Loop - RFD

especially since i slept on the early releases (though i did get much of them as cutout casettes for $1 each - thank you coconuts).

Heaven's End was/is a great album and was my soundtrack to many a hazy evening. That meld from Too Real To Feel to Fix to Fall still gets me!
There really was something about LOOP - I travelled from Dublin to London a couple of times to see them play and their gigs were like an open invitation to space out. great light show too.

My girlfriend at the time was particularly upset about how excited i got at laying my hands on a gorgeous pink sleeved World in Your Eyes album.She didn't undersatnd my enthusiasm and I can only guess that she wished I'd show the same level of enthusiasm and childish excitement toward her. Needless to say, she's now an ex.

Anyway, glad to see that LOOP continues to inspire such enthusiasm from new listeners. If it's worth anything, I too would love to hear a remasterrd Heaven's End, (if you ain't hearing it on vinyl you're probably ain't hearing it at its best) but that's just being picky.

Trust me, you've found the right board for it (and welcome!). I admit I was hoping this was more about the reissues!

Any news on the reissues?

Look, I really can't stand it. There's got to be a better place to post about Loop than the goddamn "best shoegazing band" thread. I mean wtf?
They were the fucking shit though. Oh yes they were. Do you know what I really think about them is that they predicted American grunge. Yep. I'm serious. They knew exactly where it was all going to go. Come on damnit, Loop. They make me feel like I'm 16 again for sure.

So yeah...predicted American grunge. Anyone wanna take me on? Let's argue about it, if need be. I'm ready.

Also the goddamn ARC LIGHT 12"

Does anyone remember "Arc Light"? Jesus won't one person tell me they remember that riff.

I remember "Arc Light"...I still have the CD single...there was a "radar" and a "sonar" version, or something like that...truly awesome riff...I do kinda like the flip, "Sunburst", a little more though...

I actually like "Arc-Lite (Radiated)" most of all.

I always thought this band was seriously underrated in the weeklies. I noticed a kind of hostility towards Loop and they always seemed to lump them in with Spacemen 3 which I didn't really understand (always preferring Sonic, Jason and co.). Sonic also seemed to hate them (some story about them ripping off his idea).

Spacemen and Loop, both great bands, no need to fight over it, Sonic... :)

There was some actual bad blood re: ripoff accusations! Elvis T. can tell the story.

the hostility was mutual, as I recall in interviews back then...I wonder did they ever rumble?

Loop were awesome.
whats the difference between the tracks "the nail will burn" and "the nail will burn (burn out)" from the Gildered Eternity?
is it a joke?

oh, it's prob a different mix (very slightly), a bonus track that doesnt appear as such in my cd version at least

from the same area and sound, i waqs impressed by Strobe, like the psychedelic version of Loop. Sea Beyond the Sun was awesome.

and also Sun Dial.
Return Journey,what a record.

main > loop

kinda interested in the heaven's end reissue as thats their only good one :3

shuddup

main > loop

true, though.

ok fade out is good too

I don't remember a band called Strobe at all.

about Strobe:

http://www.psychedelic-music.net/pmdb/db3/db_band.php4?id=127

There was some actual bad blood re: ripoff accusations! Elvis T. can tell the story.

The Spacemen 3 book touches on this in some detail - the story is that Hampson was working in the same studio where SP3 were recording at and helped himself to (for lack of a better description) SP3's public image. Instead of being just another band that listened to Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Husker Du, and all the latter day SST that everyone was namechecking, Loop recast themselves as "cooler" MC5/Krautrock/Suicide heads and got themselves a record deal and the cover of Melody Maker before SP3 did.

'mother sky' cover is nice

I actually can't really think of any Loop I don't like!

I suppose there are Spacemen 3 moments I like more, but they're far less consistent (or monotonous if you're not feeling very generous).

main > loop

See, I don't get this. Everything I've heard by Main was boring (to me) ambient drone. Loop was droney, but they rocked. I got into Loop when I first started driving, and will for the rest of my life associate Heaven's End with riding around in my car - just blasting the shit out of that tape over and over.

xpost- never really got into Spacemen 3 either.

It seems like Spacemen 3 were more well-liked, though, and I never could understand that. I found them pretty boring most of the time.

They're both good, but Spacemen 3 has this ... personality. Loop's always been kind-of faceless to me.

Loop's facelessness was part of the appeal! I love their strange anonymity, even Robert doesn't seem like he's entirely there.

junkie != personality

i like a gilded eternity now. i want reissues

for those interested...

