... I hear it will have some scary noises on it too,
>coutesy of virtual modeling...

Just that so far it features only herself on VG-8 and New Orleans young lion
jazz drummer Brian Blade (no bass).  Everybody stand back!  

Ken R

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 18:37:27 -0300
From: matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias Grob)
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: west coast gigs
Message-Id: <v01520d00aea2ba3db47d@[200.254.32.106]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>>West Coast looping gig:
>>
>>Dave Trenkel (current holder of the long-distance award)
>>Sean Echevarria
>>Joe Cavaleri
>>Matt McCabe
>>Chris Chovit
>>Ted Killian
>>Tom Attix
>>Andre LaFosse
>>Dave Stafford
>
>I think it would be good (but with 8 ++ performers it's going to be a
>LONNNNNNGGGGGGG show...) to hear several different approaches to live
>looping performance.

May I suggest that some of you join on stage to fill it more and to make it
more interesting also for you. It does not mean that the preset have to
play all the time, it could be a loose from one to the next.
 Maybe some live close and could rehearse a piece or in case of impro, know
each others kind?

For this, it actually would make a lot of sense to compile the cassette first.

I would REALLY like to participate on this...
Matthias

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 18:37:33 -0300
From: matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias Grob)
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: new standard tuning
Message-Id: <v01520d01aea2bd827935@[200.254.32.106]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>C   G   D   A   E  G

I do not think I will learn another tuning with a irregularity.

>3) Forget about BENDING.  It will break strings, almost always.  (Of course
>you can get away with on the bottom 3 or 4 strings if you really want.

I would rather play without strings than without bending.

Thanks a lot anyway.
Matthias

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 12:45:31 -0800
From: studio seventeen productions <ambient@adnc.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: new standard tuning
Message-Id: <199611032045.MAA25946@barley.adnc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 06:37 PM 11/3/96 -0300, you wrote:
>
>>C   G   D   A   E  G
>
>I do not think I will learn another tuning with a irregularity.
>
>>3) Forget about BENDING.  It will break strings, almost always.  (Of course
>>you can get away with on the bottom 3 or 4 strings if you really want.
>
>I would rather play without strings than without bending.
>
>Thanks a lot anyway.
>Matthias
>
>

Just like short loops with sudden endings with NO REVERB...perhaps playing
without bending might force one to play in a new and different fashion...

can one express emotion through the guitar WITHOUT recourse to the
blues/standard "emotive" sound of a bend?  if you WANT to bend, of course
DO, in OST.  but in NST...there are challenges to be met.

don't dismiss it out of hand.  and the irregularity in NST is far simpler
and easier to overcome than the crippling, hand-it-down-for-centuries (lutes
onward) oh-god-it's a fourth-instead-of-a-fifth "standard tuning"

it least in NST you have five strings, in sequence, in which scales are
IDENTICAL and UNIQUE.  no having to worry when you get to that third string...

it's all in your perspective, my friend.  you of all people will understand...

try it anyway.  ask yourself: can I make even better music WITHOUT bending?

i find more and more the answer is yes.  also: in NST, i constantly use the
WHAMMY II pedal for pitch manipulation, octaving and bending.  so in this
sense...it makes no difference WHAT the strings are tuned to.

if not whammying: NST no bending.

if whammying: NST no bending

(or: OST no bending)


just trying to confuse the hell out of everyone :)


dave at studio seventeen



173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

*               *  *  *  *  *    I'll be downstairs if you need me.  I'll
still be 
*                  *     downstairs if you DON'T need me.       
*                          *         (Mr. Blint, Consequences/Godley & Creme)
*                        *
*                      *

visit: http:www.adnc.com/web/ambient/index.html
seventeen: the ambient music page

173451681734516817345168173451681734516817345168

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 13:29:26 -0800 (PST)
From: The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: BRACE YOURSELVES!!!
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.91.961103132832.13618A-100000@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Sun, 3 Nov 1996, Ray Peck wrote:

> >The idea is this: To try and stage some sort of live gathering of loop
> >artists.  
> 
> Speaking of a Bay Area gathering, a friend of mine is involved in an
> Expose (prog magazine) concert series.  I'll bet they'd love to host
> such a loopers' show.

