Robert Hampson of Loop – mind-melting wall of sound that scored three number albums on the UK charts. Take that!
Loop – In session for John Peel – June 14, 1988 – Broadcast June 27, 1988 – BBC Radio 1 –
Loop tonight. An homage to drone and trance-rock, Loop began life in 1986. Formed by Robert Hampson (vocals, guitar) his girlfriend Becky “Bex” Stewart on drums and James Endeacott on bass. Over the next few years, Loop would go through a number of personnel changes, but Hampson remained the original founding member. They rose to prominence in 1989 with the groundbreaking second album, Fade-Out, followed by A Gilded Eternity, both of which hit Number 1 on the British Indie Album charts.
They were largely responsible for resurrecting Space-Rock in the late 1980s along with drawing inspiration from groups like Can and artists like Iggy Pop and became highly influential with a number of bands at the time, including several Shoegaze groups who emulated the wall of droning guitars.
They continued on this winning streak until 1991, when the group split and Hampson went on to form the experimental band Main which moved further into ambient sound, eventually abandoning guitar and percussion altogether. They broke up in 2006, with Hampson returning to solo work, before Loop reunited in 2013 with members from the 1990 incarnation and played a number of concerts and festivals. In 2014 they did a successful tour of the U.S. and headlined the Roadburn Festival in The Netherlands before concluding that tour with an appearance at the 2014 Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona.
Since then they have continued to perform and repeated their successful 2014 tour in 2015. No word as to what they have planned for 2016 or what they are currently up to, but the fact they have reunited and are getting new audiences behind them is a good sign.
If you’re familiar with Loop, you need no introduction and are urged to play this one loud. If you aren’t familiar with them, they are another band which constitute essential listening and should not be missed under any circumstances.
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