RFI: Laurie Spiegel

I have NO IDEA, considering how much I love this sort of thing (early synth wub) and how ardent I am about digging out female musicians, how I have gone this long without knowing a thing about her. This seems almost criminal, that she's so little known.

well she's a recluse and not too into promoting herself, you'd think people who notice anyway but sometimes it takes a few decades -- in any case if she seems little known on one scale, the people that do know hold her in the highest possible regard & I listen to her music a lot

& I need to go through the writings again, they are so utterly sharp
http://www.retiary.org/ls/writings.html

'The Expanding Universe' was an old favorite and I'm pretty sure I still like it. I really should check out of the rest of the stuff mentioned here.

(This is the kind of stuff they used to play all the time on WXPN (University of Pennsylvania) back in the late 70s through the 80s.)

Milton you are a gentleman and a scholar.

I also just found out about her thanks to masonic boom and r1o's recommendations on the music to drift off to thread, to which i owe you both my thanks. Great stuff! amazing she is not more widely known in the electronic/ avant music worlds.

Milton you are a gentleman and a scholar.

For damn sure, this is amazing stuff to learn about.

'A Harmonic Algorithm' is so gorgeous

She's not a recluse. I mean as far as I can tell. I emailed her a couple of years ago to ask some questions about her music and I got a really nice reply within a day. I think she's just greatly under appreciated.

Someone mentioned Mother Mallard, which to me is actually a perfect comparison, sonically. It's the same sort of synth sound and the same sort of rhythmic awesomeness. Though, while I gather that mother mallard, though they had reasoning behind their patterns, was a bit more instinctual, Spiegel is highly mathematical, in that she composed on computers.

I believe she was one of the composers that Bell labs approached in their partnership with the arts. She also did computer graphics to match the music.

I'm a huge fan of her early stuff: her LP, the Expanding Universe, and her tracks on the new female electronic artists comp (on 1750 Arch), and her track on the random other comp carpacio something, carapace something --- the name is escaping me at the moment. It sounds like, as already said, Mother Mallard or early Kraftwerk (the catchier ones). But I guess I'm not saying anything that you can't already get from those youtube videos. The LP has some moments (the whole second side) which are more like yoshi wada or like a really soothing, relaxing tony conrad.

Somehow, and I always wonder how, she ended up making the music for the Voyager mission. Her later works are whispier. I think she has a full bio with lots of details on her website.

But yeah... those first three records... AMAZING. The only one available today is the 1750 arch comp which was rereleased on cd. It's got some great stuff on it from other female composers: megan roberts, ruth anderson, pauline oliveros, laurie anderson, annea lockwood, johanna beyer.

Some of this stuff is amazing. Echoing everyone else but this is such a rich output to stumble upon. The optimism and generosity of the writings about the role of computers in the future of music is really inspiring, and I love that someone in this field/with her background can come out with: "For me, music is a way to deal with the extreme intensity of moment to moment conscious existence."

Anyone know where the music here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98u5N5v5odA comes from?

looks like someone needs to edit her name into the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record. id sure as hell want credit if it were me.

She's not a recluse. I mean as far as I can tell. I emailed her a couple of years ago to ask some questions about her music and I got a really nice reply within a day. I think she's just greatly under appreciated.

recluse is a harsh word, I just wish we could get her out to SF. she does play around brooklyn; a friend of mine was playing on the same bill with her at an EMF / ear to the earth show two years ago -- she evidently showed up seeming a little overwhelmed and shy, but after the soundcheck got to feeling more comfortable and proposed that she and my friend do a joint improv, which went down great, so I don't mean to suggest she's anti-social

xpost wikipedia's music list leaves off 'The Sounds of Earth' -- 40 seconds of Spiegel's realization of the Kepler piece kick off that track, which is otherwise field recordings / natural sounds.

http://www.discogs.com/Laurie-Spiegel-Harmonices-Mundi/release/261289

"the expanding universe" is really nice. i am now going to enter terminal regret about not buying it when i last saw it.

