Customer Reviews

Bathtime With

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Loop Guru was one of the groundbreakers in world music-influenced electronica, concentrating on fusing Indian music motifs with quirky synthesizer beats, sounds, and washes. Their strength lay in their ability to fashion something new, different, original from the mix of these two musical worlds. Their first studio album in five years, Bathtime does have some of the same intriguing mix, but is, unfortunately, a weaker effort.

The two pieces entitled Devotion (#1 and #4) are great examples of superior creativity applied to forging fresh sounds from Indian music-influenced electronics. Yet more often than not on this album, LG is content to noodle around with the synth and sampler, throwing in spoken word French (!), occasional gamelan, and, well, just plain noodling. Amrita, Dunya, and The Fountains of Paradise are THE Loop Guru albums to get. Sadly, this one is not.

Well, at least the first song, "Today" does. This CD is well worth purchasing if only for the eclectic blend of non-traditional music. Great for a stress-reducing evening at home.

I got this cd in the UK about a month before it was released in the US so I have had time to give this cd its fair listen, and I have to say its just great. I'm a huge fan of Loop Guru and this cd is a stand out. Track 4, Truffaut's Hat, is so beautiful, the vocals are soothing and sublime, but really each track has its own flavour and is really great. If you are a Loop Guru fan you will know some of the samples and riffs, but its all fresh and new. I have to admit after Fountains I was worried what direction these guys were heading, but with CD they are back on track with the sound we know and love. I have listened to this CD while at work, making love, cleaning the house, working out, reading and chilling out, and in each instant it worked into the situation perfectly, a nice touch of color to each aspect of my life. I hope you buy this cd and ejoy what I have been enjoying, and if you have nothing else by loop guru, by all their cd's, you will be very happy you did.

I was a little trepidatious about buying this album, after all five years is an eternity in elctronika/ambience.

You can imagine the feelings of apprehension being replaced with relief then sheer joy at the discovery of this album.

Playing it the first time was a delight at the recognition of some of the samples particularly Terry Riley with In C and Poppy Nogood and also the Neu but the album is about more than samples.

Loop Guru have created an ambience of chilled out sounds which are international yet distinctly British and yet also Indian sub-continent. Where they have done wondrous things is to create patterns of delight for imbibers and otherwise which make the album almost a single track. The tracks themselves are also like a pattern with interweaving which transcends formal boundaries. It is an inspiring album and yet it is laid back.

I love this. It reminds me so much of Quintessence in their heyday when the combination of the band's musicians in free form improvisations would generate patterns of such beauty they were ecstatic in nature.

What a difference the conjunction of cultures has made to Britsh society and art. This is the music of Henley and cricket as much as the music of Birmingham and London. Music of the spheres, of the Ganges and the Thames. The sun may have set on the British Empire but it is certainly rising again on British music and popular culture.

Long Live Loop Guru!

now I know that I could make it as a musical artist if this junk can be produced. Good Lord!