Loopus in Fabula - Fat Ladies Bingo!

Loopus in Fabula is back with another fat and funky album loaded with delightfully odd grooves and plenty of retro flavour. Fat Ladies Bingo features Matteo Stroppa from Milano, Italy, collaborating with artists from Australia and Finland, as well as his old partner Jacopo Barbaccia. The Loopus style is completely original; an uncommon blend of jazz, funk, electro, trance, and numerous other styles of music both electronic and traditional. The term “funkadelic” comes up to describe this unique style concisely. Matteo often pays tribute to dance music classics by forging something between a cover version and an outright remix. By reconstructing the themes and rhythms of the oldies, Loopus creates genuinely new interpretations perfectly suited for the modern dance floor. In some instances, it isn’t even this complicated; several songs feature nothing more than slight hints and impressions of retro tunes. For the DJs out there, some of these tunes might mix well with selected offerings from Haltya, Kiwa, Eat Static, Sensient, Decoy, and BLT. The cover is certainly eye-catching, and will surely communicate another important point to you: here is an artist with a sense of humour. Prepare yourself for close to 72 minutes of groovy tunes!

Doofy Duck opens the album with funky guitar riffs and a casual rhythm accentuated by mild tribal textures. The strange synth-work in the early half of the song actually begins to sound like a duck quacking; clearly this is a themed track! Some amusing samples from Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck provide a bit of comic relief later on – “ho ho very funny.” A light dash of horn strikes and wiggly synthetic leads in the final minutes tops it off. This starter is an easy introduction to the Loopus style, exhibiting good humour.

I am told Controversy takes a hint from an old Prince song by the same name, but I am unfamiliar with the original. Very early on, the pulsating bass and snappy percussion creates a steady technical groove. Warped and filtered horns and funky guitar are once again in use, although they are more infrequently used at first. The story gets quite sleazy in the last third, finally amassing a substantial atmosphere. I am not too fond of the gratuitous key change near the end, but this track still has a quaint charm.

The Dreamschwartz remix is a throbbing Loopus-style techtrance work-out similar in some ways to The Chase (from Ultrapop). Luckily this is much less monotonous; the wild bass line remains prone to drastic mutations. The drum programming on this track is quite intricate in places, operating on multiple levels with a natural flow. Haunting flourishes and oddly evocative noises slather this piece in an alluring psychedelic mystique. The seamless transitions beyond disparate moods is handled with great skill. Nice one.

YSD is a down and dirty groover that shows the maturation of the Loopus style. While it initially begins on a funky minimal tip, the progression carries this story into playful jazzy territory. The smooth and classy breakdowns slice the track into three distinct chapters, each remaining faithful to the overall story while expressing a fresh perspective. What’s not to like?

Fat Old Ladies reverts to dance music archetypes embodied by disco and electro. The bingo caller rattles out some mishmash of words, and then the track begins to wiggle around, slathered in abstract noises and punctuated by strange twists. It seems to drone on for long sequences, adorned by a grinding bass line and some scattered noise patterns. Retro video game sounds (Pac-Man?) spring up every now and then, and apparently there is some Duran Duran in here somewhere. This is a bit too esoteric and unfocused for me, but it will no doubt have its fans.

Funky Express is a particularly original sonic narcotic. A simple bass line and plain percussion leaves the rhythm to work on one’s feet while an inventive assortment of strange atmospheric sounds tickle the neurons. The specific feel of this track is hard to describe; the best I can come up with is that it sounds like some kind of synthetic space jazz. The results are much more richly psychedelic than most of the tracks on the album, and I find I really enjoy it, even if I’m not too sure what to make of it. I sense that Funky Express is the kind of track that will grow on me, like a fungus.

Feel Again is the first of three tributes to influential dance music classics. This one is based on the Giorgio Moroder production of Donna Summers – I Feel Love (1977), which was apparently the first hit song with an entirely synthesized backing track. There isn’t much to it aside from a hollow retro-sounding electro bass line and some subtle noise games in the background. There is structure here, although the energy levels are largely controlled by what that simple bass line is up to—whether it is trumped up a key, or spilling out into mid-range synthetic riffs, or however it goes. I find it a bit dull, but perhaps if I knew the original I would enjoy this more.

Rockit is a cheerful interpretation of Herbie Hancock’s 1983 hit single of the same name, which also has a great deal of history behind it. As one of the most successful early songs to feature DJ techniques such as scratching, it became an inspiration for the development of hip-hop culture. The Loopus tribute stays true to the soul of the original, playing with percussion loops and plenty of charming samples to keep the beats flowing. Light-hearted synths stab through the air, maintaining a playful and upbeat atmosphere. Deep into the track the rhythm drops into an old school breakbeat pattern for close to a minute and a half. Time to rock out! The return is a real crowd-pleaser, and then it all goes quaint and cheeky. This is a great tribute!

Let’s Dance! David Bowie’s break-out hit from 1983 gets a respectful treatment to close this Fabula creation. After Blanka’s poor mangling I had been hoping someone with real talent would take this on, and Matteo and Jacopo are the right men for the task! The bass line immediately goes to work, and the bold and funky percussion is just right. Many elements from the original are entirely resequenced, while others are filtered and manipulated to fit. Loopus have tastefully avoided being too overt with the lyrics, mainly focusing the words “dance the blues” rather than any full chorus. A few wild psychedelic noises manage to squirrel their way into the mix, and the 80s style synth stabs sound great alongside the newer sounds. The last minute build-up is a nice touch, capping an already excellent tune. This commendable tribute is the favourite of the album for me.

Fat Ladies Bingo is a great improvement on 2003’s Astrofunk. This album features greater diversity, a little less minimalism, better production value, and some great tributes to classic dance music. Matteo’s skills have matured over the last few years, and evidence of this is readily heard all across the album. Correlating my favourites with the credits reveals that I tend to prefer collaborations with Jacopo, so I would suggest that this partnership is continued. Loopus definitely have an original spin on the concept of funky psytrance, and an album like this doesn’t come along very often, so all fans of funky progressive music should check it out! Let’s dance!

Purchase Options

Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.
Wirikuta // Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

Share This

Transmit a Comment

Name (required)

Email (required; never published or spammed)

Web Link/URL (optional)

Check this box to subscribe to the Ektoplazm newsletter for infrequent updates, special promotions, and more.

Check this box to receive an email whenever additional comments are made.