Wow, I need this stuff. Thanks ILM.

ok this part of the 'unseen worlds' liners, worth transcribing

'A Strand Of Life' (1990) happened one afternoon while I was sick with a virus. Fantasizing that I could tame my own virus by doing so, I decided to map the complete genetic base sequence of a viroid into the musical pitch domain. I didn't have the data for a real DNA virus, but I found complete information on a viroid (which has only RNA) in an old copy of Scientific American (jan 1981; 'Viroids' by T.O. Diener). If you substitute adenine for each A, uracil for each E, guanine for each G, and cytocine for each C in this piece, you will have a self-replicating, genetic strand which lives in the cells of others in a state so close to the border of life that it is a moot scientific point whether it can be considered alive or not. It is completely another question whether a being so simple that a minute of music can contain its entire informational self can be conscious (and if so, then conscious of what), but since I tend to anthropomorphise a lot, I gave it a bit of an old time country music personality when mapping it for translation...

rest of the liner notes are like that which is why you need to buy the CD, and I had to reconfirm that 'unseen worlds' like most of her music was all improvised in real time (though some pieces got another pass through effects)

Listening to Obsolete Systems now and there are parts of it that are so sparkling and crystalline and perfect - but yes, so warm and organic and rich at the same time.

this thread is a treat. think i've listened to laurie at least once a week for a few years now. just got lost in her website in that way that doesn't seem to happen anymore. frames! content! stuff! and it's all very enjoyable :)

http://retiary.org/ls/index.html

Sediment is listed in the credits as being a part of the musical score for The Hunger Games film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02DvJvPppI0

non-album 1972 piece that came out for the first time a few years ago on a Sub Rosa Anthology. deep drone piece. this youtube rip is a lot more aggressive that the CD version, sounds less like a meditative drone and more like a noise piece. the youtube comments are kind of fun.

/than the CD version

the fact that this film's got people sourcing obscure Laurie Spiegel tracks for the soundtrack is exactly what is going to tip the scales into me going to see this monster

this is p great in all regards

Whoa, this could be a reason for me to go too.

fyi: she's on facebook. her posts are great!

you're using your Condé Nast powers for the forces of good, Geeta

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/03/rare-electronic-music-hunger-games/

Front page Slate article trampolining off of Geeta's article, re-interviewing on the subject of not getting paid by Sub Rosa, and goes into depth on her back catalogue in a way that is incredibly satisfying to read in a national forum.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/03/30/laurie_spiegel_s_sediment_in_the_hunger_games_how_the_new_movie_righted_a_musical_wrong.html

I've e-mailed a bit with the person assembling these compilations at Sub Rosa, and he came across as an unusually knowledgable student of the history of electronic music. Maybe I'm just used to a world in which labels have stopped paying anything for compilation tracks, but I'm still a little uncomfortable with a nationally read blowing up Laurie's reasonable Amazon.com review into a full on railing against Sub Rosa without including him in the interview and giving him a chance to respond.

Meantime here's the scene in question (or at least a lo-res version of it):

http://lincolnmoreira.tumblr.com/post/19877170785/the-hunger-games-cornucopia-scene

Ha, wow, the three pieces I was most impressed by them using for the film all get used in that one sequence: Spiegel, Reich and Chas Smith

http://www.amazon.com/A-Wasp-on-Her-Abdomen/dp/B000QWNDZ6

They mix and match between those three pretty freely, especially the Smith & the Reich pieces which they blend together into one piece pretty seamlessly. I'm a big fan of those Chas Smith records, it is almost kind of a shame he's not getting as big a boost out of this: http://www.allmusic.com/album/chas-smith-nikko-wolverine-r512808

Hmm, sounds like I need to investigate further..

After I saw the movie, I came across the Tumblr of some teenager who was crowing about how she'd recognized an excerpt from Music for 18 Musicians on the score. Since I recognized no such thing, I'm relieved to find out it's a different Reich composition, one I haven't listened to dozens of times.

