Spiral

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Album

Spiral was released in December 1977. It was the third album that Vangelis recorded in his Nemo Studios in London, where he worked until the end of the 1980s. He produced and arranged it himself, played all the instruments and also designed the sleeve. The record came after Heaven and Hell and Albedo 0.39 and became less well known and less praised than those two.

It is a concept album, inspired by ancient Taoist philosophy and the idea that the universe moves in spirals. The album is almost entirely instrumental and uses synthesizers, sequencers, electric piano and percussion. For the first time on a Vangelis album the Yamaha CS-80 is heard, a synthesizer to which he often returned later. Dervish D is intended as music for a whirling dervish. For To the Unknown Man he received the Midem International Instrumental award in 1978.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Spiral6:58Apple Music ↗
2. 2Ballad8:29Apple Music ↗
3. 3Dervish D.5:14Apple Music ↗
4. 4To the Unknown Man9:06Apple Music ↗
5. 53 + 39:36Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

See also

• Early synthesizer scores (Moog, Berlin School, Vangelis)
• Synthesizer orchestra, ambient and new age