(no subject)

[inahandbasket]

Damn, I keep forgetting how much better FLAC is than even the high quality streamed Pandora. I need to drag my good headphones in to the office as well so I can really do this music justice.

Go listen to Zoe Keating's new album, you can stream it live off her website for free at this link. It's bloody fantastic, as were the previous two.


I picked up a loop pedal a few years ago with the intention of doing some similar stuff to what she's doing. They appear to be simple devices, but the low button count is deceptively simple looking. Getting good with one of those takes some SERIOUS dedication to the art. Kim has obviously put some time in and can pull off some good songs with her looper, but Zoe really takes it up a notch. It's likely that the album version has some multi-track trickery going on, but I've heard her do it live (via radio) as well, and it's still jaw-dropping. Woman's got some serious looper mojo.

I sold mine after about a year to fund the purchase of a different piece of music gear, probably my acoustic bass guitar now that I think about it. Good move in the end, for sure.
I truly long to be able to make that kind of music with a single instrument, but I know I just don't have the time in my life right now to commit to the learning curve. Some day down the road when I have more spare time (hah!) perhaps I'll give it another try. Upright bass with looper could generate some seriously varied and fascinating sounds.

Comments

[countlibras.livejournal.com]

I was reading that as Aflac and I got *really* confused. XD

[inahandbasket]

yeeeaaahhh.... not that. ;-)

[oceanic.livejournal.com]

That's the reason I like Imogen Heap's music--I saw her do a loop trick like that on a live performance of "Just For Now". I'll have to check this out.

[coraline]

i should play with my looper more. i very much agree on the deceptively simple, but i did get somewhere with it, a little...

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Oh this is beautiful. I'm suddenly glad I brought the good headphones to work last week.

[inahandbasket]

^_^

[eveninghawk.livejournal.com]

ooh! thanks for the heads up. love her stuff.

Loopers are both terrifying and fun... the sort of risk of momentary insecurity messing everything up is... well... threatening... but wondrous!

[inahandbasket]

yeah, I can't imagine trying to use one live, I'd be so paranoid that I'd end up screwing up just due to nerves... ;-)

Thanks for the tip

[drwex]

I'll check it out. The music this week has been almost uniformly disappoint or outright Do Not Like stuff.

(that said, check out the latest DJ Steveboy mix.)

Re: Thanks for the tip

[inahandbasket]

Cool.
Not sure it's up your alley given what I know of your musical taste, report back with thoughts!

Re: Thanks for the tip

[drwex]

Listening to it now. I quite like it and will probably purchase it.

[catness.livejournal.com]

I love looping. The thing is, you need to treat it like another instrument, not like "tech that gets me where I want to go with my instrument". Really, you're just playing another part, and it's just practice, the same way it is when you're learning singing while playing. :)