"Loop News

Dear All,

The Loop reissue program has finally found it's feet and there will new remastered versions of Heaven's End, Fade Out, The World In Your Eyes out on REACTOR in late 2008.
All of these have been commercially unavailable since 1991 on any format."

down in the comments:
"I will do my best and try and contact Clawfist, if they are OK with it, then it'll be on - but please be aware that it will ONLY be the Loop cover of Like Rats, the Godflesh cover will have to surface somewhere else, like on a Godflesh comp."

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=88715813&blogID=409573350&Mytoken=5712B5F8-7C93-42ED-8B6B4AC125C6EC7472521234

WELL HELL YEAH

also time to put my copy of loopflesh on ebay har har

Holy shit they really are doing reissues??? Wow. Too bad A Gilded Eternity isn't one of them.

LOOP announce re-issues of long out of print back catalogue

REACTOR in conjunction with FORTE DISTRIBUTION is very happy to announce an overdue reissue programme of the long out of print albums / material by British band, LOOP.

Remastered from the original analogue sources, the first 2 releases, ‘Heaven’s End’ and ‘Fade Out’ will be released as double discs on 17th November (via Forte) and housed in a mini vinyl style card sleeve, reproducing the original artwork. Both albums will be also be made available digitally for the first time.

The band’s further two albums, The World In Your Eyes, and Gilded Eternity are currently being re-mastered for release next year with The World In Your Eyes being released as a 3 volume CD set, and Gilded Eternity as a double CD.

All due care has been taken to release everything that is available in some chronological order, though sadly a couple of tapes have been too badly damaged or lost to make a complete edition, but these will be the definitive editions...there won't be any 'special editions' to rip you off with, that's a promise.

Both albums will be released with re-mastered extra material from the relevant chronological time frame as the main album: The album in its entirety on CD 1, with the bonus tracks (including relevant Peel session material from the time) on CD 2, the bonus material will be available on CD formats only.

The LP versions of the albums will be released on a limited run as 180gr pressings in 2009.

Haha, I was just about to post that. But you didn't post the rest of the press release. ;-)

---

A Few Words from Robert Hampson….
For the past few days, I have been attending to the re-mastering of Heaven's End. You will be pleased to hear that all went very well, the original master tapes were in very good shape and with the aid of the genius who is Kevin Metcalfe, got everything to sound very ship shape for the CD reissue. In fact, it's probably never sounded so good.
So, for the Heaven's End reissue, a 2 CD set will be issued with the original album on CD1. CD2 will feature the only true outtake from the H E sessions, Rocket USA. Also found from the archive are two different mixes of Soundhead and Head On which have never been released in any form before, and rounded up with the first John Peel Session.

I have tried to keep everything in these reissues relative to the time frame and situations they were developed in, chronologically speaking, so I hope you will forgive if some 'extra/bonus' material seems scant. But, in all truth, there really was not that much - we never did outtakes and the like, never had the time or the money for excessive studio times. But I can reassure you that all is being done to make everything that is there available and to sound the best it ever has for CD

Fade Out has also now been remastered and sounding very good it is too! Again, the reissue will be a two CD set, with Fade Out on CD1. CD2 will include the 2nd Peel Session and 4 different mixes of Fade Out material.

There were some 5 demos of Fade Out recorded at The House In The Woods studio, but I'm afraid the master tape of these has long since disappeared, I can't even track down a cassette copy.
Robert Hampson August 2008

TRACKLISTINGS
HEAVEN'S END - CD1
Soundhead
Straight To Your Heart
Forever
Heaven's End
Too Real To Feel
Fix To Fall
Head On
Carry Me

HEAVEN'S END - CD2
Rocket USA
Soundhead (1st Mix)
Head On (1st Mix)
Soundhead (Peel Session 1)
Straight To Your Heart (Peel Session 1)
Rocket USA (Peel Session 1)

FADE OUT - CD1
Black Sun
This Is Where You End
Fever Knife
Torched
Fade Out
Pulse
A Vision Stain
Got To Get It Over

FADE OUT - CD2
Black Sun (Feedback)
Torched (1st Mix)
Got To Get It Over (1st Mix)
This Is Where You End (House In The Woods Demo Mix no. 7)
Pulse (Peel Session 2)
This Is Where You End (Peel Session 2)
Collision (Peel Session 2)
Fade Out Guitar Loops I, II, III, IV, V (House In The Woods Recording June 88)

Where is "Thief Of Fire" cover version band?

Look in the post before mine -- that's due next year.

(At least I presume -- three CDs worth for The World In Your Eyes sounds pretty extensive!)

psyched. i wish i knew what the deal was with the "prisma uber europa" 12" we have at my station was. what i'm really saying is i want the extra-long version of "burning prisma" to turn up on one of these discs.

I still love Loop. And Main, FWIW.

I recall that they released a Can cover as a non-album track, either as a single or a b-side. Anyone remember which song that was? I'd like to go track it down again.

mother sky