Overview
Loop are an English rock band, formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson in Croydon. The group topped the UK independent charts with their albums Fade Out (1989) and A Gilded Eternity (1990). Their dissonant "trance-rock" sound drew on the work of artists like the Stooges and Can, and helped to resurrect the concept of space rock in the late 1980s.
The group split in 1991, with Hampson going on to form the experimental project Main with guitarist Scott Dawson, and Mackay and Wills forming The Hair and Skin Trading Company. In 2013, the 1989–90 line-up of Hampson, Dawson, John Wills, and Neil Mackay briefly reformed for a series of gigs, and the following year Hampson unveiled a new line-up of the band with himself as the sole original member.
Career
Loop were formed in 1986 by Robert Hampson (vocals, guitar), with his then-girlfriend Becky Stewart on drums. Stewart was later replaced by John Wills (The Servants) and Glen Ray, with James Endeacott on guitar. Their sound was influenced by Krautrock and No Wave influences and relied heavily on three chord riffs. Initially releasing records on Jeff Barrett's Head label, their first release was 1987's "16 Dreams", with debut album Heaven's End following later that year. The band was then signed up by Chapter 22 Records.
Loop returned with a more polished sound with the "Collision" single in 1988. A second album Fade Out followed in 1989, reaching No. 51 on the UK album chart. Endeacott left the band in 1988, Scott Dowson joined the following year. They changed labels again to Beggars Banquet subsidiary Situation Two, releasing the "Arc-Lite" single in 1989 and the third and final studio album A Gilded Eternity in 1990. The band played at the Reading Festival in 1989.
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