Loop (band)
Encyclopedia
Loop was a South London
band
founded in 1986 by Robert Hampson
and his wife, Bex, and active until 1991.
(vocals, guitar), with wife Bex on drums. Bex was soon replaced by John Wills (The Servants
) and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar. Initially releasing records on their own Head label, their first release was 1987's '16 Dreams', with debut album Heaven's End following later that year. The band's psychedelic/drone rock gained comparisons with Spacemen 3
, much to the latter's annoyance.
Ray and Bex left, to be replaced by Endeacott, Wills and Neil MacKay, the band also being signed up by Chapter 22 Records, returning with a more polished sound with the 'Collision' single in 1988. Second album Fade Out followed in 1989, reaching #51 on the UK album chart. Endeacott left the band in 1988, Scott Dowson joined the following year. They changed labels again to Beggars Banquet
subsidiary Situation Two
, releasing the 'Arc-Lite' single in 1989 and the third and final studio album A Gilded Eternity in 1990.
The band split in 1991, with Hampson briefly joining Godflesh
before forming Main
with Dowson. Hampson's Main project was discontinued in 2006 and while he now releases under his own name in 2010 he announced the return of Main, albeit as a collaborative project with other sound artists. Wills and Mackay went on to form The Hair and Skin Trading Company
, which last released in 1995. Wills now performs and records as Pumajaw
.
Loop recorded three Peel sessions for John Peel
(11 August 1987, 14 June 1988 and 21 January 1990). A collection of these sessions entitled Wolf Flow was released in 1992. Following the split Loop's official studio albums were re-released on their Reactor label. Their sound was influenced by Krautrock
and No Wave
influences and relied heavily on three chord riff
s. Some of the records
featured cover version
s of Suicide
, The Pop Group
and Can
tracks. The band played at the Reading Festival in 1989.
Hampson's MySpace pages referred to friendly pressure to again re-release the Loop albums and these were eventually released in November 2008 on the Reactor label.
Interim line-up (1987–88):
Final line-up (1989–90):
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
founded in 1986 by Robert Hampson
Robert Hampson
Robert Hampson is an English musician and composer, known primarily as a guitarist in the band Loop, which he co-founded in London in 1985 with his then girlfriend Becky Stewart . Loop recorded three albums, the last of which made the U.K...
and his wife, Bex, and active until 1991.
Career
The band was formed in 1986 by Robert HampsonRobert Hampson
Robert Hampson is an English musician and composer, known primarily as a guitarist in the band Loop, which he co-founded in London in 1985 with his then girlfriend Becky Stewart . Loop recorded three albums, the last of which made the U.K...
(vocals, guitar), with wife Bex on drums. Bex was soon replaced by John Wills (The Servants
The Servants
The Servants was an indie band formed in 1985 in Hayes, Middlesex, England by singer and songwriter David Westlake. The Servants were on 1986’s NME-associated C86 compilation, and the greatly expanded 48-song reissue version in 2006. The Servants was the original home of Luke Haines...
) and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar. Initially releasing records on their own Head label, their first release was 1987's '16 Dreams', with debut album Heaven's End following later that year. The band's psychedelic/drone rock gained comparisons with Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3
Spacemen 3 were an English alternative rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce. Their music was "colorfully mind-altering, but not in the sense of the acid rock of the '60s; instead, the band developed its own minimalistic psychedelia"...
, much to the latter's annoyance.
Ray and Bex left, to be replaced by Endeacott, Wills and Neil MacKay, the band also being signed up by Chapter 22 Records, returning with a more polished sound with the 'Collision' single in 1988. Second album Fade Out followed in 1989, reaching #51 on the UK album chart. Endeacott left the band in 1988, Scott Dowson joined the following year. They changed labels again to Beggars Banquet
Beggars Banquet
- Personnel :The Rolling Stones* Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica on "Parachute Woman"* Keith Richards – acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar on "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man", backing vocals, lead vocals on opening of "Salt of the Earth"* Brian...
subsidiary Situation Two
Situation Two
Situation Two, aka Situation 2, was a record label created in 1981 by Peter Kent as an offshoot of the larger Beggars Banquet label. At the time, Beggars Banquet records were distributed by WEA Records; so, to appeal to the indie audience and to get releases into the indie charts, the Situation Two...
