Loop Recordings: Cycling at 50Hz

Just as The D4 and The Datsuns have been rocking British stages this year, New Zealand electronica has also enjoyed its time in the sun this past northern hemisphere summer.

A host of our leading electronic dance musicians, including Pitch Black, Fat Freddy's Drop, International Observer and Salmonella Dub played 'Return of the Aotearoanz', a special showcase event held in July at exclusive London nightclub Fabric. Billed as the successor to 2000's 'The Underground Sounds Of The Aotearoanz', which happened at the smaller but equally sold-out Cargo venue, 'Return of the Aotearoanz' also launched Wellington label LOOP Recordings Aot(ear)oa into the highly competitive UK dance music market.

Since forming out of the financial ashes of the magazine of the same name, LOOP has rapidly established itself as one of NZ's more prolific electronic dance labels outside of Kog Transmissions. LOOP's rapid ascent has perhaps not been all that surprising given that the cover-mounted CD was the best part of the magazine for many readers. After the magazine's founders Swarm Ltd closed in early 2001, current director Hannah Cornwell purchased the LOOP brand name and recruited old hands Andy Mitchell and Mikee Tucker to respectively act as label and promotions managers.

"Part of LOOP's original vision statement was to be a 'time capsule of creative culture'," states Tucker. "The NZ music cover CD/CD-Roms were a way of facilitating this vision by supplying fresh, innovative audio and audio visual content to readers. The 10 free cover CDs started the ball rolling. For example, the first one back in December 1998 included the first ever tracks from people like Cuffy and Leon D, Twinset, TrinityRoots, Ebb and The Black Seeds. The LOOP CDs provided a chance for unknown artists to get exposed and created a scene around them that has kept evolving ever since.

"When the magazine folded some of the acts and musicians we had supported were ready to release their own stuff. This provided an opportunity for a label as there was still demand for the LOOP sound and respect from the artists had been established."

LOOP's roster of artists, which currently includes The Black Seeds, Rhian Sheehan, Ebb and now 50Hz, have all been Wellington-based.

"It's easy to work closely with artists who are locally based, but our compilations have always encompassed music from artists based all over NZ," says Tucker. "We are selective about who we want on the label as we want to continue the high standards we have been recognised for thus far. Our main focus is electronic, dub, reggae and jazz, but basically we are into everything of a high standard with a Pacific influence - except rock, pop and classical."

After concentrating on NZ during their first 12 months of operation, LOOP have turned their attention to the highly-prized UK market, where their entry into one of the most cutthroat music markets in the world has been greatly assisted by their London-based UK label manager Charlie Kirby-Welch, who also runs Soho dance music store, Vinyl Junkies.

"I became involved in LOOP through meeting Mikee at the Midem Music Conference in France," says Kirby-Welch. "I was attracted obviously to the music but more so to the mentality behind LOOP as a label, which focuses on its artists and their development. This is a crucial element of being a successful label."

Kirby-Welch, who admits to being impressed not only by LOOP artists but other Kiwi acts like Fat Freddy's Drop and TrinityRoots, secured the prestigious Fabric venue for The Return of the Aotearoanz gig and worked closely with main promoter Jasper from Crazy Baldhead Ltd.

"We will definitely hold it again next year as it was a huge success," says Kirby-Welch. "Salmonella Dub, Pitch Black, Ebb and Fat Freddy's Drop rocked Fabric. The owner of the club said that it was his favourite night there in years which is a great compliment, considering the calibre of artists who play there regularly. NZ music has potential in Britain. The UK is one of the most saturated markets, to be successful you need to stand out. Bands such as The Black Seeds, Ebb, Fat Freddy's and TrinityRoots have the potential to do that. You can take the example of (Kiwi ex-pats) Nathan Haines and Mark de Clive-Lowe, who are UK residents. The real challenge is to be successful in NZ first and foremost, being the native land, and beyond that achieving success in other major territories. That is LOOP's mission."

After a busy 2001, LOOP have been relatively quiet this year, to date only releasing The Black Seeds' remix album, 'The Green Room' and 'LOOP 003 Select' compilations and 'Carbon', the sophomore long player by 50Hz, aka fellow Wellingtonian Jeremy Geor.

'Carbon,' the long awaited sequel to 1997's jazzy drum 'n' bass-inspired 'Cyclehum', is significantly more ambitious effort than its predecessor as it embraces other genres including breakbeat, hip-hop and garage. Geor has also collaborated with numerous live musicians and vocalists including Pepsi Demacque of Pepsi & Shirley and Wham fame, Verse Two's Ladi 6, aka Karoline Tamati of the now defunct Sheelahroc, Miss La from Auckland jazz outfit The Torch Set, Conrad Noema from Maori r 'n' b group Maia and Barnaby Weir from The Black Seeds.

"I really enjoyed working with vocalists," says Geor. "In between albums, I've produced a couple of albums with people and really enjoyed that experience. It's interesting how a musician can effect a project. And having a half and half feel on the album, half slow half fast, is not really a concern, although there is some anxiety attached to it. But a good tune is a good tune and you'll like it for being a good tune. At least, that's what I figure."