Concert and Photo Gallery from Past to Present.... NOW!

Background: Music

Dwight Loop has been passionately involved with new music from two distinct perspectives - as a longtime radio host and producer of "Earwaves," an acclaimed new music radio program, and a three-decade long public and professional broadcasting career - to a composer of experimental and ambient electronic music for nearly three decades.

Loop says, "After many years of being a devout listener and historian of electronic music, I realized in the early 80s, that I had my own music within me that needed to be expressed. That realization began the journey that has led me to where I am now, dedicated to expressing my own voice in sound and vision. I am an electronic music chameleon of sorts. My ear is open to all forms of sound and, importantly, the silence in between.

"I loved the radio medium and was drawn immediately into it at the age of 16 at my hometown Adrian, Michigan, AM radio station and I continued working in both professional and public radio for the next 28 years. Public radio, in college at WEMU-FM (Eastern Michigan University) and later at KUNM-FM (Albuquerque, NM), became the outlet for "Earwaves" and my many other new music radio adventures. Through radio I was able to meet and interview many composers and performers of electronic and new music that I had been listening to for many years. Music is such a powerful reflection of our world and through radio, for me, was the avenue to bring it to as many people as possible and present radio programs in a way that was minus the hype - instead presenting glimpses into the subtleties and intricacies of the artists’ intention and creative inspiration.

"I grew up listening to and being intrigued by the subtle, yet intricate nature of the early 70s electronic space music of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk, Cluster, Tonto’s Expanding Headband, Space Art, etc. and the progressive space-rock of groups like Amon Duul, Can, Magma, Embryo, PFM, Gong, Ashra Temple and Faust - as well as the experimentations of the early pioneers of electronic or "new music" - Karlheinz Stockhausen, Edgar Varese, Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, Iannis Xenakis, John Cage...and many, many others."

"I was fortunate to hear many of these artists in Michigan by listening to public radio stations in Ann Arbor, Detroit and one particular Canadian commercial rock station, CJOM-FM. Other artists whom I became interested in over time and respect greatly are Brian Eno, Harold Budd, Steve Roach, Steve Reich, Elaine Radigue, Laurie Anderson, John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor and Art Ensemble of Chicago, who have all been blazed new music trails in very different ways."

AKI - The Guardian

Electronic Musician • Music Organizations • Producer

Dwight has been composing and performing electronic music since 1979, as a solo performer, groups (Tropozone, Tone Pharaoh, Universe 1221, Zeta Reticuli, ArtIsIndustry Orchestra, Mitochondria).

Loop's "Circuits" electronic music ensemble performances of the 1980s in New Mexico utilized multiple electronic arts and artists (Arnold Bodmer, Larry Otis, Bob Czosek, Tom McVeety) performed at the Kimo Theater, University of New Mexico and Santa Fe's Armory for the Art. His current projects include Dream Jungle (ambient, trance-spirit groove music) and "Hunab Ku" electronic music trilogy, based on Mayan cosmology.

Loop was founder and president of New Music New Mexico, Inc., a non-profit new music presenting organization from 1981-1986 and creator of the NEA-funded "Concentration Music Series." Loop also received grants from the NEA and New Mexico Arts Commission for many "new music" public radio series.

Dwight currently is special projects director at Cobalt Sun Gallery in Sausalito, CA with founder and light artist Lynn Augstein, and is currently curator of the Synapse Electronic Arts Series (2005-2007) at Cobalt Sun and Grace Cathedral.

Dwight recently produced and engineered "Borealis" a DVD light art project by Lynn Augstein and Cobalt Sun (www.cobaltsun.net).

Radio Producer-Music Writer

Loop hosted "Earwaves" on KUNM-FM, Albuquerque, NM and KSFR-FM, Santa Fe, NM for nearly 20 years. "Earwaves" was a highly respected public radio program which featured all forms of experimental, electronic, contemporary classical and new music, spoken word and performance art.

Loop also was involved in commercial radio as a program director of KABC-FM in Santa Fe, NM and founded the first alternative rock format in the state in 1989. He also worked at commercial station KLSK-FM in Santa Fe, NM from 1987-89, hosting "Atmospheres" electronic music program.

Dwight also has appeared as a music critic, writer and pundit for the Albuquerque Journal, Santa Fe New Mexican, Crosswinds and I.E. magazine.