Ben Stapp Solo / Frank London Electronics Trio at Loove Labs Annex

Ben Stapp/Frank London Electronics Trio
Loove Labs Annex
Brooklyn, NY
February 8, 2026

When used as a descriptor for music, the term experimental is often bandied about as a catchall term for anything slightly beyond the scope of a listener's supposed expectations. To experiment requires an open curiosity for any possible outcomes given a uniquely mutable set of conditions decided upon by the artist. In a sense, this can imply that anything deemed experimental is somewhat future-focussed, which may be why the term is often lazily employed interchangeably with avant-garde when describing any type of searching music. However, a more nuanced reading of the term references work that is inherently present and never fully tethered to a concrete outcome. Two presentations of this particular explorative vision of experimental music took place on Feb 8 at Loove Labs in Brooklyn, NY.

The first set featured a 24-minute, unbroken solo piece from tubist, performance artist, and world-builder, Ben Stapp. Few currently active musicians can claim the breadth and creativity Stapp musters in his work. His most recent album, Uzmic Ro'Samg (Live Solo Tuba) (577 Records, 2025), represents the most multi-faceted fusion of his interests to date, and his set at Love Labs was in line with the language and thrust of this work. Conceptually, Stapp's constructions are driven by an interest in speculative science fiction narratives á la Jorge Luis Borges and Octavia Butler crossed with threads from Tibetan Buddhism, holistic metaphysics, and personal meditation practice. What this translates to in his musical structures are specific characters being represented by voices and devices in Stapp's performances, ranging from percussive, jittering taps and clicks to fairly linear gestures filtered through an array of effects processors (guitar pedals) to body-shaking drones to unclassifiable timbres made acoustically by repurposing implements like hoses, metal bowls used as mutes, and mouthpieces borrowed from saxophones and clarinets for producing sounds. Using a combination of various guitar amplifiers, the house PA, and the purely acoustic source of the tuba bell, Stapp was able to fully utilize the entire space of Loove Labs to create an immersive and multi-dimensional experience for the audience. His peerless execution was astonishing throughout, showcasing a highly developed and personal vocabulary that was endlessly engaging and likely only hinted at the full depth of his artistic palette.

The second set featured a new electronics trio led by the indefatigably creative Frank London. For this occasion, London—a veteran of more New York City-based music circles than one has space to adequately cover in a single article—brought together Stapp and guitarist Knox Chandler to present a series of sonic meditations based around a borrowed atonal melody from composer Arnold Schoenberg. Each player utilized extensive pedal processing throughout, but always in a mature and tasteful manner that served the full mission of London's concept without ever feeling distracting or reckless. The shape and progression of the performance was based on relatively brief unison statements of the melody, followed by more extended group and solo improvisations over a nearly 40-minute run-time without pauses. The performers were intensely dialed into one another throughout the set and often enough, it was difficult to pinpoint who was responsible for a particular sound at any given time. Timbrally, the impression could be best characterized as tech-noir; the overall effect being abstract and spacious with Schoenberg's source melody lightly shepherding the flow like an empathetic satellite. With expansive dynamic range and an elegant sense of pacing, London, Stapp, and Chandler maintained a precise and consistent aesthetic that felt perfectly balanced with and simpatico to Stapp's opening set.

Taken both in parts and as a whole, the show was a tremendous success and well worth the effort of attending in spite of typically inclement February weather. It was an inspiring evening of earnest, adventurous art that felt inclusive, non-elitist, and inviting to newcomers and prior initiates alike. Both sets were impeccably executed and inspiring. Moreover, a venue such as Loove Labs—recently established and operated by trombonist Josh Roseman and self-described as an avant-bodega and ritual music salon—allowed for such an event to take place in a non-pretentious, respectfully maintained, and well-equipped space. Put another way, the kind of nurturing space this type of show requires to fully blossom. This event was merely the latest of its kind in the multiple concert series Roseman has curated and similar shows are scheduled to take place for the foreseeable future.