BSPH: Velvet Underground - Loop

"Loop" is a composition by seminal American rock band Velvet Underground. Or if being exact it is a composition performed by John Cale of Velvet Underground that was released under the bands name because that is the way it happened.

It was released in 1966 on a flexi disc that came with the Third issue of Aspen magazine that was dedicated to Pop Art and curated by the bands then-manager Andy Warhol. "Loop" holds dubious honor of being the first official release by the band even though it has almost nothing to do with it. They had the spot and they filled it with something. Sometimes it happens that way.

"Loop" explores absolutely different aesthetic from VU catalogue, it is more interested in the texture of sound than grooves or melodies or straight up chaos. It sounds academic for the lack of a better word. "Loop" is more reminiscent of John Cale’s prior experiments with The Theater of Eternal Music then barbaric VU psych-outs. On the other hand – "Loop" can be considered as a mild-mannered precursor of Lou Reed’s seminal noise freak-out Metal Machine Music.

Anyway, it is always a bliss to listen to. There is this tongue in cheek pom pom pom hidden deep inside of it and it sneaks its way to the listeners mind and wrecks havoc with purposeful grimace and terrible sound.

"Loop" consists of a short viola pattern that gets repeated over and over again with more and more distortions until it turns into gloriously incomprehensible mush of noise. John Cale’s riff is a cheerful gleeful stroll to nowhere. It is sonic representation of a pointless smile that evoke solemn feeling of uncanniness. The riff goes in ebbs and flow. For a moment it overwhelms and then it back off and starts all over again. It never goes outside of its pattern.

Part of its might is in its lack of progression. It is stuck in a pattern on purpose. Utter repetition is evocative of apophenia, pareidolia and general overthinking. It pushes the music to the background and let the thoughts to mess around. After a while you start to wonder what could have been next in this composition. In a way you can hear what's coming next as the composition rapidly devolves and evolve into a volleys of noise but it never really goes further. And that is an ultimate annoyance that triggers creative interpretations.