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LOOM

Progressive Electronic • Germany


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Loom biography
LOOM is a progressive electronic band formed by ex-TANGERINE DREAM members Jerome FROESE and Johannes SCHMOELLING. After FROESE stopped being an active part of TANGERINE DREAM in 2006, he worked on more of his solo material on which he started collaborating with SCHMOELLING (member of TD in the period 1979-1985). In 2011 they extended this collaboration into a full fledged band with the addition of another electronic musician Robert WATERS and released their first EP '100 001' in 2011. Couple of records later, LOOM is still working on new material and performing live, continuing the tradition of TANGERINE DREAM with the injection of modern sound created by FROESE's guitar playing and electronica influences.

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LOOM discography


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LOOM top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.23 | 7 ratings
The Tree Hates The Forest
2013

LOOM Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 3 ratings
Scored
2012
4.00 | 2 ratings
Years in Music
2016

LOOM Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

LOOM Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

LOOM Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.09 | 3 ratings
100 001
2011
4.00 | 2 ratings
200 002
2013
2.18 | 3 ratings
300 003
2016

LOOM Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 300 003 by LOOM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2016
2.18 | 3 ratings

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300 003
Loom Progressive Electronic

Review by patrickq
Prog Reviewer

2 stars First I'll say what many may already know, that Loom is* a Tangerine Dream spinoff, comprised of Robert Waters (Wässer) and ex-TD members Johannes Schmoelling and Jerome Froese. According to discogs.com, only five hundred copies were manufactured of the 300 003 CD, which was issued by Froese's Moonpop label. It is available for download on itunes.com and probably via other outlets as well.

I'm by no means familiar with the complete TD oeuvre, but this certainly seems like a logical extension of the group's post-1973 work. Whereas the group's earliest compositions were at times amorphic, often frenetic, and occasionally avant-garde, 300 003 is anything but.

I know it's a cliché, but most of 300 003 strikes me as having been stitched together from Apple Loops during someone's lunch break. If there's an exception, it's the section in the middle of "Time Scanner" (from 2:30 to 3:30) which sounds like a 1990s remake of a 1980s action-movie soundtrack theme, and it's the only part of the EP with much character. The first cut, "Below the Playfield," is inoffensive background music, perhaps suited to an online slide show whose content isn't known in advance, or to a generic DVD menu; and "Bit Byter" is an anonymous new-age piece, complete with faux choir. Slowed down a bit, "Bit Byter" could be developed into a decent Enya song.

Maybe that's my issue with 300 003: to me it's a handful of foundations waiting for something to be built upon them, or maybe three portions of unbaked dough. Now don't get me wrong - - progressive-electronic music needn't be filigreed architecture or fancy pastry to interest me; I count ex-TD member Klaus Schulze's Mirage among the very best of the subgenre. But whereas the sixteen-minute 300 003 explores more musical landscape than both half-hour-long tracks on Mirage combined, Schulze is able to achieve a less-is-more aesthetic via minute variations over those extended runtimes. There's little reason to suspect Loom approached 300 003 from that frame of reference.

Maybe Loom will regroup at some point and expand parts or all of this EP into an album-length work - - and maybe then 300 003 will be an interesting germ.

====

*or perhaps was - - this 2016 EP was the group's last release, as far as I know. And the group's facebook page was last updated in June 2017.

 The Tree Hates The Forest by LOOM album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.23 | 7 ratings

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The Tree Hates The Forest
Loom Progressive Electronic

Review by admireArt
Prog Reviewer

3 stars The return of the prodigal son.

So if mostly everyone is recreating his dad´s harvest why not Jerome Froese, Edgar´s offspring.

Alongside also former Tangerine Dream member Johannes Schmoelling & electronic musician Robert Waters, Jerome takes off to kind of rebuild an independent electronic project band and christenings it LOOM.

Well as you know the apple rarely falls far from its tree, even if "The Tree Hates The Forest" (2013), as this 10 track album is named.

Now as I know I am talking to quiet few readers I have to declare I have no ties or obligation to no band or musician but the great expectation whatsoever of listening to great music, but mostly if it is original in its composition, which by no means can be substituted with new instruments or new-flanged sounds.

TD was a monster band in these fields. Its shadow is huge, and yes, well deserved. Most of the E. Prog followers expect their sound even when listening to other fellow musicians. They would rave over this undercovered version of a "modern" TD, which updates their sound in contemporary terms as far as sound engineering and sounds as such go.

But as I mentioned even if this album is full of very original and enticing sections it also shows in between lots of borrowed ideas from the dream team, which actually withhold what could have been a very good first full album. But then again this is a first release which promises, if it frees itself from personal attachments, a better output next time.

As far as the rating goes, as mentioned, a must for TD´s hard core followers. For the rest a very good first but kind of angers me the fact that the excellent & original sections are overshadowed blatantly, more than once or thrice, with borrowed musical language.

3.5 stars.

 100 001 by LOOM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2011
3.09 | 3 ratings

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100 001
Loom Progressive Electronic

Review by admireArt
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Well how can I complain about it sounding like Tangerine Dream?

Jerome FROESE (Tangerine Dream's former-member for over 15 years, he left in 2006 and of course son of Edgar founding member ) and Johannes SCHMOELLING (member of TD in the period 1979-1985) + Robert Waters (non related to TD) gave form to LOOM an outside of TD project by the prodigal son himself.

"100 001", launched in 2011, as an introductory EP release to this Progressive/Electronic formation, states it clear that it will be almost impossible to depart from the "Great White Eagle" influence over decades and well, as my own father used to say, "blood is not chocolate milk".

So even though Jerome has made it quiet clear that "Tangerine Dream was my Dad and my Dad is dead and so is Tangerine Dream.", the apple does not fall that far from the tree. And in addition how can I complain if lots (not all) of the newer thrills of TD's 80's era, were provided by the son himself.

Now, as I have made it quiet clear, I am no big fan of the Tangerine Dream's 80's (or later releases), they fed upon a lot of outside of prog influences (shamelessly, more than once).

But back to this review, I will be a fool not to admit that this EP's 4 tracks have been meticously written, crafted and performed. Its melody lines are intelligent even though they will instantly remind you of the 80's and later, TD's "happy" melody lines, which as I have over-mentioned, would have been strange (and magnificent) not to sound like.

So welcome LOOM to this PA's Progressive/Electronic world you die-hard TD audiophiles, I can bet you will not be disappointed!

I myself will rate it good but not groundbreaking at all ***3 PA stars.

Thanks to historian9 for the artist addition.

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