Loop - Loop

  by Jon Rogers

published: 24 / 11 / 2008

intro

Jon Rogers examines the career of 1980's psychedelic drone rockers Loop, who have just had their first two albums, 'Heaven's End' and 'Fade', reissued on CD

In the late 1980's the UK’s Robert Hampson – initially with his wife Bex – picked up the psychedelic drone-rock baton dropped by the likes of MC5, the Stooges and, later, Suicide and started playing around with the formula adding in elements of Krautrock and free jazz. And so Loop – the name coming from an obscure Velvet Underground track, but is very apt – was born. Bex left before the release of their first album 'Heaven’s End' to be replaced by John Wills (drums) and James Endeacott (guitar). 'Heaven’s End' sets the template. Loud washes of guitars swamp everything as Wills’ drumming sets a motorik beat with the vocals stuck way down in the mix. They never quite match the drone-qualities of avant-garde composer La Monte Young but they always labour a musical phrase, which is no bad thing. Like the Velvet Underground’s 'What Goes On' but with louder guitars and more distortion. The obvious comparison is with Spacemen 3 but at the time Sonic Boom seemed to think the south London band had simply ripped them off. There is plenty to admire in 'Heaven’s End', especially with the title track and the following 'Too Real to Feel' but at times it sounds like a band just managing to find its feet. Of the two reissues 'Fade Out' is the band’s masterpiece. After the relatively subdued 'Black Sun' it all kicks off with 'This Is Where You End'. The amps get turned up, the Krautrock beat starts up and off they go, never really letting up until the final 'Get to Get It Over'. In fact you know what it’s all going to sound like with titles such as 'Torched', 'Pulse' and 'A Vision Stain'. Both albums come complete with an entire disc of extras – different mixes, sessions from John Peel’s shows and the odd cover. Loop perhaps were never quite a experimental as some commentators have argued and the band wore their influences proudly on their sleeve but when you’re mixing up the likes of Ornette Coleman, Suicide, Faust and the MC5 you’d have to be pretty stupid to mess things up. Both releases though are well worth investigating.

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