I like where this thread is going
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It was just about the first thing I tried with the Octatrack - wondered if it would be possible to phase audio the way I had with Max/MSP or dual delays - the technique I preferred was just staggering the loop lengths slightly, I think I’ve documented this elsewhere on Elektronauts but the idea was just to manually start flex recording simultaneously on 4 or so tracks and release the recording on these slightly later than the last (by rolling off the fingers) - this creates seemingly identical loops of differing lengths (no horrid time stretch here) and when they are manually played plays free they phase ( a la reich ) - a lot of fun, shame that the OT is otherwise very tied to the beat (hard to get off-grid without compromises) - fun though as I recall it
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My only issue with this is that what’s written in the piece itself is “accelerando slightly.” That is to say, if one is really trying to replicate the piece (it is “classical” and written down, after all) an increase in tempo seems in good faith 
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I had just watched this yesterday!
Reich has been one of my very favorite thinkers/composers since I was a kid, which was a VERY long time ago At different points in life I’d tried to emulate ‘that sound’ on electronic gear and it mostly sounded like some dumbass trying to emulate ‘that sound’ on electronic gear! I think the human element is just way too critical of a component because it’s never going perfectly out of phase. I can’t imagine the level of concentration required to pull off those pieces. On the video example I posted, no one is looking at a score. They had to memorize it. Blows my mind.
Like someone else posted, I’ve had the best results using different length loops to get that kinda otherworldly feeling
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Oh yeah it’s really incredible stuff. I can’t imagine purposefully playing out of time with another musician…I don’t even know how you go about practicing that.
There’s this piece I did (what feels like) ages ago that tried to do this minimalism stuff. But it was more with recorded loops than actual phasing.
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Sextet is just about the best piece of composed music ever written imho (i’m not 100% over that particular version above) - over the moon to have seen the great man perform it at the Barbican a fair few years ago
Hooked enough to make my school music buddy and I get a pair of xylophones to phase out on - it’s an amazing experience to do (needs focus) as well as to hear
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That must’ve been a huge thrill! I love the version I posted, but there are other amazing ones for sure and I’m not certain that I have a favorite, because I like the slight variations in interpretation of that piece.
This might be my ‘favorite’ piece with the man himself on piano in 2008. But that could be because it’s the first Reich piece I’d ever heard, followed by ‘Music For A Large Ensemble,’ ‘Octet’ and ‘Tehellim.’
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I watch this Sextet performance about 6 times a year. It’s proper
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Agreed!
It’s funny that most of my friends that I play with in the roots music field have never even heard of Reich and aren’t especially into if they do hear it. It’s nearly the opposite with electronic musicians
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For sure, the stuff on the sticks/bows/keys is beyond reproach - my issue is with the levels and sounds of the stuff on the digital keyboards, especially the lactic acid guy keeping time on the left - it’s a bit too much like a Shaker for me, needs to roll a bit of that off and turn it down a tad - then it’d be more like the SR Ensemble version I am most familiar with for over 30 years - it’s a seminal piece for me and my musical journey
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Though I love that piece and performance, I agree with everything you just stated. Somehow, once I’m immersed in the piece I can filter it out a bit. Poor OP, I fear I’ve helped derail a perfectly nice thread! Apologies
Nah I don’t mind. I don’t often get to talk about minimalist composers and specific performances 
but of course if anyone has more ideas as to how to achieve these techniques I’m all ears. I’ll probably even finish that piece tonight.
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Tangentially related, buying this CD back in the day blew my mind
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Oh yeah! I bought that back in the day as well
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I recall buying this album.
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It’s now doable on the Cirklon via a recent beta OS update. You can set a track to run with a range of +/- 12 ticks independent of the other tracks.
I haven’t tried it out yet, but keep meaning to.
Caught a London philharmonic performance of “Music for 18 Musicians” back to back with Gavin Bryars’ 'Jesus’ Blood Never Failed me yet" at the Royal Festival Hall a couple of years ago. So great.
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maybe by setting the same loop in different DT tracks (in FWD LOOP mode), COND. as 1ST, and making each track loop range slightly shorter (also playing with subtle LFO’s)… might give interesting results? I haven’t tried it, but I’m quite curious now!
EDIT: I just tried, and it gives pretty interesting results! copied the same sample on 4 tracks, then slightly modified parameters like loop length, different filter settings, some subtle lfo’s at different speeds for sample tune, panning…
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Sounds like a great plan
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Might as well set different tempo’s then. One BPM difference will give you one beat phasing in one minute of time.
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Not really. The point is to add some humanization into it. Without it phasing sound very static.