Release Date: 8th March 2024

Limited Edition Transparent Green Vinyl
Includes flexi disc bonus track ‘Brilliant Paper’ by Looper & Sue Tompkins and new sleeves notes by Karla Black & Jenny Hayo
Stickered with Ben Folds’ quote
Mute celebrates the 25th Anniversary Edition of Looper’s debut 1999 album, Up A Tree, featuring never-before-released songs.

LOOPER [Stuart and Karn David], originally recorded for the Sub Pop label in 1999, this anniversary edition includes new sleeve notes and alternative artwork, and is out on transparent green vinyl (accompanied by a Flexi Disc).

Up A Tree was completed while Stuart was still working with Belle & Sebastian (the band he co-founded in 1995) and brought Looper instant acclaim (including an 8.1 review in Pitchfork, who credited the album with originating a new genre they dubbed Folk-Hop). It reached #21 on the UK Independent Album chart, and #79 on the Scottish Albums Chart, and brought in fans such as Ben Folds who recently called Up A Tree “… a gift of a record”.

The anniversary edition also features alternative artwork designed by Karn and includes new sleeve notes by Sub Pop’s Jenny Hayo, who recounts working with Looper on their first records and first US tour, alongside words from Stuart’s sister Karla Black, who takes us back to Glasgow School of Art in 1998, reminiscing about the first Looper show.

The vinyl edition of Up A Tree comes with a Flexi Disc of ‘Brilliant Paper’, an unreleased track by Looper and Sue Tompkins (Life Without Buildings).

Side A.

The Treehouse
Impossible Things #2
Burning Flies
Festival '95
Ballad of Ray Suzuki
Side B.

Dave The Moon Man
Quiet And Small
Columbo's Car
Up A Tree Again
Back to the Treehouse
Flexi Disc.

Brilliant Paper
“Looper was in my Walkman headphones on a few memorable tours. I just left the CD, Up a Tree, in the player and watched the scenery go by as we travelled. Both burned into my head. No particular face or ego. Music and imagination. And … loops. A song called Impossible Things #2 was a favorite. Was there an Impossible Things #1?…anyway. Playing the music again this morning. It sounds like it came out recently in many ways. What a neat vibe and a gift of a record. Thank you.” - Ben Folds (2023)

“Stuart David of Belle and Sebastian has handed a DIY book on home sampling out to any and all kids with a Casio keyboard and a tape recorder.” - Pitchfork (8.1)

“This is a record in love with childhood…” - Kitty Empire (8/10)

“This gentle, nostalgic but aurally up-to-date album shares the wistful sensibility of a certain Scottish folk-rock cult sensation, but then that's understandable: Belle & Sebastian is Looper mastermind Stuart David's other band.” - The Washington Post

Looper

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Looper - Up A Tree