Loop Guru is a worldbeat group consisting of bassist/guitarist Salman Gita (born Sam Dodson) and programmer Jamuud (born David Muddyman). They first met around 1980, initially played together in the Transmitters and released their debut single as Loop Guru, The Shrine, in 1992. The band's music is a melange of Asian and Western music, infusing Western dance beats with the rich textures and sounds of Indonesian gamelan and traditional Indian music. Heavy emphasis is placed on electronic samples of traditional instruments, voices, and miscellaneous sounds.
Loop Guru's main exuberant oeuvre of lively rhythms and effusive sounds is occasionally punctuated by more contemplative albums (e.g. The Third Chamber) that are reminiscent of and influenced by ambient music and are similar to musical artists such as Brian Eno and Jon Hassell... (Read more). AllMusic claim they "deftly combined old-world music and sound with new-world attitude and technology." The band function as a musical collective, rarely playing two gigs with the same lineup.
Links to Peel[]
The Transmitters recorded two Peel sessions, and some 14 years later guitarist Dodson found himself being played by JP again: spins of their early releases led to the first session, which, given the band's predilection for unusual titles for their songs, unsurprisingly featured esoteric instrumental roles (Speechless on 'hypnorthymic therapy', Zahrema on 'zahremics', and Mad Jym on 'quantum metallics'). Kindred spirits Zion Train worked on remixes for them.
The band played at the Phoenix Festival in 1993, and John recalled spending an hour in a tent with them, describing it as the perfect antidote to the horrors of the main stage. [1] Despite John's consistent support, however, the group do not seem to have captured the attention of his audience in the same way: they failed to gain a single Festive Fifty entry, and their last session in 1997 also spelled the end of airplay for them on Kat's Karavan.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- None
Sessions[]
- Five sessions, all recorded in the band's own studio. 'Zahrema's House', 'Panandarama' and 'H'Ashra' from session #1; 'Words Shaking', 'Sumar' and 'Skidoo' from session #2; and all of #3 and #4 available on Moksha - Peel To Reveal (Strange Fruit). 'Aphrodite's Shoes' and 'Paradigm Shuffle Dreaming With Kings' available on Inner Nation - The Peel Sessions (Nation / Strange Fruit).
1. Recorded: unknown. First broadcast: 15 May 1993. Repeated: 29 October 1993.
- Aphrodite's Shoes / Paradigm Shuffle Dreaming With Kings / Zahrema's House / Pandanrama / H'Ashra
2. Recorded: 1993-12-01. First broadcast: 22 January 1994. Repeated: 15 October 1994.
- Words Shaking / This Bird Has Flown / Under Influence / Skidoo / Sumar
3. Recorded: unknown. First broadcast: 25 March 1995. Repeated: none.
- Soulus v The Jungle Tree Surgery Variations / 333 Getting There / Yugoslavian Expedition To Brentford / Fumi Spread Thickly / Epic Song
4. Recorded: 1996-03-02. First broadcast: 30 March 1996. Repeated: none.
- Diwanatactics / The Other Side Of The Other Side / Feeling Thinking Action / White Joy Mystery
