This piece is part of the Difference/Repetition-series, which I have been working on since 1997 and which is based on "Loop-Aesthetics", a kind of musical transcription of sample-technology and experimental video art.
In this piece it is the work and voice of Boris Karloff, which is being transcribed and over-written, the whole thing being a spin-off from a movie I did with Austrian artist Norbert Pfaffenbichler, "Monolog II", a one-hour montage of countless Karloff-movies, Karloff appearing as the sole actor, playing with and against just himself.
Me being a great fan of Hammer-movies and trashy horror-movies in general, I did welcome the idea of creating a Hommage to the Prince of Monster movies ("the worse they are the better they are", F.Zappa).
The loops in their manyfold differentiations are being uses as a means of deconstructing these visions of terror, the first step of deconstruction being the disapperance of image in favour of sound.
The usage of loops ranges from counterpointal structures to precise automatic transcriptions of Karloffs voice ("Wav 2 Midi").
"Loops for Dr.X" was initiated and comissioned by Matthew Shlomowitz for the Plus-Minus Ensemble.
As soon as the piece has been performed, we plan to redo it as a video, using the original footage it was taken from.
Bernhard Lang
August 2014