You must experience Laurie Spiegel’s extraordinary creation of early ambient music

I recently had the honor of speaking with Laurie Spiegel for the website. To prepare for the interview, I devoted considerable time over the past few weeks to going through Spiegel’s albums, particularly The Expanding Universe, her 1980 gem that unites synth experimentation with early notions of what would later be termed ambient music and algorithmic composition. It’s an extraordinary work that feels both nostalgic and ahead of its time.

Tracks such as “Patchwork” and “A Folk Study” explore lively arpeggios that draw similarities to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” whereas “Old Wave” and “East River Dawn” evoke early M83 or Boards of Canada. The sonic palette she employs is teeming with vitality and remains timeless, seldom dating itself in contrast to her later (also remarkable) album Unseen Worlds, which occasionally uses FM bells.

There are also more measured explorations into traditional ambient sounds like “Appalachian Grove II” or “The Unanswered Question,” where melodies unfold at such a slow pace they may sometimes feel completely random. Tracks of this nature and “Music for Dance II” could easily fit into contemporary ambient Instagram or modular synth YouTube, communities clearly indebted to Spiegel’s groundbreaking contributions.

Despite the vast majority of the pieces lacking percussion, there are some notable exceptions, particularly the lively and polyrhythmic “Drums.” However, what stands out to me is “Clockworks,” which ventures into a realm of proto-industrial grit reminiscent of a Throbbing Gristle album or a contemporary Trent Reznor soundtrack. It’s striking that this track doesn’t appear to have been sampled (at least according to WhoSampled) and used as the foundation of an underground hip-hop piece.

While The Expanding Universe doesn’t necessarily convey a unified vision, it undeniably reflects the unique voice of an artist at the pinnacle of her creativity. The reissue from 2012 bolsters Spiegel’s legacy by incorporating more than 100 minutes of additional material absent from the original edition.

Though the concept of 70s experimental synth music may deter some casual listeners, many pieces from The Expanding Universe offer an inviting experience. Indeed, while some tracks, like the closing duo “Kepler’s Harmony of the Worlds” and “Wandering in Our Times,” aren’t hesitant to linger in dissonance and challenging tones, the majority of Spiegel’s works are melodious and accessible.

Laurie Spiegel’s The Expanding Universe is available on Bandcamp, as well as across major streaming platforms, including Qobuz, Deezer, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.