two new tape loop experiments

3/27/2019

Recently I've been experimenting/tinkering with various tape loops and have documented two of my personal favourites for your listening pleasure:

I am Sitting in a Room (30 Second Tape Loop Version):
I was inspired to create my own shortened version of Alvin Lucier's classic 'I am Sitting in a Room' (a personal favourite of mine!) with two Sony TCM-939 Cassette Recorders and two 30 second tape loops. What surprised me is how quickly my words become unintelligible, with the tones/resonant harmonies of the room taking over.

Tree Branch Lo-fi Noise Tape Loop:
I used a contact microphone hooked up to a cassette recorder to document the creaks, groans and bustle of leaves as a tree swayed in the wind near our house. Fragments of the raw recording were looped with a small branch/twigs becoming a handy capstan for the magnetic tape. Experimentation with a Boss DD-3 thrown in for added fun! These extended tape loop pieces are great fun to create, especially finding unusual objects for the tape to loop around.

21 Comments

Michael Ridge

As an artist I create works in various formats, but most often it involves sound and found objects.

Some things I like to explore (in no particular order):
self-referential, functionality,
self-destruction, deterioration, unwanted, time, play, unplayable, infinity, materiality, nonsense, anti, nothing, everything, dada, rules, contrasting, ephemerality, dirt, obsolete, loop, history, collage, hidden, nostalgia, Lo-fi, DIY, analogue and collaboration.

Since 2006 I’ve recorded and very occasionally performed Experimental Noise and other sonic adventures under the name Zebra Mu.
Norfolk Trotter is my current HNW side-project (I also recorded under Acerbitas from 2010 – 2014).

Quagga Curious Sounds
is my ultra-DIY Noise/Experimental/Weird/Art music label which I’ve ran since 2008.
I’m also one half of the Multimedia Drawing, Sonic Art and Zine collaboration Ridge & Scrase.

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Norfolk, UK

Leslie Singer

3/27/2019 12:41:50

Michael, I love your version of "I am Sitting in a Room". I attempted to reference that piece during one of my sound snippets that was included in Hal's February 2019 assemblage it is HAPPENING again and got my Alvins wrong. I said Curran instead of Lucier. Whoopsie! (Thanks for setting the record straight so to speak for me.) Your Tree Branch Lo-Fi Noise Tape Loop is really great too. Thank you so much for posting both of these!

Adam J Naworal

3/28/2019 01:33:40

Remind us to bring our Ohm+ DVD when you're here! You and Hal will love it. All kinds of filmed performances, abstract animation with musical accompaniment, interviews, etc., and all with pioneers of electronic and concrete music ranging from Lucier to Cage to Clara Rockmore and Laurie Spiegel!

Penny

3/29/2019 02:12:28

The use of a tree..so wonderful!!! Very neat idea.

4/3/2019 05:07:35

Thanks Penny!! Twigs and branches make excellent natural guides for the tape.

4/3/2019 04:56:37

Thank you Leslie! Your comment has reminded me I still need to listen to Hal's Feb 2019 assemblage, haha I'll make sure to shout out Lucier when you say Curran!!

Jeremiah Paddock

3/27/2019 12:46:00

Well this is absolutely delightful. I was enthralled by the performance of I am sitting in a room. Thanks!

4/3/2019 05:12:26

Thanks Jeremiah! It was such fun revisiting one of my all time favourite sound works.

Eduardo GOZNE

3/27/2019 14:22:04

Delicious low fi sounds !!

4/3/2019 05:13:40

Lo-fi all the way...!!

3/28/2019 01:32:01

WOW! Very cool sounds! Lucier would be proud!

4/5/2019 10:40:20

Thanks Adam!! I hope Alvin would approve!

Rafael González

3/28/2019 15:34:23

WONDERFUL! You are a master!

4/5/2019 10:40:47

Thank you so much my friend!!

4/5/2019 12:44:26

My pleasure! I enjoyed it so much!

3/29/2019 02:11:12

Sweet Sauce!! I just saw these the other day on You-Tube. Sweet. Very fun.

Chris Phinney

3/30/2019 11:32:20

This is fantastic great experiments in sound!

4/5/2019 10:41:18

Thanks Chris! Plenty more experiments in sound to come...

osvaldo cibils

4/4/2019 03:13:39

Muy buenos loop experiments!!!! :‑)

4/5/2019 10:43:00

Muchas gracias!!

Lumen K

4/6/2019 15:02:12

I don't know which of these I like better. The first one is a wonderful sound experiment that ends with quite eery results. The second is not only cool sounding, but the esthetics of the video are very appealing. The set up is art in itself!

Tom Furgas

4/13/2019 05:04:34

Very cool tape experiments! The Alvin Lucier cover is excellent, and I love the cassette loop piece too. Good to see that analog tape is still a viable medium.
Tom

two new tape loop experiments

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