Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance is a British-Australian group composed mainly of contralto Lisa Gerrard (born April 12, 1961 in Melbourne, Australia) and baritone, Brendan Perry (born June 30, 1959 in London, United Kingdom). Formed in 1981 in Melbourne, the group disbanded in 1998 but reunited in 2005 for a world tour.
Dead Can Dance was one of the spearheads of the independent British record label 4AD, with other groups such as Bauhaus, the Cocteau Twins, the Pixies, This Mortal Coil or Throwing Muses.
The two founding members, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, have developed their own universe, evolving from the cold wave to original music inspired by medieval liturgical sounding incantation or magic, before arriving at a folk music more loans north African, South American or Asian.
Biography
In 1981 in Melbourne, based Brendan Perry Dead Can Dance with Simon Monroe (drums) and Paul Erikson (bass), quickly joined by Lisa Gerrard Brendan met when they occur both in local clubs. The group's name evokes an aboriginal mask, seemingly macabre but should symbolize the ability of things "inanimate" to be animated (like musical instruments, for example ...). In 1982 the group moved to London, the scene of which they consider more favorable to the ambition of unconventional music. Simon Monroe has remained in Australia, the trio recruited drummer Peter Ulrich, who lives in the same subdivision in the East End of London and with whom they register they send demos to record labels. The first year seems very difficult for musicians, who live on unemployment benefits. In 1983, Paul Erikson was replaced on bass by Scott Rodger. The group is increased in the same year James Pinker on percussion, but it seems that musical creation carries essentially already Brendan and Lisa.
The demos that interested Ivo Watts-Russell's 4AD label, Dead Can Dance is offered the opportunity to twice the first part of the group Xmal Deutschland in June and July 1983. Benefits of Dead Can Dance are convincing, and Ivo signs the group and allows them to enter the studio to record in September. In November, Dead Can Dance provides the first part of Cocteau Twins on a tour of 7 dates, then recorded a session for the BBC John Peel.
Their first album, Dead Can Dance, released in February 1984. He combines rock influences with those of Perry more mystical and traditional Gerrard. So rub cold pieces on bass sweetish (A passage in time) with Perry on vocals, with tracks removed and more ethereal as Ocean or Musica Eternal. It also emerged percussion, something unusual in the soundscape of the period and adding to the ceremonial atmosphere of the album.
The first financial returns allow Brendan Perry to purchase a synthesizer, sampler and drum machine. He immediately launched the composition of songs with sounds of brass, strings and percussion. Ivo Watts-Russell also allocates more studio time, and entrusts the care of a new producer, John A. Rivers.
Second album, Spleen and Ideal is a reference to the Symbolists and poets of the nineteenth century, especially Charles Baudelaire, whose collection Les Fleurs du Mal contains a chapter entitled Spleen and Ideal. The general atmosphere is more intimate, darker, rock instrumentation gives way to standard scores (violin, cello, timpani). The voice of Lisa Gerrard has worked more and more discernible. The tour surprises the audience, unaccustomed to these magical and mystical atmosphere, which contrast with the new wave of time, or the gothic atmosphere of concerts.
The Dead Can Dance still developing this theme of ethereal music producing Within the Realm of a Dying Sun. This album navigates between mystical songs like Anywhere out of the world and atmospheric Summoming of the Muse.
Then with The Serpent's Egg, their fourth album, they multiply the influences and blends. The emergence of medieval style is felt in Orbis De Ignis or Chant of the Paladin and the Baroque church music in Ulysses or Severance.
Aion continues on this path and plays baroque in the register of the liturgical music of the Renaissance.
Dead Can Dance continued its musical explorations with Into the Labyrinth and Spiritchaser more influenced by world music and tribal percussion.
Simultaneously and subsequently, they each follow a solo career and expand collaborations: Denez Prigent, ExCo, Elijah's Mantle, Pieter Bourke ...
In 1998, in full preparation for their new album, the group decided to split the difference on line to take on new registrations. Only a full resurface its sessions, it's The Lotus Eaters present in the anthology Dead Can Dance 1981-1998 (released in 2001) and Wake compilation (released in 2003).
Lisa Gerrard has developed his own chant to the strains of melancholy, and is internationally recognized for his participation in many film soundtracks quality (Heat, 1995; Nadro, with Pieter Bourke, 1998; The Insider, with Pieter Bourke, 1999; Gladiator with Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt, 2000, Ali, with Pieter Bourke, 2001; Mission Impossible II (part), 2001; The Black Hawk, with Hans Zimmer, 2002; Whale Rider, 2002, Tears of the Sun, with Hans Zimmer, 2003, and many other equity ...) His language built from scratch as an Esperanto of World Music.
Brendan Perry modestly wrote Eye of the Hunter and collaborated on projects cited above.
2005 marks the reunion of the group with a farewell tour of Europe and North America. The opportunity to discover new compositions such as Saffron or Hymn For The Fallen. This tour will be the output of most concert double CD limited edition.
In 2008, ten years after their separation, took place the remastering and reissue of all the official albums released by 4AD. As a first time in June 2008, was released the collection "Audiophile Edition", published in Japan by Warner in association with 4AD a few thousand copies (6000 for albums, 3,000 for Garden Of The Arcane Delights), suggesting a SACD luxury each album in its original format in a cardboard sleeve replica of vinyl 33 rpm. The song list of each album that meets vinyl. Thus the Garden of Arcane Delights has been the subject of a separate exit, and Into The Labyrinth included securities Spirit and Bird, the compilation A Passage in Time was not reprinted. In November 2008, the albums were released in remastered CD format box in Super Jewel Case. The song list, this time is the same as the output format original CD. The remastering was done by the renowned Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.
That same year the label Vinyl 180 has meanwhile begun a luxury edition vinyl format. Early exits are and Dead Can Dance Spleen and Ideal.
See also Goth subculture
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