Robert Hampson
Encyclopedia
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 (Bex). Loop recorded three albums, the last of which (A Gilded Eternity) made the U.K. album charts.
After Loop disbanded, Hampson formed the more experimental Main
with fellow Loop member Scott Dowson, releasing several albums and EPs on Beggars Banquet Records
. Although a strong signature in the early material of Main, the guitar was slowly eroded from the stable sounds Hampson and Dowson produced, together with field recordings and other electro acoustic sounds. When Dowson left the line-up in 1996, Main became a solo project for Hampson, who then abandoned the guitar altogether, feeling he had taken the instrument to such extremes, there was no longer any scope to create with it.
He deactivated Main as a project in 2006 in an attempt to free himself of the restraints of critical and fan based reviews that still mentioned the guitar as the focal point of the material, even though he had not used it in many years. He was quoted in interviews as saying the guitar was a chain around his neck and he was unhappy to be so strongly associated with it still.
Preferring to now explore other avenues of sound and its diffusion, especially multi-channel systems for live performances, Hampson was invited by the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) in Paris to compose and perform on many occasions. He has also been associated with like minded organisations and institutes around the world, exploring intricacies in sound composition..
In October 2010, Hampson announced that he would be reactivating Main, which along with his solo acousmatic work, he will start performing and recording as a more collaborative process with fellow sound artists.
on Editions Mego
on Reactor
Loop (band)
Loop was a South London band founded in 1986 by Robert Hampson and his wife, Bex, and active until 1991.-Career:The band was formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson , with wife Bex on drums. Bex was soon replaced by John Wills and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar...
, which he co-founded in London in 1985 with his then girlfriend Becky Stewart (Bex). Loop recorded three albums, the last of which (A Gilded Eternity) made the U.K. album charts.
After Loop disbanded, Hampson formed the more experimental 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 fellow Loop member Scott Dowson, releasing several albums and EPs on Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
. Although a strong signature in the early material of Main, the guitar was slowly eroded from the stable sounds Hampson and Dowson produced, together with field recordings and other electro acoustic sounds. When Dowson left the line-up in 1996, Main became a solo project for Hampson, who then abandoned the guitar altogether, feeling he had taken the instrument to such extremes, there was no longer any scope to create with it.
He deactivated Main as a project in 2006 in an attempt to free himself of the restraints of critical and fan based reviews that still mentioned the guitar as the focal point of the material, even though he had not used it in many years. He was quoted in interviews as saying the guitar was a chain around his neck and he was unhappy to be so strongly associated with it still.
Preferring to now explore other avenues of sound and its diffusion, especially multi-channel systems for live performances, Hampson was invited by the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM) in Paris to compose and perform on many occasions. He has also been associated with like minded organisations and institutes around the world, exploring intricacies in sound composition..
In October 2010, Hampson announced that he would be reactivating Main, which along with his solo acousmatic work, he will start performing and recording as a more collaborative process with fellow sound artists.
Recorded and Live Collaborations
Paul Schutze, David Toop, Jim O'Rourke (as Indicate), Janek Schaefer (as Comae), Max Eastley, Eddie Prevost (AMM), AFM (Antenna Farm/Main), Scanner, Shady (David Baker from Mercury Rev), Water Maps (Toop, Eastley, Schutze, Hampson), David Shea, Henri Pousseur, Philip JeckLabels
Touch, Editions Mego, Onement, Crouton, Fat Cat, Tigerbeat 6, Sub Rosa, N-Rec, Staalplaat, Vibrö, Situation Two, Beggar's Banquet, Reactor.Current Discography
on Touch- Vectors - Robert Hampson CD www.touch.org.uk/catalogue.
on Editions Mego
- Five Mountains Of Fire / Antarctica Ends Here - Cindytalk / Robert Hampson 10" Vinyl Only, Limited to 500 copies.
on Reactor
- Heaven's End Fade Out A Gilded Eternity - Studio Albums, Remastered 2 Disc Sets with extra material and Peel Sessions.
- The World In Your Eyes - 3 Disc Set Compilation of Singles, EPs and Rarities.
External links
- RobertHampson.com (Unofficial Robert Hampson website.)
- 2008 interview at The QuietusThe QuietusThe Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...