Loops & Loops began as a side project during the quarantine, mostly experimenting with lofi. After a few short months, Loops & Loops had recorded over 60 songs and had released two albums. Loops & Loops is the work of Peter Bogolub, a musician/producer over the last 20 years. Initially, Peter recorded under the name The Sems and released shoegaze/dream pop style of music. Elements of shoegaze and dream pop can still be heard in Loops & Loops as well as indie and indie folk elements. Some of the material is purely instrumental, fitting for the background of movies and montages. Others are more introspective with vocals reminiscent of Elliot Smith and Yo La Tengo.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Loops & Loops about the new release (Fake Face), challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Find Fake Face on your favorite streaming platform.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Originally, I was born in Florida (going to college in Gainesville was instrumental). I have lived in New York for the last 20 years.The style of music that I create is a blend of lofi, indie (from the 90’s), shoegaze, and folk. The music that comes out tends to have a dreamy vocal style with introspective lyrics. I am a huge fan of double tracking vocals. The instrumentation ranges from ukulele, acoustic and electric guitar, and various analog and digital synthesizers. Living in New York can be difficult for an actual drum kit, so I tend to program drum beats for most of the songs. My most recent album, Fake Face, has several tracks that have real drums recorded by Jeff Zeigler and played by Dylan Mulchay.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I started making music when I went to college. My friends and I loved shoegaze music and we formed a band that played in Florida. Sadly, never releasing any music. After the breakup of that band, I continued making music upon moving to New York. The name of this project was called The Sems, which released two full albums and several singles. The Sems played in quite a few venues in New York City. I continued to write music over the years, but did not release any material as I had always depended on labels. When quarantine began, I started writing quite a bit more music; sometimes two or three songs a day. It became a way to deal with all of the stress of the time. I would say my largest motivation for making music is connecting with other people. I have been able to chat with quite a few people and have even done collaborations with other musicians.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
The first few releases leaned heavily into the lofi field whereas this new album is a bit more polished and is more of a return to my indie roots of the 90’s with bands such as Yo La Tengo and the Magnetic Fields. This album was an attempt to bring the 90’s into the present.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age?
I have always been a proponent of the DIY movement, so I am thrilled that so many people are recording and releasing music. However, this has led to an over saturation of music. People are constantly bombarded with musicians asking to listen to their music. As such, it has been challenging to get people to listen to new music. Yet, there have been quite a few communities forming around various sub-genres that have helped musicians such as myself, get heard. Another challenge is finding a balance of making music and promoting music. It is very easy to fall down the path of the search of numbers (getting x amount of people on Spotify, YouTube, etc). Going for long walks and talking with other musicians has been helpful in dealing with that challenge.
How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Technology has revolutionized music both in terms of recording music and promoting it. When I first began recording music, it was expensive and stressful. Now, musicians can record on just about any computer. This has allowed me to record quite a bit of music at a fraction of the cost that it once was. Technology has also allowed me to connect with other musicians and people who enjoy the music that I have been making.
What was the last song you listened to?
I have been listening to quite a bit of the album Nervous Circuits by The VSS lately. They were a post-hardcore band with heavy influence from Bauhaus. I really enjoy the instrumental on the song ‘Conscious’. Excellent track.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I used to prefer vinyl, but honestly, it takes up quite a bit of space, especially in a New York apartment. All of the music that I listen to today is on a digital format these days.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Bandcamp is the best for bands due to the fact that only a small percentage is taken from sales. Spotify and Apple pay artists only a small amount, however it seems to be the best place for people to listen to music. When I first began Loops & Loops, I only used YouTube and Bandcamp. Once people began asking if they could find my music on Spotify, this eventually led to self-releasing music through Distrokid.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
The best place to connect is through twitter. People can read about upcoming releases or send direct messages. Another great place to find out more about Loops & Loops is the website.
Anything else before we sign off?
I wanted to take a minute to thank you for the interview. As mentioned before, there is so much music out there and so much of it is really fantastic. It can be difficult on your end to take the time to listen to so much of it and decide what to review. Loops & Loops has enough for several new albums, so be on the lookout for more music!