If you like pedal steel guitars, ambient country & the Lanois tracks on 'Apollo Soundtracks' as much as you like Alan Lamb or Harry Bertoia, then you pretty much automatically like Chas Smith

Ah well, that's that, then!

expanding universe reissue with FIFTEEN extra tracks. yes please!

http://thewire.co.uk/articles/9349/

*cartwheels*

downloaded that from some blog about two years ago, so it's nice to be able to put that right... (works out around £15 in english, including delivery)

Splendid

hoping there's a nice balance between the folky counterpointish algorithmic stuff and far out space drones

pre-ordered & most psyched

http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/10_2/images/SpiegelLa_musicmouse_screenshot.gif

http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/10_2/images/SpiegelLa_musicmouse_keyboard.gif

http://rhizome.org/editorial/2008/oct/2/early-computer-art-from-1970s-bell-labs-laurie-spi/

^ cheeee this woman is amazing.

I almost revived this thread this morning, this woman is the true drone and all other drones are false

This interview is 15 years old but it's new (and interesting) to me and I don't see it on the thread:
http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/10_2/SpiegelLa_KD.html

Need to order reissue, have been paralysed by indecision about vinyl vs CD since seeing it mentioned on this thread

definitely the CD for the bonus material alone, but even then: the last piece is a quiet rolling 28 minute drone with a lot of low end so it really doesn't even matter how good the new pressing will be, you're just not going to hear all of the piece on vinyl

So thankful for this thread!

definitely the CD for the bonus material alone

you get a download code for all the CD tracks (as lossless, if you wish) w/the vinyl though! that is the source of my dilemma. but I probably will go CD if only for cheaper international shipping. thanks for the info re the last track, looking forward to all the drones

was wondering this morning where these cds had got to. just got this email:

"Thanks so much for your preorder of our 2CD set of The Expanding Universe.
International orders for this format have been shipped as of today and you
should see it in about a week."

I missed this! Might have to break my CD buying moratorium (which come to think of, I just broke last month) for this.

Pre-ordered the vinyl which has been delayed, but a compensation the label sent a download code for the FLACSs of the extended release early, working my way through now, some amazing work.

Very. Got a promo copy a little while ago and it's just astonishing stuff.

Got my CD in the mail, listened to the first disc and liked it a lot. The first track was beautifully programmed, and "Drums" is an interesting early attempt at creating electronic drum polyrhythms. I'm not fond of vinyl rips, so I'd never heard the eponymous track itself before... It was slow as melasses, and I actually fell asleep on the sofa while listening to it (something which I shouldn't have done, according to the liner notes by Spiegel, as she says this isn't ambient music but something to listen to carefully), but what I caught was luminous and pretty. Can't wait to play disc 2!

Speaking of the liner notes, though, while it's great that there's plenty of background information written by Spiegel herself, the choice to print some of the text white on yellow background is poor, as it makes the text hard to read. Also, tracks 2 and 3 are listed in different order in the inner sleeve than in the back cover, so I'm not sure which one is which. Still, it's intriguing to read all the technical explanation on how the tracks were realized, even though I don't understand half of it.

there is some sort of collaboration in the works with caribou / daphni apparently.

ugh

>:[

4 dec.
Caribou ‏@caribouband
JIAOLONG006 features a previous Jiaolong artist together with a pioneer of electronic music. Any guesses?

7 dec.
Caribou ‏@caribouband
FANTASTIC feature on @LaurieSpiegel who has been a great inspiration to me over the years - http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/9002-laurie-spiegel/ …

7 dec.
Caribou ‏@caribouband
[hint, hint...]

So I'm guessing this'll be a 12". Looking at jialong's discogs it could indeed be Daphni, but technically speaking also Jeremy Greenspan or Les Sins (Toro Y Moi project) could be involved.

gr8 piece on a brilliant mind (smh @ the jungle reference)

this is a really good read...

http://sexmagazine.us/articles/laurie-spiegel/1

she's so cool!

countdown to Laurel Halo collab on RVNG.

Thanks for that link, CB.

I keep wanting to use the display name 'Laurie Smeagol' but a) it's probably not as funny as I think it is, b) not sure many people would get it, and c) I don't really do wacky display name changes.

that's one dodgy-looking url for that interview...