5. Recorded: 1997-02-01. First broadcast: 26 March 1997. Repeated: none.
- Jackdaw / Gunung / One Note Samba / Caravan
Other Shows Played[]
- 1992
- 30 October 1992: 'Mrabet (12"-The Shrine)' (Nation)
- 14 November 1992: 'Mrabet (12"-The Shrine)' (Nation)
- 15 November 1992 (BFBS): 'Mrabet (12"-The Shrine)' (Nation)
- 1993
- 23 July 1993: Paradigm Shuffle ( Paradigm Shuffle / Hope) Nation Records - NR 019
- 24 July 1993: 'Hope (The Original Sin) (12"–Paradigm Shuffle)’ (Nation)
- 26 July 1993 (BBC World Service): Paradigm Shuffle (Dreaming With Kings) (12" - Paradigm Shuffle / Hope) Nation
- 01 August 1993 (BFBS): 'Paradigm Shuffle (12")' (Nation)
- 14 August 1993: Paradigm Shuffle (12") Nation NR 019T
- 18 December 1993: ‘Sus-San-Ticks (Sensual A-Version) (12")’ (Nation)
- 1994
- January 1994 (4) (BBC World Service): 'Sus-San (unknown mix) (CDS-Sus-San-Ticks (5-10)' (Nation)
- 14 January 1994: ‘Sus-San-Ticks (Sensual A-Version) (12")’ (Nation)
- 05 February 1994 (BFBS): Sus-San (unknown mix) (CD - Sus-San-Tics (5-10) Nation
- 08 April 1994: 'Jungle A (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 09 April 1994: Freedom From The Known (CD – Duniya) Nation
- 15 April 1994: 'Hymn (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 16 April 1994: 'Bangdad (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 16 April 1994 (BBC World Service): 'Hymn (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 22 April 1994: 'Hymn (Amazonian Mix) (12"-Duniya Mixes)' (Nation)
- 23 April 1994: 'Thru Cinemas (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 29 April 1994: 'Senseless (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 30 April 1994 (BFBS): Hymn (Amazonian Mix) (12" - Duniya Remixes) Nation
- 07 May 1994: Freedom From The Known (CD – Duniya )’ Nation
- 07 May 1994 (BBC World Service): 'Bangdad (CD-The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy)' (Nation)
- 14 May 1994 (BBC World Service): 'Senseless (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 20 May 1994: 'Hymn (Amazonia Mix) (12"-Duniya Remixes)' (Nation)
- 21 May 1994 (BFBS): 'Freedom From The Known (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 28 May 1994: Freedom [Architecture Mix] (12 inch - Duniya Remixes) Nation
- 03 June 1994: Senseless (Soup Warrior Mix) (12" - Duniya Remixes) Nation
- 06 June 1994 (Ö3): 'Bangdad (CD-Duniya (The Intrinsic Passion Of Mysterious Joy))' (Nation)
- 10 June 1994: 'Bangdad (Slow Train To Borneo) (12" promo-Duniya Remixes)' (Nation)
- 11 June 1994 (BFBS): Hymn (Amazonian Mix) (12" - Duniya Remixes) Nation
- 15 July 1994: 'La Boheme (Compilation CD-Volume Ten)' (Volume)
- 22 October 1994 (BFBS): 'Part 6 - 5 A.M. Sunrise (CD-The Third Chamber)' (North South)
- 07 November 1994 (Ö3): '5 A.M. Sunrise (CD-The Third Chamber)' (North South)
- 11 November 1994: Shrine Of The Mountain (12" - Shrinic Visions) Nation
- 12 November 1994: 'Yayli (Unity Vibrations) (3x Compilation CD-The Serious Road Trip)' (Melody Maker)
- 18 November 1994: 'The 3rd Chamber (Part 7/Kalahari Dawn) (LP-Taking Liberties)' (Totem)
- 19 November 1994 (BFBS): 'Shrine Of The Mountain (12"-Shrinic Visions)' (Nation)
- Peel November 1994: 'Shrine Of The Mountain (12"-Shrinic Visions)' (Nation) 11 November 1994
- 26 November 1994: Shrine Of The Mountain (12" - Shrinic Visions) Nation NR 46T
- 1995
- 25 February 1995: Under Influence Compilation CD: Inner Nation - The Peel Sessions STRANGE FRUIT SFRCD 131
- 04 March 1995: Paradigm Shuffle Dreaming With Kings (v/a CD - Inner Nation - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
- 18 March 1995: Under Influence (album - Inner Nation - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit SFRCD 131
- 25 March 1995 (BBC World Service): 'Under Influence (Compilation CD-Inner Nation: The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit/Nation)
- 22 July 1995 (BFBS): 'Skin (12"-Possible Futures - Fourplay)' (North South)
- 28 July 1995: 'Yayli (12"-Possible Futures - Fourplay)' (North South)
- 05 August 1995 (BFBS): unknown
- 14 August 1995 (BBC World Service): Yayli (Deptford Monkey Chant Mix) (12" - Possible Futures - Fourplay) North South
- 29 September 1995: 'Sheikh (CD-Amrita...All These And The Japanese Soup Warriors)' (North South)
- 30 September 1995: 'Soulus (CD-Amrita...All These And The Japanese Soup Warriors)' (North South)
- 1996
- 27 July 1996: Diwanatactics (album - Moksha - Peel To Reveal) Strange Fruit SFRCD139
- 03 August 1996 (BFBS): 'Diwanatactics (CD-Moksha - Peel To Reveal)' (Strange Fruit)
- 1997
- 30 September 1997: White Light (alum - Loop Bites Dog) North South GURU 400CD
- 09 October 1997 (BFBS): 'White Light (2xLP-Loop Bites Dog)' (North South)
- Other
- Peel Out In The States (Programme 13): 'Paradigm Shuffle'