You need to listen to Lori Spiegel’s masterpiece of early ambient music

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed Lori Spiegel For the site. In preparation for the interview, I spent a lot of time over the past two weeks reviewing Spiegel’s records, most notably Expanding universeher 1980 masterpiece that blends compositional experimentation with early examples of what would eventually be called Ambient musicand algorithmic synthesis techniques. It’s a marvel that feels both nostalgic and sophisticated at the same time.

Tracks like “Patchwork” and “A Folk Study” engage in the kind of bouncy progressions that invoke comparisons to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” while “Old Wave” and “East River Dawn” evoke Early M83 Or Councils of Canada. The color palette from which it draws is vibrant and timeless, and rarely returns to itself in the way it later records (also excellent). Invisible worlds It does, as is sometimes the case in FM bells.

There are also slower forays into more typical ambient sounds like “Appalachian Grove II” or “The Unanswered Question,” whose melodies move at such a glacial pace that they can seem completely random at times. Tracks like this and “Music for Dance II” wouldn’t sound out of place in the modern era Instagram Ocean or Synth modules on YouTubeThe scenes clearly owe much to Spiegel’s pioneering work.

While the vast majority of the compositions are completely lacking in rhythm, there are a few exceptions, most notably the fast-paced, polyrhythmic “drums”. But what stands out for me is “Clockworks,” which ventures into the kind of proto-industrial grime and crackle you’d find on a Throbbing Gristle record or even on a recent Trent Reznor score. The fact that it doesn’t appear to have been sampled (at least according to WhoSampled) and repurposed as the backbone of Underground hip hop The track is shocking to me.

while Expanding universe It doesn’t necessarily present a cohesive vision, but it still feels like the unique expression of an artist at the top of his game. The 2012 reissue adds to Spiegel’s legacy by including over 100 minutes of bonus material not found in the original release.

While the idea of ​​experimental 70s synth music may intimidate casual listeners, there is something appealing about much of the work Expanding universe. Sure, some pieces, like “Kepler’s Harmony of the Worlds” and “Wandering in Our Times,” aren’t afraid to linger for long periods in dissonant and confrontational tones, but for the most part, Spiegel’s compositions are harmonious and friendly.