> it's probably not as funny as I think it is

i laughed

i laughed
Smeagol is always funny

i laughed

i laughed

Aw, you guys.

I lold

big piece by me in frieze:

http://blog.frieze.com/an-interview-with-laurie-spiegel/

Hey geeta, I sent you an email to the address you give on theoriginalsoundtrack.com, with a link to download something I thought might interest you. Just a heads up in case you don't normally check that.

Sorry, no Laurie Spiegel content.

just saw it! thanks!!

best article yet and that is saying something. placing cultural context is one thing, but emotional context is another

nice youtube of a guy who got Music Mouse running on an Atari ST emulator on his Windows machine, patched in through Reason as his synth. His improvisations are a lot more traditional than anything Spiegel herself released but it's nice to get a sense of the software by seeing the GUI in action

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8306890717_56e6697742.jpg

Okay bought "The Expanding Universe," will listen and report back

Did this get linked somewhere? Jeremy Greenspan's reworking of Drums:

http://www.spin.com/blogs/junior-boys-jeremy-greenspan-reworks-laurie-spiegels-proto-techno-drums

http://www.thewire.co.uk/news/22473/laurie-spiegel-designs-new-wiret-shirt

Finally caved and bought the LP version of this. Very pleased. A question, though - the CD has a really big, detailed booklet with diagrams and photos. The LP doesn't? Or is it just my copy that lacks an insert?

Sometimes, if I buy digital/Vinyl I email the record label and ask for a .pdf of the inlay card if its got loads of detail.

some have been great - RVNG.itl

some have been awful - Gronland records

I try to include the email invoice of the digital or a photo of me holding the record....

it kills me when the reviews talk of the amazing stuff in the liner notes and the vinyl has a white inner sleeve and nothing else..

I've had similar interactions with Matt who runs RVNG. Definitely one of the good guys.

If you redeem the digital download code included with the vinyl of The Expanding Universe, you'll get a .pdf of the CD liner notes.

It's amazing that more labels don't do that. The downloads that come with those cards can be anything. When you buy any of the last 3 Acute releases (before they sold out that is), the download gets you the LP, plus tons of bonus tracks plus a PDF of the liner notes. More labels should include videos and other stuff like that.

Thanks J Sam - got it. Would still have loved the liner notes in tactile form--what if, in two years, I have the record handy but not the hard drive / laptop / whatever?--but at least now I can read 'em.

Vinyl gouging sucks bad enough without getting less than what you would get if you bought the CD.

tbf, though, this Spiegel reissue is super inexpensive, given what these sorts of things usually cost ($20ppd with download / pdf, etc)

but at least now I can read 'em
You might actually be one up on us CD owners there, as half of the text in the booklet is virtually illegible due to the tiny printing and odd background colour scheme choices (white font on yellow for example).

anyone seen this? http://cubittartists.org.uk/2014/05/29/a-caelo-usque-ad-centrum-dena-yago-laurie-spiegel/

http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/laurie-spiegel-grassroots-technologist/

thanks, fantastic interview. what a hero(ine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fy5ilFJENo&list=UUEIPw9uWhRVz8K8nrCcxwPQ&index=2

I would love an album of her guitar playing, very curious about it

ah just meant to post this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDA2uQCJPjE

I played music in other people’s ensembles, played guitar or banjo or whatever for Tom Johnson and with Rhys Chatham. I would do these filigree patterns, and Rhys would do these long drone-like lines against the stuff. That balanced it.

has anyone else been trying to imagine this? mb it's niche but it sounds so promising to me

https://www.thewire.co.uk/video/watch-a-short-film-about-laurie-spiegel

Quick drop in to say that I’m in an FM kinda mood and just listened to Unseen Worlds ... love this.

i just picked up a copy of Unseen Worlds a couple weeks ago! still digesting it - very different than Expanding Universe, which makes sense because it used a totally different setup/programming interface

multichannel work in nyc in march https://issueprojectroom.org/event/laurie-spiegel-harmonic-algorithm-collaboration-seth-cluett-caterina-barbieri