Audiopile Review: The 12” single is mostly associated with dance music. But, to some of us, the format is also closely linked to the wave of neo-psychedelic avant rock groups that came out of the UK in the late 80s and early 90s. Groups like Loop, whose ‘Twelves’ compilation makes this association explicit. In the years covered by this comp (roughly 1986 to ’89), the economics of making records were the exact of opposite of what we have today. Back then, records were expensive to record but relatively cheap to manufacture, so releasing four-track EPs made economic sense. And it worked out artistically too, with many bands releasing some of their best work on 12”. ‘Twelves’ provides ample evidence of this by spreading six phenomenal EPs across three LPs. It features bona fide trance rocks classics like ‘Head On’, ‘Collision’, ‘Black Sun’, and the truly mind-melting ‘Arc Lite’. You also get covers of ‘Mother Sky’ by Can and ‘Thief of Fire’ by The Pop Group. At the time, Loop’s music was described as “like being sucked backwards into a black hole with a migraine”. In a good way, presumably. Or maybe we dreamed the whole thing. Hard to keep everything straight when you’re subjecting yourself to neo-psychedelic trance rock on this scale.

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First time vinyl pressing of these remastered LOOP 12”/EP tracks. Originally released in the ’80s / 1990, on the Chapter 22 / Head / Situation 2 labels: 16 Dreams 12” (Head) released 1986 Spinning 7” /12” (Head) released 1987 Collision 7”/12” (Chapter 22) released 1988 Black Sun 12” (Chapter 22) released 1988 Arc-Lite 7”/12”/CD5 (Situation 2) released 1989 Primsma Uber Europa 12” (Beggars) released 1991 (Live Promo only) Remastered from the original tapes by Kevin Metcalf and then reissued for the first time in 2009 as part of the World In Your Eyes 3CD set on Reactor. Now remastered for vinyl and re-cut to lacquers by Shawn Joseph / Optimum Mastering and issued as Twelves. (ref: the 3 x 7” set Sevens released 2020) Each side of this 3LP set has one of the 12”s in full, as well as the promo only Live 12-inch Prisma Uber Europa. The 12-inch cover of each LP has the relevant sleeve on each side to recreate the original sleeve image, and each 12-inch side has labels as close to the original designs as possible. Hear Loop expand their sound from the Stooges / Velvets / garage pyschout of 16 Dreams, into the Spinning era and then develop their motorik fuzzed-out nihilistic pummel through the Collision and Black Sun EPs to finish this set with the Arc-Lite side, possibly Loop at their most visceral. Unable to be pigeon holed like most bands of this time, their live shows also wiped the floor with everyone as evidenced on the Prisma Uber Europa 12”. Not reissued on vinyl when first remastered, now its time. PLAY LOUD