This tape installation was presented on 27th December 2013, and was number 27 in a series of ‘Work Programmes’ at Community Arts Centre, Brighton. An artist gets a week to make work in the space, then shows the work on the Friday night and through the weekend.
Tuning the setup prior to opening:
The Long Loop uses two Tascam 32 1/4″ reel to reel tape machines, with a long tape loop running between the machines. Each machine is in a separate room, connected by an open doorway, though which the loop runs. There is a microphone and a speaker in each room. The mic in room 1 is permanently recording to channel 1 of tape machine 1. Channel 2 of the machine plays back the signal on channel 2 of the tape via the speaker set on top of the machine. In room 2 the pattern is reversed: mic 2 sends to channel 2 of tape machine 2, which is permanently recording to channel 2 of the tape. Channel 1 plays back into the speaker on top of the tape machine.
Thus sound recorded from the mic in room 1 onto track 1 of the tape is carried along the loop to play back some 15 seconds or so later in room 2. Likewise sound from room 2 gets recorded to track 2 of the tape and is played back in room 1 when that portion of the tape arrives there.
A diverse array of small instruments were provided for the audience to play with.