On Friday, January 5, The Brightside will host On Repeat, Volume 2, a showcase of four regional musicians who use sound looping in their performances. Vibes, a Dayton musician and event organizer, spoke with Kaleidoscope host Juliet Fromholt about the concert, which will feature Isicle, Mt. Analogue, Kyleen Downes, and Sara Similar. Vibes explained why he wanted to create an evening of music dedicated to looping, a technology that allows musicians to construct tapestries of sound in real time by layering recordings on top of each other.
“My goal overall with these events is to get people more into music. Looping itself is a super accessible way to do that, because it's very hands-on—you can delete things, you can [add things]. And it's all on the spot. It's very playful and on the surface, and you don't have to reach very deep to get the music going. And so I wanted to showcase some awesome loopers in Dayton that have fleshed out this workflow and have really found their voice within it.”
Looping isn’t restricted to one particular genre of music. The artists slated to perform at On Repeat, represent a range of styles, from different varieties of electronic dance music (Isicle and Mt. Analogue) to indie rock (Kyleen Downes) and experimental (Sara Similar). What draws the four performers together, Vibes told Juliet, is the spontaneity of their live performances.
“One thing to pay attention to is how the artists are listening to what is being produced. Because the thing about looping is that it's like building blocks—you have to listen to what you've already built to figure out what can go on top of it. So they're feeling and hearing the gaps, and they're going to try to fill them with whatever next piece they put into the puzzle. You can see how they see the picture as they go.”
Vibes feels that the spontaneous nature of live looping even has an existential quality. “It really inspires me, because music is, to me, at its core, an expression of self,” he said. “Practicing quickly creating music on the spot... allows you to arrive in life in every moment more authentically and more fully.” He also shared one piece of advice for anyone interested in using looping in their own music: don’t buy a load of expensive musical equipment. Instead, he encouraged would-be loopers to get creative with the gear they already have on hand.
“There are endless amounts of gear out there, so you can always buy something new. But it's important to know what you already have and get to know it pretty well, and then figure out where there’s friction in your process and start looking for ways to resolve or smooth that friction out.”
To learn more about the artists performing at Repeat, Volume 2, visit the Brightside's website. Doors to the show open at 7:00pm and tickets are available online in advance for $10, or at the door for $15.
Text by Peter Day, adapted from a live interview recorded by Juliet Fromholt on January 3, 2024.