WOW!  I didn't know Peter Thalen was staging concerts!  Can somebody 
forward me the Expose web site, or Thalen's e-mail address?  One of us 
should get in touch with him ASAP.

--Andre

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 13:44:14 -0800 (PST)
From: The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
To: loopers-delight@annihilist.com
Subject: The latest on the West Coast Summit
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.91.961103133204.13618B-100000@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

The current roster as I see it reads as follows:

Dave Trenkel (current holder of the long-distance award)
Sean Echevarria
Joe Cavaleri
Matt McCabe
Chris Chovit
Ted Killian
Tom Attix
Andre LaFosse
Dave @ 17
Doug Michael

At this point, I would have to emphatically push for a two-day event.  If
we average an hour set for each individual (plus the inevitable and, in
this casew, probably considerable equipment changeovers), then we're
looking at at least an eleven-hour marthon.  Woe to those who are still
trying to listen (or perform!) with fresh ears by the end of that sort of
gig! 

Also, in response to an earlier post by Matthias, I *definitely* think 
that some sort of collaborative bits should be included; for example, 
having two or three Echoplex users sync their units up to one another, or 
to a common external source, and then have at it.  

Now, here are a couple of things I'd like to ask of everyone.

1) What would be the best time for you, both in terms of when in the 
upcoming calendar year, and when during the week?  My guess is that a 
weekend at some point in the next two or three months is going to be the 
best candidate.  

2) What are your gear requirements?  Is your rig totally self-contained?  
Would you have need or interest in an external/full range system?  List a 
rundown of your live performance gear.

3) How long of a set would you be likely to play?  (Try to keep it at 
about an hour maximum).

4) Do you have interest in doing a (probably unrehearsed) live 
collaboration with another loopist?  (Note: In my opinion, this should 
*not* take the place of someone's own set in the program).  If so, what 
sort of hardware do you use?

5) What time of day would your preference run to?  If this is a two-day 
proposition, would it start in the early afternoon and wrap up before 
midnight?  Start in the evening and go until the cows come home?  

6) What sort of venue would you like to play?  And for any bay area 
residents, what recommendations would you have for specific sights?

Post this to the digest and we'll see if we can approach a consensus.  
Also, I'm gonna go over to rec.music.progressive and see if I can get a 
hold of Peter Thalen; the Expose team should be very useful.  (If anyone 
already knows him, please feel free to tell him about our endeavor.)

It's great to see this thing starting to congeal.  Keep it going,

--Andre

------------------------------
Date: Mon, 04 Nov 1996 17:11:15 +0000
From: Michael Preston <michpres@erols.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: hellos; loop and improv. theory
Message-ID: <327E23B3.4864@erols.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hi! Uh, all you loopers are an interesting and informative, and 
collegial bunch. I'm very happy to have stumbled into this site. I love 
to make musical loops, or engage in any other kind of recursive musical 
activity. 
        I can't remember who it was, but someone in your archive of letters put 
out a discussion-widening call for some general/philosophical loop 
theory references. Here are a couple that I think are interesting: 
"Circles" by Ralph Waldo Emerson ( I think its in a book called 
something like "The collected Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson: Volume 2"); 
"The Creative Circle: Sketches on the Natural History of Circularity," 
by Francisco Varela, in a book edited by Paul Watzlawick called "The 
Invented Reality: Contributions to Constructivism." Varela is 
co-inventor, with Humberto Maturana, of a big idea called autopoiesis. 
Maturana and Varela are some of the philosophical founders of an 
interesting field called enactive cognitive science. I have found the 
work of Martin Heidegger relevant to expanding my understanding of any 
improvisational activity. See his "Being and Time," especially the 
passages on "thrownness." There is a great book by Hubert Dreyfus which 
clearly comments on Heidegger's Being and Time, called 
"Being-in-the-World." Dreyfus' book helps cut through some of the 
opacity of Heidegger's. Another good book on improvisation is guitarist 
Derek Humphrey's "On Improvisation" (I think that's what it is called.) 
        All these references are sent in the spirit of sharing in this loopy 
community process. Thanks for all of your teachings. Michael Preston

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 17:08:38 -0500 (EST)
From: andre <andre@monmouth.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Re: see guitar player mag, etc
Message-Id: <199611032208.RAA20096@shell.monmouth.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

hey folks folks folks

f o       l          k      s

andre (nj) here with three quick tidbits - 

(1) my namesake bro Andre La Fosse is in the latest issue of GP in the "
unsigned new talent" feature or whatever it's called (sorry). a very cool
little profile..he might by shy to announce this to everyone - but i'll
assure you he didn't put me up to this!!! Let's flood these mags with our
tapes & CDs so they know there's more out there than....well, you know..

