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Reviews

Hugh Hopper — Jazzloops
(Burning Shed no#, 2003, CD)

by Jeff Melton, Published 2003-08-01

Jazzloops Cover art

The musical adventures of Hugh Hopper turn again towards the influences of Terry Riley with modern ambient and techno slants on Jazzloops, part of Burning Shed’s new CDR mail order releases. Hopper is an experimentalist by nature. Specifically on these looping exploits, the veteran fuzz bassist sets up throbbing backdrops for casual and intentional interjections by a cast of players ranging from his Softworks compatriots to Robert Wyatt and ex-Isotope drummer Nigel Morris. When it works it’s unsettling and a bit tense, as on “Sfrankl,” where Didier Malherbe’s spurious saxophone overlays Steve Franklin’s wash keyboard and Pip Pyle’s subtle tom-toms. When it’s at its best is on pieces such as “ACloop” where the composer’s sinister undertones and aggressive upfront playing comes to the foreground. The most gentle spot in the eleven tracks is “Digwot” that is delivered by a watery Wyatt piano loop and saxophonist Pierre-Olivier Govin’s soloing. “1212” even rocks a funky bit with Patrice Meyer riffing away in a manner that would make John Scofield smile. When there’s room for improvement is on tracks such as “L4” where possibly a stronger low end groove could have been established. Hopper’s effects-laden guitar leads are also an album high point. It almost makes you wonder if a Hopper-induced psychedelic jam with Martin, Medeski and Wood or Bill Laswell is on the horizon.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 27, 2003 releases

Related artist(s): Elton Dean, Steve Franklin, Hugh Hopper, Didier Malherbe, Simon Picard, Robert Wyatt, Patrice Meyer, John Marshall

 

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