Track 1 recorded in 1995. Electronics recorded in 2015
Track 2 recorded in 2015. Prepared Guitar and Percussion.
Track 3 recorded in 2010. Electronics
Track 4 recorded in 2015 / 2013.
Track 5 recorded in 2015. Piano.
Track 6 recorded in 2004. Piano and Electronics.
Track 7 recorded in 2011. Electronics.
Track 8 recorded in 2015. Field Recordings and Electronics.
Track 9 recorded in 2012. Keyboard (played by M.B.)
All songs recorded, produced, and performed by Hoops, unless otherwise noted. (N.B. Part of track 1 was not recorded by Hoops, though he was present for the service.)
hoops23.bandcamp.com
This is very intimate. This is like a small delicate noise diary. Little found moments, signal noise, tape manipulatios… they are seem so sweet and delicate. Yeah, delicate. That is what i would use to describe most of this. I like it. It feels like seeing a show in someone’s bedroom with just you and two other people you’ve never met. I’m into it.
It looks pretty good. It has this faraway memory vibe that goes with the audio. The type is fine. Nothing to complain about here… -Dead Formats
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Here’s a collection of musique concrete pieces, prepared/distorted piano/guitar amblings and harsh noises out of Salt Lake City. Tracks 3 & 7 stood out as great textural explorations, and 8 was otherworldly, making me constantly question whether the tuba(?) notes were being slowed down, the field recording was in an abandoned Olympic indoor swimming pool (next to a construction site and a dog park?), or a mix of the two. Those three tracks, in my absolutely pious opinion, are worth repeated listens, but not so much the rest. The download on bandcamp is free, though, so, if you’re into this kinda thing, happy fucking birthday.
-Cassette Gods
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One of the reasons I enjoy cut-up, experimental-collage sound recordings is the total disregard of the legalities of using samples. Hoops are no exception with this digital and cassette release. One of my favorite illegal samples is in the track “We Say These Things in the Name of Jesus Christ,” which has a hee-haw, ho-down moment with Alabama’s “Mountain Music.” This recording also comprises lots of other noises and field-recording-type sounds. I prefer the cut-up experimentation stuff to the long sound-loop tracks, but I think that they would be better pressed as lock grooves on a 7”, allowing the listener to manipulate and interact. You can download A Whiff of Spirits for free, or if you contact the project, they will give you a cassette—just pay postage. Do yourself a favor and check it out. –Mort Kilgore
released April 6, 2015