“In the second half of the 1980’s Loop were one of a trio of English groups who used a blueprint of ‘69 influenced pyschedelia to create something startlingly original... LOOP drew on the primal force of predecessors such as VU, The stooges and Suicide as a launchpad for their own excursions into the realms of mind expansion.” Mojo

“Extraordinary” Uncut

“a perfect soundtrack as heaven burns and crapitalism falls in its grave” Flux Magazine

REACTOR in conjunction with FORTE DISTRIBUTION is very happy to announce an overdue reissue programme of the long out of print albums / material by LOOP, “Britain's most uncompromisingly hypnotic rock soundheads” (Flux Magazine)

Remastered from the original analogue sources, the first 2 releases, ‘Heaven’s End’ and ‘Fade Out’ will be released as double discs on 17th November (via Forte) and housed in a mini vinyl style card sleeve, reproducing the original artwork. Both albums will be also be made available digitally for the first time.

The band’s further two albums, The World In Your Eyes, and Gilded Eternity are currently being re-mastered for release next year with The World In Your Eyes being released as a 3 volume CD set, and Gilded Eternity as a double CD.

All due care has been taken to release everything that is available in some chronological order, though sadly a couple of tapes have been too badly damaged or lost to make a complete edition, but these will be the definitive editions...there won't be any 'special editions' to rip you off with, that's a promise.

Both albums will be released with re-mastered extra material from the relevant chronological time frame as the main album: The album in its entirety on CD 1, with the bonus tracks (including relevant Peel session material from the time) on CD 2, the bonus material will be available on CD formats only.

The LP versions of the albums will be released on a limited run as 180gr pressings in 2009.

Loop was formed in London in 1986 by Robert Hampson (vocals/guitars) and partner Beki Stewart (Bex) on drums. After finding Glen Ray on bass, through an advert in Melody Maker, they performed live and were quickly signed to HEAD run by Jeff Barrett (Heavenly). Releasing their debut – the feedback drenched 12” 16 Dreams. They were soon joined by James Endeacott (on second guitar) and then with the arrival of new drummer John Wills and bassist Neil MacKay the band were to take a more primal rhythmic foundation which led to the release of their debut full-length Heavens End (1987).

The band managed to hypnotise all with their discordant trance-like spell which served as an antidote to the prevailing trend in British pop at the time - they resurrected the concept of Loud out there-rock for a new era, creating droning soundscapes of bleak beauty and harsh dissonance, loosely influenced by bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The MC5, but retaining an avant-garde and experimental edge from Can, Faust, Neu!, Rhys Chatham, Glenn Branca and minimalist systems music, to name but a few. Live shows were revelatory, Loop allowing LOUD as an constant descriptive term, they pushed PAs to the very edge of their existence, creating a sonic pummel not really experienced since.

A collection of singles and B-sides, The World in Your Eyes, appeared in 1987 after which the band signing to the Chapter 22 label and releasing the 12" Collision and their second full-length, Fade Out.
Following another label change, this time to Situation Two records, the band added a second guitarist, Scott Dowson. The band’s 3rd and final album, A Gilded Eternity was to be released in 1990 and, after 4 years of pushing the boundaries, the band disbanded with only a BBC sessions collection Wolf Flow released after the band’s demise.

A Few Words from Robert Hampson….
For the past few days, I have been attending to the re-mastering of Heaven's End. You will be pleased to hear that all went very well, the original master tapes were in very good shape and with the aid of the genius who is Kevin Metcalfe, got everything to sound very ship shape for the CD reissue. In fact, it's probably never sounded so good.
So, for the Heaven's End reissue, a 2 CD set will be issued with the original album on CD1. CD2 will feature the only true outtake from the H E sessions, Rocket USA. Also found from the archive are two different mixes of Soundhead and Head On which have never been released in any form before, and rounded up with the first John Peel Session.

I have tried to keep everything in these reissues relative to the time frame and situations they were developed in, chronologically speaking, so I hope you will forgive if some 'extra/bonus' material seems scant. But, in all truth, there really was not that much - we never did outtakes and the like, never had the time or the money for excessive studio times. But I can reassure you that all is being done to make everything that is there available and to sound the best it ever has for CD

Fade Out has also now been remastered and sounding very good it is too! Again, the reissue will be a two CD set, with Fade Out on CD1. CD2 will include the 2nd Peel Session and 4 different mixes of Fade Out material.

There were some 5 demos of Fade Out recorded at The House In The Woods studio, but I'm afraid the master tape of these has long since disappeared, I can't even track down a cassette copy.
Robert Hampson August 2008

TRACKLISTINGS

HEAVEN'S END
CD1
Soundhead
Straight To Your Heart
Forever
Heaven's End
Too Real To Feel
Fix To Fall
Head On
Carry Me

HEAVEN'S END
CD2
Rocket USA
Soundhead (1st Mix)
Head On (1st Mix)
Soundhead (Peel Session 1)
Straight To Your Heart (Peel Session 1)
Rocket USA (Peel Session 1)

FADE OUT
CD1
Black Sun
This Is Where You End
Fever Knife
Torched
Fade Out
Pulse
A Vision Stain
Got To Get It Over

FADE OUT
CD2
Black Sun (Feedback)
Torched (1st Mix)
Got To Get It Over (1st Mix)
This Is Where You End (House In The Woods Demo Mix no. 7)
Pulse (Peel Session 2)
This Is Where You End (Peel Session 2)
Collision (Peel Session 2)
Fade Out Guitar Loops
(House In The Woods Recording June 88)
I, II, III, IV, V