BOSS recently held the U.S. National Finals for the Loop Station World Championship 2, its annual international competition to find the world’s best loop artist. Six top performers came from around the country to perform and compete, with Angela Sheik of Wilmington, Delaware, taking honors as U.S. Champion for 2011. With her victory, Angela brought home $3000 in BOSS and Roland gear, and will go on to represent the U.S. at the world championship in Frankfurt, Germany, during the 2012 Musikmesse music fair.

Loop-based music making is a leading form of live musical expression today, and BOSS’ innovative Loop Station products have led the rise of this new art form. Now in its second year, the BOSS Loop Station World Championship provides an opportunity for BOSS loopers to compete and showcase their unique musical talents on the world stage. Competitions have been held concurrently in many countries around the globe, with the national winners going on to vie for the international championship in Frankfurt.

On October 22, 2011, BOSS hosted the U.S. National Finals at the renowned Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California. From among hundreds of video submissions received by BOSS during the summer, six finalists were chosen to perform that evening before an enthusiastic live audience and a panel of all-star judges.

Each finalist performed an original composition by playing various instruments and creating live loops with a BOSS RC-series Loop Station product. Four of the six also incorporated vocals in their looping presentations. In addition to Sheik, the artists were Richie Kihlken of Santa Monica, California; Nicholas Stott of Greensboro, North Carolina; Chance Gallagher of Boulder, Colorado; Nate Stein of Berkeley, California; and Danny O’Ryan of Clearwater, Florida.

The panel of judges assembled included noted session guitarist and Toto founder Steve Lukather; veteran record producer Michael Lloyd; Snoop Dogg bassist Robert “Bubby” Lewis; GIT Director Jude Gold; and BOSS U.S. Vice President Paul Youngblood.

Each artist’s performance was evaluated in three categories: creativity, musical expression, and skill in using their chosen BOSS Loop Station product. After each finalist played, the judges were given the opportunity to share their impressions with the artist and the audience.

Richie Kihlken kicked off the competition, building loops on an RC-50 Loop Station with an impressive array of BOSS and Roland gear. He began by looping a groove played on V-Drums, and then he jumped over to a stand-mounted bass to lay down some bottom. Next, Richie headed to a keyboard rig to add a soulful pad with a JUNO-D before settling in to sing and play live accompaniment with an RD-300. He built his tune with lead synth and more drums before ripping into a guitar solo played through a massive pedalboard stocked with BOSS stomps. The judges praised Richie for his excellent singing and skill at playing multiple different instruments.

Next up was Chance Gallagher, who performed an orchestral-flavored techno piece using a nylon-string, synth-access guitar to trigger synths in a laptop music rig. He captured many interesting sounds into his RC-50, including violin, cello, harp, percussion, flute, string bass, sound effects, and more. Chance’s unique tones and command of cutting-edge technology earned favorable remarks from the judges.

Angela Sheik, the evening’s ultimate winner, played next with an RC-50. She began a captivating performance with looped strums on an autoharp, and then she quickly built a foundation groove by tapping a mic and harmonizing vocalizations. Angela sang over the looped backing before grabbing a flute to loop a melodic line and some percussive chiffs, after which she brought up the energy with more intensive singing and looped harmonies. Next, she performed an interesting breakdown, using a theremin-style controller to rhythmically filter her loop while continuing to sing over it. Angela then brought the song to a climax with some soulful belting that drew rousing cheers from the crowd.

Daniel O’Ryan, who calls himself “The Celtic Looper,” gave a spirited acoustic performance using a blend of traditional and non-traditional Irish instruments and an RC-50. He started out by playing and looping a unique double-neck instrument that he built himself, which combines an Irish bouzouki and a mandolin. After jamming out on a modal Celtic groove, he added some percussion before moving on to play a tin whistle melody, processed with echo for a cool ambient sound. Next, Daniel sang a chant, creating three layers of harmonized vocals. For his grand finale, he strapped on a set of bagpipes and played along with his loop, evoking enthusiastic hoots from the audience.

Multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Stott began his stint by looping some interesting electric guitar tapping into an RC-2, then switching to a V-Combo VR-700 keyboard to add multiple layers of piano. Next, he moved on to acoustic drums and grooved over his loop. Near the end of the song, he began adding sustained fat synth textures from the V-Combo, quickly stabbing the keyboard in between beats on his ride cymbal.

Nate Stein concluded the finalists’ performances, employing an RC-50, a laptop, an A-800PRO MIDI Keyboard Controller, and an electric guitar. Singing an original piece with a Coldplay vibe, he incorporated many ambient piano, synth, guitar, and vocal textures, all treated with timed echo effects. Over the course of the tune, Nate built the dynamics with a heavy drum beat played from the A-800PRO, finally adding a distorted electric guitar with U2-style synced echo to create a crescendo of high-energy sound.

As the judges went back stage to deliberate, the audience was treated to a set by The Iron Maidens, the world’s only female tribute to Iron Maiden.

First Place winner Angela Sheik and her soulful voice really won over the judges, eliciting comments such as “spectacular” and “fierce.” In particular, they were all very impressed with her ability to seamlessly work the looper and keep it in support of the song at all times, so much so that they almost forgot she was looping. Chance Gallagher’s unique sound and approach earned him a Second Place finish, while Third Place went to Danny O’Ryan and his Celtic-flavored looping.

“The loopers came, and they played their hearts out,” said Paul Youngblood, summing up the judges’ feelings about the six finalists at the end of the evening. “Frankly speaking, there's no such thing as a winner or loser to me. They’re all winners. They were great!”

To watch videos of the artists’ performances and get info about the upcoming international finals, please visit www.BossUS.com/LoopStation.