1 One 72:16
In early 2003, ambient guitarist Aidan Baker released the album of Loop Studies on the German label Laub and had another one scheduled for release on Mira Records. Working under the pseudonym Cymbl, Richard Baker (no family relation, but he plays percussion in Aidan's group ARC) used the material from both discs to create a single 72-minute remix. Aidan's pieces showed subtle melodic and rhythmic components, along with a certain form of structure. Richard's remix flattens out these elements to come up with a drone that could go on endlessly. The original material is transformed enough to justify the existence of this piece, but it lacks a bit of meat to be worthwhile. The piece fails to capture the listener's attention for its whole duration; but that may not be its aim. The first Loop Studies sucked listeners in, keeping them mesmerized, but Loop Studies Remixed is an album that you leave playing in the background while periodically drifting away and coming back. The guitar soundscapes have also acquired a synthesized quality that brings the music closer to mainstream ambient music. The remixing job is seamless, very artistic, and even plastic, but it doesn't soar or dive; it just remains there, hovering in the room for more than an hour.
All Music Guide
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