Loop on “Sonancy”
Founder Member Robert Hampson Discusses Their First New Album in 32 Years
Mar 17, 2022
Photography by Simon Holliday
Web Exclusive
With a penchant for heavy psychedelia infused with elements of Krautrock and post-punk, Loop were one of the most innovative bands to emerge from the mid- to late-‘80s independent scene. Formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson, Loop went through a number of different line-ups and released three seminal and critically acclaimed albums in the shape of 1987 debut Heaven’s End, its follow-up Fade Out two years later, then A Gilded Eternity in 1990, before splitting just a few months later.
Having attained a coveted Top 40 placing with A Gilded Eternity while also regularly scoring number ones in the Indie Singles charts, the split seemed to coincide with Loop’s ascendancy, with their final tour selling out the largest venues they’d played to date.
Fast forward to 2013 and Hampson got the Gilded Eternity line-up back together for a series of shows orchestrated by All Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP). Nevertheless, once those dates had been completed, the band once again went their separate ways before Hampson returned once more in 2015 with a brand new line-up and Loop’s first new music in nearly a quarter of a century.
Recruiting rhythm section Hugo Morgan (bass) and Wayne Maskell (drums), who also play in Bristol psych outfit The Heads, alongside guitarist Dan Boyd with Hampson taking lead guitar and vocals, the 21st century incarnation of Loop actually put out their first new music seven years ago courtesy of the Array 1 EP. Initially muted as being the first in a three part series, it seemed the band had once again gone into creative hiatus until their new album, Sonancy, their first in 32 years, was announced in November of last year.
The album has so far been preceded by two singles, “Halo” and “Fermion,” both of which retain that classic Loop sound yet at the same time continue Hampson’s quest to keeping pushing things forward. It’s already shaping up to be one of 2022’s most eagerly anticipated long players. Robert Hampson takes up the story of its origins.
“We started making the album two years ago,” he says. “At the time we didn’t have a deal. We spoke to a few labels, such as Reactor. But they mainly handle reissues so there was no money to invest in studio time. We spoke to Rocket as well as we had new material floating about at that point, but again they didn’t really have the finances. They’re only a small label so I’m grateful to them for offering and trying to help us out.
“Then Cooking Vinyl got involved to license the record. I’d written it in demo form then went in the studio just over a year ago to record it. Maybe even longer. COVID stopped everything. Whenever we started it kept getting interrupted by COVID. In total, I’d say the album took between three and six months to make. We weren’t allowed to be in the studio at the same time unlike someone I could name. (I fucking hate the Tories!)
“There were lots of delays, so we put the finishing touches to it about a year ago. Since then, vinyl shortages have pushed it back, and stocks got damaged so it’s not coming out until 25th March now.”
Sonancy will also see Loop link up with esteemed psych imprint Fuzz Club for the first time.
“I had nothing to do with that personally,” Hampson explains. “Fuzz Club approached Cooking Vinyl to put out a limited edition vinyl. They’re very well connected so we would have been stupid to refuse. We’re part of that scene so very much embrace labels like Fuzz Club. You have to take whatever you can get in the current climate, although I was still very conscious about putting out different editions of the vinyl. I don’t want our fanbase to feel we’re taking advantage of them. Levitation are putting out a limited edition of the album as well, but after that enough’s enough. We don’t want any more limited editions.”
While the present line-up of the band has been in place for over seven years, to many onlookers they’re still seen as being “new”. Nevertheless, Sonancy is still very much a Robert Hampson creation.
“I did all the guitar parts,” says the amiable frontman. “I had a pretty good idea from the outset how I wanted this album to sound. So I wrote all of the songs, including the bass and drum parts as well. Not being a drummer myself, I wrote rudimentary drum machine patterns for Wayne [Maskell] in the same way I did for Array 1. Then he made it his own as well. It’s a very minimalistic, Krautrock sound. Quite tribal too. We were after a drum sound that came from the more progressive post-punk bands like The Pop Group, the Bunnymen, or Siouxsie & The Banshees. Pete De Freitas is Wayne’s favorite drummer, and this is very different to what he does in The Heads. There’s very different edge and he gets to expand the sound so its much more driving and percussive.
“The post-punk element came to the fore early on. There’s absolutely no guitar solos on this album, just rhythms and counter rhythms. Repetition is our trademark. This was even more minimalist than our other records. We didn’t use any guitar overdubs. It was quite simple, getting rid of elements like acidic guitar sounds. I’d say Sonancy is very taut, very tight, almost forceful.
“I’m not saying we’re ever going to turn into Fairport Convention either, but this record has an identity and I hope that becomes clear. Because of the length of time since our last album, it was important for us not to remake A Gilded Eternity.”
When talking about the Array 1 EP, Hampson is pretty unequivocal.