, releasing the 'Arc-Lite' single in 1989 and the third and final studio album A Gilded Eternity in 1990.
The band split in 1991, with Hampson briefly joining Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
before forming Main
Main (band)
Main were a British ambient band formed in 1991 by guitarists Robert Hampson and Scott Dowson, the former members of Loop. They combined ambient sound with layers of electric guitars and dark, foreboding emotional overtones. In 2006 Hampson announced that Main had been effectively disbanded in...
with Dowson. Hampson's Main project was discontinued in 2006 and while he now releases under his own name in 2010 he announced the return of Main, albeit as a collaborative project with other sound artists. Wills and Mackay went on to form The Hair and Skin Trading Company
The Hair and Skin Trading Company
The Hair and Skin Trading Company is a British drone / avant-noise group, formed in 1991 by ex-Loop members Neil Mackay and John Wills...
, which last released in 1995. Wills now performs and records as Pumajaw
Pumajaw
Pumajaw are a Scotland-based electronic duo from Perthshire, composed of Pinkie Maclure and John Wills ....
.
Loop recorded three Peel sessions for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
(11 August 1987, 14 June 1988 and 21 January 1990). A collection of these sessions entitled Wolf Flow was released in 1992. Following the split Loop's official studio albums were re-released on their Reactor label. Their sound was influenced by Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
and No Wave
No Wave
No Wave was a short-lived but influential underground music, film, performance art, video, and contemporary art scene that had its beginnings during the mid-1970s in New York City. The term No Wave is in part satirical word play rejecting the commercial elements of the then-popular New Wave genre...
influences and relied heavily on three chord riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s. Some of the records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
featured cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of Suicide
Suicide (band)
Suicide is an American electronic protopunk musical duo, intermittently active since 1970 and composed of vocalist Alan Vega and Martin Rev on synthesizers and drum machines. They are an early synthesizer/vocal musical duo....
, The Pop Group
The Pop Group
The Pop Group are a British post-punk band from Bristol, England, formed in 1978, whose dissonant sound spanned punk, free jazz, funk and dub reggae. Their lyrics were often political in nature...
and Can
Can (band)
Can was an experimental rock band formed in Cologne, West Germany in 1968. Later labeled as one of the first "krautrock" groups, they transcended mainstream influences and incorporated strong minimalist and world music elements into their often psychedelic music.Can constructed their music largely...
tracks. The band played at the Reading Festival in 1989.
Hampson's MySpace pages referred to friendly pressure to again re-release the Loop albums and these were eventually released in November 2008 on the Reactor label.
Members
Initial line-up (1987):- Robert Hampson (vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s) - Bex (drumDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s) - Glen Ray (bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
)
Interim line-up (1987–88):
- Robert Hampson (vocals, guitars)
- James Endeacott (guitars)
- John Wills (drums)
- Neil Mackay (bass)
Final line-up (1989–90):
- Robert Hampson (vocals, guitars)
- Scott Dowson (guitars)
- John Wills (drums)
- Neil Mackay (bass)
Albums
| Month | Year | Title | UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... Position |
UK Chart Position UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 1987 | Heaven's End | #4 | dnc |
| September | 1988 | The World in Your Eyes (Compilation) |
#4 | dnc |
| February | 1989 | Fade Out | #1 | #51 |
| September | 1989 | Eternal: The Singles (Compilation) |
dnc | dnc |
| February | 1990 | A Gilded Eternity | #1 | #39 |
| 1991 | Wolf Flow (Peel Sessions 1987-1990) |
dnc | dnc | |
| 1992 | Dual (Compilation) |
dnc | dnc | |
Singles
| Year | Title | Format | UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... Position |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | 1987 | "16 Dreams" | 12" | #35 |
| July | 1987 | "Spinning" | 7" 12" | #7 |
| May | 1988 | "Collision" | 7" 12" | #4 |
| December | 1988 | "Black Sun" | 12" | #5 |
| December | 1989 | "Arc-lite" | 7" 12" CD | #6 |
External links
- Loop fan website www.heavensend.org
- Complete discography
- Robert Hampson's official website
- 2008 interview with Robert Hampson
- http://thequietus.com/articles/00731-loop
- http://thequietus.com/articles/01801-loop-a-guilded-eternity-the-world-in-your-eyes-reissue-album-reviews
- Unofficial page for