Local Review: Fisch Loops – Looking Back

Fisch Loops
Looking Back

Self-Released
Street: 01.30
Fisch Loops = MF Doom + tomppabeats + J Dilla

Salt Lake City local Fisch Loops has released a new album, Looking Back, a sample-heavy beat tape that takes listeners on a journey through many types of sounds, genres and feelings. Sporting a hefty 24 tracks, the work acts as a well-fleshed-out demo. The songs are short, with only one track going past the two-minute mark. Still, the concept for each song is apparent, and there is nothing amateur about the work that Fisch Loops produces.

Fisch Loops samples everything from movies and commercials to old-school soul music in Looking Back. Many songs are peppered in with snippets of voices, piano riffs and horn sounds, which grow and shrink as tracks progress. Most songs run out a simple loop that may vary slightly from bar to bar, but remains mostly intact from the first time they are heard. The album combines minimal simplicity with the ear of a refined artist, someone who has put in the time creating a sound that is catchy and unique.

Songs like “Bouncelikethis” combine hip-hop lyrics with laid-back lo-fi instrumentations. Simple drumbeats and gentle-sounding melodies pair nicely with heavy-hitting lyrics, reminiscent of MF Doom. Many songs, such as “monster,” “Camping” and “O MY !” don’t use song lyrics. Instead, they employ samples of movies and commercials to convey a point, build up suspense and solidify the theme of a track.

Some songs on the album are so short that they aren’t given the time to fully be developed. Because of this, many of the tracks on Looking Back feel more like snippets or demos. If Fisch Loops lets the beat continue for even 30 more seconds, the listener would be given more time to relax into the beat and enjoy the subtle workings of a song. Still, Fisch Loop’s musicianship is undeniable throughout the whole album. Check out more of his work or download Looking Back on Fisch Loops’ Bandcamp: fischloops.bandcamp.com. –Taylor Hartman