“Sonancy is entirely different to Array 1, but not necessarily the other two EPs. So I hope we can return to those soon. The energy was more forceful and I wanted to make sure nothing lasted more than five minutes,” he says.
Nevertheless, the line-up that created A Gilded Eternity is often talked about as being the “classic Loop line-up,” which when revisiting the band’s back catalogue then hearing the new album does seem a little unfair.
“Absolutely!” agrees Hampson. “It would be unfair to say that line-up was best in the same way it would be unfair to say this is either. Every Loop line-up—from the early days where we just used a snare and floor tom—has played an integral part in this band’s history. It’s always been unfortunate some have been and gone. It’s not that we’ve really fallen out, just more of an evolution from those minimalist beginnings to becoming a four-piece guitar band. Everybody has their place in the history of Loop. It’s just the nature of the beast we’ve mutated and moved on.”
However, in an interview with Drowned in Sound back in 2013, Hampson said at the time there were no plans to record new music. So what changed?
“It wasn’t intended to be about new music,” he confirms. “It was impossible to try and focus on writing songs. Our focus was about trying to make the live show work again after 25 years. We had no aspirations at the time to take it further. When those shows came to an end, I had surplus energy. What entailed was mutating the line-up again. I reassured myself with the other people this was the right thing to do. Everyone was very supportive. I am the founding member of Loop even though I’m no Mark E. Smith. With every album I’ve tried to keep the Loop personnel fairly anonymous. I always found it superfluous. Loop were always about the music not the people making it. We’re not that important. All the energy is focused on the music. It’s about the creative energy we all bring, particularly with the live shows which are all encompassing.”
Debut album Heaven’s End will be thirty-five years old in August, yet Hampson isn’t one for commemorative shows or anniversary tours.
“It’s a resounding NO on every level!” he insists. “I refuse to do it. When ATP approached me in 2013, Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai wanted us to play the whole of A Gilded Eternity and I refused. If other bands want to do it that’s their prerogative, but for me personally it’s a no. I don’t think we ever will unless all of the members that played on a particular record were up for doing it.”
“We can play a whole set now that has no old material,” Hampson continues. “Obviously we do feel obliged to play some of the older songs, but I think playing an album in full from start to finish would be a step too far. I don’t feel there’s any need to do it. I don’t ever want to be accused of being overly nostalgic. At the end of the day, I’ve got the taste for writing new material. It’s the consequences of having no money. You just have to get on with it. The proof is in the pudding with the new album that we aren’t an afterthought. I’m hoping new fans will hear us for the first time and go, ‘What the fuck is this?’”
Obviously as the global COVID-19 pandemic played havoc with tour schedules, Loop’s live commitments had to be jettisoned for the time being. Although Hampson is confident something will happen later this year.
“We had some shows previously booked that weren’t announced,” he reveals. “They fell by the wayside, but we’re hoping to announce some soon. We just want people to be safe at our shows. COVID hasn’t just disappeared despite what our prime minister says.”
With nearly four decades experience of playing in bands, Hampson is quite reticent when it comes to advising the next generation of soundheads.
“Get a proper job!” he declares, half-jokingly. “I’m fucking sick and tired of being treated so what I create is free. It comes with the self-entitlement in society. Stealing music for free. I get 0.02p per play every time a song of mine gets played on Spotify. How can that be right? We as musicians deserve decent royalties. It shouldn’t be for free. I have given away music for free over the years and have no objection if its on my terms. That’s my choice. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t get paid through streaming services like Spotify either. It’s not just stealing, it also prevents musicians being able to generate earnings. I don’t have another job. This is what I do, and I get that being poor is part and parcel of being a musician.
“But the musician’s union are ineffectual when it comes to this kind of thing. Some people have downloaded the new album off file sharing sites then posted about it on Loop fan pages. I don’t believe everyone that’s downloaded the album ends up buying it afterwards. The model has to change. It’s great for consumers to pay a subscription fee of £10 a month then access as much music as they want, but it doesn’t translate into royalties for the artists. I don’t care if I get thrown off Spotify or told off by the record label. I have to bite my tongue because it’s so intrinsic with the running of the industry.
“At the same time I’m being a hypocrite about making it happen. I have to look at it objectively that if 20 or 30 people get to hear Loop for the first time, like our music and buy an album or a ticket to a show, then that can only be a good thing. It’s exactly the same as it was 30-40 years ago only the streaming services are in control rather than the record companies.
“It sounds like I have a grudge but I haven’t. It’s like politics. The rich will always get richer while the poorest struggle to make ends meet. We need to look at the way we are dealing with each other. The way we are dealing with theft. The Tories are a bunch of thieves. They don’t care. So it’s up to us to change it and start fighting back.”
Sonancy is out on Friday 25th March through Cooking Vinyl/Fuzz Club.
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