DEUTSCH, ANDREW - Loops Over Land

"Loops Over Land consists of about 50 min. of loops produced using an analog reel-to-reel tape deck and an analog tape delay system (provided by Neil Rolnick). The loops were constructed using random 'scissors clips' of Mahler's 5th Symphony and thus reflect the pastoral feel of his original composition. Some of what sound like drum beats in the loops are actually sloppy splices bathed in reverb. Production of the loops happened over the course of 2 days while I was confined to my apartment dodging an enormous snow storm. During these days of looping and confinement, I listened as deeply as possible to the sounds and envisioned large circular loops of light slowly turning over the landscape. The landscapes themselves were of lush green fields and hills dripping in recent rain while the loops shimmered gold each holding their own shape. Loops Over Land continues what I have been calling since 1987 'image drones.' Image drones are drones that are meant to evoke a very specific image for the listener. I also consider these recordings to reflect my interest in 'romantic structuralism,' a term coined by filmmaker Ken Jacobs. It seems illogical to bring the theories of structuralism and romanticism together (this was the seed of the split between Boulez and Stockhausen). However, the power of the 'structuralist activity' (see Barthes) lies in the possibility of revealing hidden functions and existing structures. The function of tonal materials in the works of Mahler were intended to induce emotive states in the listener. What I have done is isolated 'tonal moments' and made manifest their explicit function. The loops of Loops Over Land are loops of emotion embodied in the traditional form of minimalist composition. Will the loops always evoke the same feeling in every listener? I believe they will come close, at least to the Western ear." --Andrew Deutsch" - Divine Frequency.