2006/06/18

loop


it's a crime that I have never heard these guys until last week. (and another that all their records are out of print)

at their best it's a nearly PERFECT sound - minimalist motorik drenched in dissonant feedback, judicious use of power chords - like Spacemen 3 meets Neu! and Sabbath with doses of Suicide and a touch of J+M Chain.

here are 5 albums (not sure but might be complete discography?) - I was going to upload the files which I got from SFRP forum (link to the right), but thought why not just redestribute the original links? thanks to uploaders burt, gazzola, and woj2322/whitenoise (link to the right)
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Heaven's End

http://rapidshare.de/files/21859431/LoopityLoopYourWayToHeavensEn d.zip

Pass: burt
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Gilded Eternity

http://rapidshare.de/files/21907819/Gild.rar
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Fade Out

http://rapidshare.de/files/21906250/Fade.rar
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The World in Your Eyes

http://rapidshare.de/files/21972485/Eyes.rar
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Wolf Flow: The John Peel Sessions (1987-90)

http://rapidshare.de/files/23409838/wolfflow.rar.001
http://rapidshare.de/files/23412586/wolfflow.rar.002

pw: woj2322 (might need to use HJSplit to join the files first before unrar)

or Sendspace:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/im3845

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for informing me about this band. I hadn't heard of them either.
I am looking forward to listening to their music.

Loki said...

excellent stuff... i sold all my Loop album during a poor (spiritually and financially) period and regretted it ever since...

cheers

Anonymous said...

Cheers chief. It's high time I looked into these cats..

s. said...

The (talented) guys from Loop went on to form the extremely awesome band Main.

The rest of them formed the appallingly horrid Hair and Skin Trading Co.

FWIW

Anonymous said...

hi... that's really fine that you have posted these fantastic records... as stephen has said before: look out for the MAIN records. by the way, this is not the compete discographie... there is another lp DUAL, but it is equal with some 12inches... further their is a single collection called ETERNAL... i also have five 12inches and an excellent live botleg from italy... maybe i will start my own blog soon - i will definetly post the rest of the records... greetings and respect... g.l.k.

Reimer said...

Thanks for helping me expand my knowledge of Loop (have only heard 'Gilded...').

I concur with other posters here: Main is/was something else, starting off where Loop seems to have left off and gradually mutating into powerful electroacoustic territory via some of the most haunting sound-mantras/mysterious narratives I've heard('Terminus'! 'Haloform'!)

If I could drive Lame I'd post some meself...

Anonymous said...

Wooo-eee! Thanks a million for these Loop shares. I have most of this stuff on cassette, but these should sound much better. In addition to what reimer mentioned, there's also a split 7" with Godflesh (where Loop do a cover of "Like Rats") and a nice bootleg from Poland I believe. It's absurd that these records are still OOP; Loop deserve a box set if any band does. And, honestly, after listening to these guys and Spacemen 3 for a good 15 years now, I think Loop were by far the better band.

zhao said...

ah yes the spacemen vs loop debate... I agree with you for the most part... can't even listen to spacemen anymore... they wore out on me sometime ago

Anonymous said...

We played a show with Loop in SF in '88 or so. We were stoked teengaers getting to play with one of our favorite bands. We played Guru Guru, they played Can. They wore all black, jeans and long sleeve shirts. We had capes. Definitely more "rock" and "professional" than the Spacemen 3. Is that better? I dunno. Sure beat the hell outta that Seattle shit that had started to roll through town!

Anonymous said...

I saw Loop play a couple of times - I think the second time I saw them they had rough show - you could tell they weren't gelling with each other and they disbanded shortly after. Hair and Skin Trading Co had some OK tracks (Pipeline being the best) but their overcooked production and Sigue Sigue Sputnik tendencies sorely let them down. I remember getting Main's first 12" and being unable to tell whether it should be played at 33 or 45rpm - very moody music. Loop's Arc-Lite 12" for me was one of the best things they ever did. Appears to be a full discography here: http://www.glassdarkly.com/LOOP-PAGE.html

Anonymous said...

I agree that these guys were one of the best bands ever especially for late 80's space/psych. There are a number of 12's out there and I too have most everything on vinyl or cassette but now digitised. If u would like to post more or if anyone else would like to here more, leave a comment and I will upload some links for the ones not here. Unfortunately I do not have Main but do have the first Hair & Skin and also a live boot with a bright red cover

cruise_elroy said...

any chance of a 'wolf/flow' repost? it's the only thing i'm missing (loaned the lp out ages ago)!

Anonymous said...

The Hair and Skin Trading Company were a great band... Sigue Sigue Sputnik? What the hell is that guy thinking? Each of the HASTCO records sound distinctly different, and the last, Psychedelische Musique (Lava Surf Kunst), is one of the great non-commercial records of the 1990s (they almost dispense with "proper" song titles and play weird, Faustian hell noise). I enjoyed them more that I ever did Loop (despite liking the sound I think they were going for but never achieved).

simon said...

Personally i think Spacemen 3 were the best band for recordings, while Loop were a far superior live band. I used to go see them live a lot and they were always fantastic. Apart from Heavens End, their records only hinted at how good live they were. Why did i get rid of that record and keep most of the others? Madness!
As for Spacemen 3's complaints re: being ripped off by Loop- COME ON - that's a bit rich seeing how easily their own influences were clearly visible.

Unknown said...

Can anyone please re-upload these titles. they are all very hard to find especially here in Malaysia! Anyone can help?

cheers,

JK

Anonymous said...

World in your eyes link is deleted, could you please repost? thanks..

tg said...

any chance of a repost?

Sonsivri said...

any link to any loop?
would love to hear them.

Anonymous said...

The world in your eyes
http://rapidshare.com/files/19294353/Eyes.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/19292440/Eyes.part2.rar.html

Heaven's end
http://rapidshare.com/files/19295544/End.rar.html

Fade out
http://rapidshare.com/files/19297728/Fade.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/19296035/Fade.part2.rar.html

A gilded eternity
http://rapidshare.com/files/19299870/Gilded.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/19297805/Gilded.part2.rar.html

Scans
http://rapidshare.com/files/19291976/Loop-scans.rar.html

Loop - Wolf-Flow (@320)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q168T1MN
Loop - Dual
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CGFIS7DG

ALL THE BEST
HZ138

Anonymous said...

thank you thank you thank you hz138! i too sold all my loop albums because i needed $ back in the day. now i've got them all back. one loop release i never owned but would love to hear is their split 7" with godflesh...if you or some other kind person out there could post a link to that 7" here, i would be most grateful.

G

armeur H said...

Thank you for sharing these gems ! I knew Hampson by Main. I've never heard about Loop until I travel the blogosphere.

greenman87 said...

I enjoy loop but for me history has been far kinder to Spacemen 3 than the rest of the *gulp* "shoegazers", as the feedback denched drone sound has lost its impact there character and variety stand out above the rest.