Loop Guru

by Jason AnkenyA global fusion duo which deftly combined old-world music and sound with new-world attitude and technology, Loop Guru primarily comprised bassist/guitarist Salman Gita (born Sam Dodson) and programmer Jamuud (aka Dave Muddyman), both longtime staples of the London club scene. After meeting in 1980 at the introduction of future Trans-Global Underground member Alex Kasiek, the two men frequently found themselves performing on the same bill, discovering a mutual dissatisfaction with the restraints of rock music while forging a common bond from their shared interest in tape loops and worldbeat rhythms. Gita and Jamuud soon began experimenting with a mixing desk, which they plugged into a series of tape recorders, DAT machines, VCRs, and so forth; after playing a number of instruments as simultaneous accompaniment, they ultimately created sound collages from what resulted, incorporating samplers and computers into the mix as technology progressed. Under the name Loop Guru, they debuted in 1992 with Mrabet — a nod to the Moroccan writer and Paul Bowles confidante — which took Single of the Week honors in the NME (an award also handed to the follow-up, Paradigm Shuffle). With Iranian-born vocalist Sussan Deyhim, they next issued the Sus-san-tics EP, a multiple-remix project, followed in 1994 by their full-length debut, Duniya. In 1995 Loop Guru signed to the North-South label, entering into a unique agreement to release both a pop record and a more experimental work on an annual basis. The first fruits of the deal arrived in the form of Amrita, a more conventional effort, and The Third Chamber, an hour-long ambient single; in 1996, they issued the third volume in their Catalogue of Desires ambient series (the first two were available only at concerts), along with Moksha, a collection of sessions from the John Peel show. Loop Bites Dog followed in 1997. In 1999, the complete Catalogue of Desires was reworked and remixed into a single-disc release, The Fountains of Paradise. After a long layoff from the recording studio, the duo returned with Bathtime with Loop Guru in 2003 for a new label: Cleopatra. Elderberry Shiftglass followed in 2006.