Music loop

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In electronic music, a loop is a sample which is repeated. "Loops are short sections of tracks (probably between one and four bars in length), which you believe might work being repeated." A loop is not "any sample, but...specifically a small section of sound that's repeated continuously." Contrast with a one-shot sample. (Duffell 2005, p.14) "A loop is a sample of a performance that has been edited to repeat seamlessly when the audio file is played end to end." (Hawkins 2004, p. 10) Loops may be repeated through the use of tape loops, delay effects, two record players (cutting), sampling, or a sampler.

While repetition is used in the musics of all cultures the first musicians to use loops were electronic pioneers Edgard Varèse and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Stockhausen's music in turn influenced the Beatles to experiment with tape loops, and their use of loops in early psychedelic works (most notably 1966's "Tomorrow Never Knows" and 1968's avant-garde "Revolution 9") brought the technique into the mainstream. Later, inspired by Terry Riley to use one tape on two tape machines, Brian Eno and Robert Fripp created the technical basis for their No Pussyfooting album - this technological concept was later dubbed Frippertronics.

Today followers including Stefan Keller, David Torn, Andre LaFosse, Matthias Grob,Per Boysen, Rick Walker, Florian Antoine, Andy Butler and Steve Lawson use digital hardware and software devices to create and modify loops, often in conjunction with various electronic musical effects. In 1992-1993 dedicated digital devices were invented specifically for the use in live looping, or loops that are recorded in front of a live audience. Looping has made its way to the singer/songwriter genre as well, achieving new popularity in the employ of artists such as Howie Day, Seth Horan, and KT Tunstall.

Another approach was the use of pre-recorded loops, first exemplified by Grandmaster Flash and his turntablism. Use of pre-recorded loops made its way into many styles of popular music, including hip hop, trip hop, techno, drum and bass, and contemporary dub, as well as into mood music on soundtracks. Royalty-free loops are available online from various vendors, including Sony, Playin Music,Peace Love Productions, Big Fish, Perimeter Sound Arts, Power FX, Eastwest Sounds Online and others. This has spawned a new genre of artist who create musical loops for the software, such as producer Bill Laswell, Nine Inch Nails drummer Jerome Dillon, and multi-instrumentalist Bradley Fish.

Programs to create music using loops range in features, user friendliness, and of course price. Some of the most widely used are, Sony's ACID, Cakewalk Sonar, Propellerhead Software's ReCycle, GarageBand, FL Studio (formerly Fruity Loops), Ableton Live, Augustus Loop, Multi Loop, and Ambi Loop.

A famous festival for loop based music is Loopstock in the San Luis Obispo, California region, established 2002, and the Y2K? series, established in 2000 in Santa Cruz, California. The Y2K4 International Live Looping Festival in October 2004 drew 50 loopers from 5 different countries and all over the United States in four days in two cities (San Francisco and the main festival in Santa Cruz). There were 20 live looping festivals in 12 countries in 2004 in this burgeoning international movement.

The musical loop is one of the most important features of video game music. It is also the guiding principle behind devices like the Buddha machine, an ambient-music generating device.

[edit] See also

Break (music), break beats are drum loops
Phasing

[edit] Sources

Duffell, Daniel (2005). Making Music with Samples : Tips, Techniques, and 600+ Ready-to-Use Samples. ISBN 0-87930-839-7.
Hawkins, Erik (2004). The Complete Guide to Remixing: Produce Professional Dance-Floor Hits on Your Home Computer. ISBN 0-87639-044-0.