Loopz Interview - 2001
 
We do intend to write some historic information on how Loopz started but it may be interesting to read this interview we did on the 8th June 2001 with Phillipa Norman of the Joystick Junkies website.


When did you first really get in to Orbital?

It was around 1990 - I had seen Orbital perform Chime on TOTP which I thought was interesting but it wasn't until I heard LC1 that I really took note of their music. I then heard Choice/Midnight , got the Green album and that was enough to start the ball rolling.
 
What's all the fuss about? I mean, what's so great about Orbital?

Personally I just couldn't believe how much was going on within one track. Layers on top of layers, all carefully constructed, entwining and looping together. Hearing them play live just convinced me that they were very special and at that time…very unique.
 
How many Times have you seen them Live?

That's a very good question and one I don't have the answer to. I was quite a normal gig going fan up to the In Sides tour and then I found the urge to go as much as possible. Last year I saw them 4 times out of 9 as the majority was around the world and 1999 I saw them 16 times.
 
When and why did you set up the unofficial web site?

It was around 5 years ago…probably longer than that. I was writing a paper zine called Loopz at the time and it contained mostly articles, interviews, music and live gig reviews on Orbital but I did include other groups I was interested in. The zine was created to promote the Orbital name to people who hadn't come across their music. I used to advertise on BBS systems and teletext as I had no access to the Internet. Finally my work got connected and I learnt about the online experience. The website was created and hosted in Hong Kong as that was one of the few places you could get free disk space. I only had 200K of space but it was enough to inform people over the internet of the paper zine.
 
Then what happened?

I slowly built the site up with various articles and I mentioned about the work I was doing to Paul Hartnoll at a gig. I never knew him at the time and I think he was amused by the attention. Hyperreal based in California then contacted me with an offer of a new home and loads of disk space. Hyperreal generally host information and activities surrounding music so this was a perfect location for the site. The website just then grew and grew. I got to know Phil and Pauls mother after finding out about the location of their pub in the NME (a very long story…so I wont explain). They got me in touch with the boyz and I was able to contact them occasionally for news bits. The then official site contacted me asking if I could update their site and Loopz as they never had the time. I quit updating the then official site after a disagreement with the people who hosted the old site. I explained the situation to Orbital and just carried on updating Loopz as normal. The old site didn't attract new visitors just cobwebs as it was neglected. I then arranged a interview with Orbital at their studio just before the release of The Saint and it was then that they asked if I would like to make Loopz official. The old site suddenly disappeared !
 
Do you make a profit from the site, or is it just a hobby you enjoy?

I do get some money from the Record Company now, which is good news because it helps me develop the site and follow Orbital on tour. It's still classed as a hobby as I have a full time job working in the IT industry and there is no way I could live with the money I get from the site.
 
Would you say you are 'friends' with the Orbital crew?

I've got to know the majority of the people behind Orbital, not just Phil and Paul and I would class a lot of them as "friends". Not the kind of friends you would constantly meet up with though. The music industry is strange like that. You find you get to know a lot of people and you will always remember who is who but everyone is doing their own thing and living in different parts of the country. I think most of them were naturally wary of me at first but not anymore, they understand what I am about…. I think :)
 
What's your all time favourite Orbital tune and why?

It's a FAQ and one I don't have the answer for. My favourites constantly change but at the moment I do have a soft spot for "Impact (The Earth is Burning)", The Girl With The Sun In Her Head", "Out There Somewhere", "High Rise", "Choice", "Beelzebeat", "Tootled" and "Spare Parts Express". Just a few !
 
Do you think that you help the Orbital cause?

I would like to think so. That was the whole point of starting Loopz up them years ago. I do have a few people saying that they wouldn't have brought this album or seen them live if they hadn't have got the information from Loopz.
 
How many members do you have currently?

There are 1640 Members of the mailing list at the moment with a lot of members using the forums as a form of communication.
 
Do you have any particularly loyal members?

There are quite a few that appear to be spending a lot of their time chatting and discussing the world of Orbital. Paul and Phil and other people within the Orbital camp visit the forums just to see what's being written as well. There are quite a few people that I am in constant email contact with.
 
Do you get many nutters in the chat forum?

I wouldn't say we have the complete oddball in the forums as yet but there are some very strong characters that can give the impression that they could by psycho. Haha.
 
Do you make music yourself?

Like most people, ive attempted to make music but the results are just terrible. I don't really get enough time and I certainly haven't got the patience to be a musician.
 
Have you ever DJ'd at a mates party?

Not a mates party but we run infrequent music nights in Birmingham called Open Minded (www.om-music.co.uk). We play a mixture of electronica, IDM and experimental music with the whole of idea of introducing the crowd to some new tunes. The crowd has to have an open mind just to sit through the four hours - it's a good test!
 
Do you follow Orbital around the globe?

Ive been to Dublin a few times and last year I managed to get Athens for one of the gigs but that's about it so far. I intend to go to a few places this year depending on the money and work situation.
 
What are they like as people? Ie arrogant? Down to earth?…

They are both really friendly. Im not just saying that neither, I was quite surprised how normal they are. Both have their witty sense of humour and don't appear to be affected by the music business.
 
Apart from Orbital, name your top four favourite groups.

In no order I would have to say Autechre, Board of Canada, Plaid and Higher Intelligence Agency.
 
Can we have a mugshot of you please?

If you must! :)
 
Did you used to go to all those festivals/free parties in the 90's?

What festivals/free parties? :) I missed out on a lot of things in the early 90s because none of my mates were into the same music as me. I found myself going to a lot of gigs on my own so I missed out on the early "rave" scene.
 
Interview conducted by Phillipa Norman
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