ROBERT HAMPSON
Born 1965 in the United Kingdom. Founding member of cult bands Loop (1985-1991) and Main (1990-2006). Plays under his own name since 2006.
After performing in various bands, Robert Hampson's musical career really started in the mid 1980's with the band Loop. He had previously worked on more experimental musics with his 4-track tape machine, but wanted to try the dynamics of a more traditional guitar based music, loosely influenced by bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The MC5, but retaining an avant-garde and experimental edge
from Can, Faust, Neu!, Rhys Chatham, Glenn Branca and minimalist systems music, to name but a few.
After the end of Loop, along with Scott Dawson (also of Loop)
and with the guitar still as the central sound source, he returned to the more experimental styles of electroacoustic / acousmatic musics with the project Main.
Gradually, the themes Main created became less involved with the guitars, stretching further and further away from them, relying more on the field recordings and concrete sounds that had featured before, but were now pushed to the forefront.
With the departure of Dawson, Hampson eventually abandoned the instrument altogether, feeling he had reached a point where he had explored all possibilities of it.
At this time, it was possibly correct to have also abandoned the Main project, because of it's strong associations with the guitar - that some, seemed unable to forget - but he carried on until early 2006, where he laid it to rest with the release of Surcease.
Since 2006, Robert Hampson is working under his own name. Some of his pieces were commissionned by the GRM (Groupe de Recherche Musicale) and pwere performed on the Acousmonium in Paris. He has also published records on labels such as Touch.