(2) and please , loop addicts - check out the new album by BON - bear with
me if you already know this - but they feature Bon Lozaga, who was on a
bunch of GONG albums in the late 70s and spearheaded the awesome GONGZILLA
cd with Holdsworth on it a few years ago..

anyway , the new one's called "to the Bone" and has some cool loops on it,
both by Bon & Mr Torn hisself. Caryn Lin also turns in some great soaring
violin. It's a pretty stomping album tho, lots of extended, fluid soloing
and great bass (Hansford Rowe, also ex-GONG) and Vic Stevens smashing kit
drums./....

My own project "hidden agenda" has played a couple gigs opening for these
guys and they are great - we also feature a lot of loop driven improv, with
live (real!!) percussion, as well as bass & drums. Anyone in the NJ area out
there???


(3) Cool, junky old equipment tip of the week - Boss made (still does) a
series of 1/2 rackspace effects - most of which fell between the crax as
multi programmable processors came along - but i feed a lot of my loops with
my old RPS-10 a 'digital pitch shifter/delay'. It's only got 800ms of delay,
but it enables me to 2 different modes of 'backwards' guitar.. this makes
for some great loops once they get going. really wild, and very smooth
sounding -in fact if you're a Crinson fan - Belew has a pair of 'em - they
also do great pitch shift. So while it's not MIDI, I can turn it on/off with
the Rockman Octopus in my rack. Hopefully everyone's hip to THOSE things...

So - that's my offering to those bargain hunters like me, scouring the used
corners of music stores. BTW - here are two resources for used stuff. Sorry
if this is obvious - this is kinda new to me!!

rogue music, NYC:       www.roguemusic.com   with tons o'links!!

east village music store, NYC       www.evillagemusic.com

keep Looping, brothers and sisters. life is a LOOP after all- the energy
goes round and round and don't forget----music is the best (FZ)

andre of the east

ps -anyone out there have a MIDI MITIGATOR????

------------------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 14:13:04 -0800 (PST)
From: The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
To: loopers-delight@annihilist.com
Subject: Greetings (fwd)
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.91.961103141209.13707C-100000@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

This is a copy of a letter I just sent to Peter Thalen of Expose, which 
is a print magazine dedicated to progressive music.

--Andre

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 14:09:44 -0800 (PST)
From: The Man Himself <altruist@shoko.CALARTS.EDU>
To: ptlk@netcom.com
Subject: Greetings

Hello --

My name is Andre LaFosse, and I'm writing to you as a result of a lead 
which was suggested on Looper's Delight, a bounce list dedicated 
to loop-oriented music.  

Right now the list membership is in the talking stages of trying to 
organize some sort of live summit meeting -- sort of a cross between a 
multi-artist festival and general get-together.  The idea is to try and 
facilitate an exchange of musics and ideas among the different musicians 
using looping in their music.

Right now there are about ten interested parties, and it looks as though
the locale will be the bay area.  Someone on the list mentioned that
Expose was helping to organize some performances in the region, and
suggested contacting you for the possibility of any sort of collaborative
involvement. 

So if you have any information or interest to share, many of us would 
readilly welcome it.  Recommendations for performance locations, 
suggestions for organizing and staging the shows, collaborative 
involvement...  at this point, it's still in the talking stages, so 
anything would be helpful.

I'll forward you a copy of the latest word (such as it is) regarding the
loop summit, and leave you an address where you can contact the list if
you're interested in further information.

Thanks very much for your time; good luck in your own performance
endeavors, and thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer. 

Best,

--Andre LaFosse

--------------------------------