Having disbanded in 1998, they reunited briefly in 2005 for a world tour and reformed in 2011, releasing a new album (Anastasis) and embarking on several tours.
Dead Can Dance formed in Melbourne, Australia in August 1981 with Paul Erikson on bass guitar, Lisa Gerrard (ex-Microfilm) on vocals, Simon Monroe (Marching Girls) on drums and Brendan Perry (also of Marching Girls) on vocals and guitar. Gerrard and Perry were a couple who met as members of Melbourne's little band scene. In May 1982, the band left Monroe in Australia and moved to London, England, where they signed with alternative rock label 4AD. With the duo, the initial United Kingdom line-up were Paul Erikson and Peter Ulrich.
The group's debut album, Dead Can Dance, was released in February 1984. The artwork, which depicts a ritual mask from New Guinea, "provide a visual reinterpretation of the meaning of the name Dead Can Dance", set in a faux Greek typeface. The album featured "drum-driven, ambient guitar music with chanting, singing and howling", and fit in with the ethereal wave style of label mates Cocteau Twins. They followed with a four-track extended play, Garden of the Arcane Delights in August. AllMusic described their early work as "as goth as it gets" (despite the group themselves rejecting the label), while the EP saw them "plunging into a wider range of music and style".
A shift in sound followed for the Spleen and Ideal album, with more emphasis on strings, brass and drones being used. A quasi spiritual element also emerged on this album, notably on the opening tracks "De Profundis" and "Ascension". Its worth noting that around this time Lisa and Brendan had been doing tours of European Cathedrals, absorbing the ambience which in turn was reflected in the work.
The highlights of the bands career followed with the genre defining album Within The Realm of a Dying Sun, featuring fan favorite "Cantara", which is where the bands Arabic and World music influences began to appear, and the double whammy of "Summoning of the Muse" and "Persephone (The Gathering of Flowers)." Critics at the time were undecided about the album, mainly due to the fact that the pieces were split according to the vocals. Brendan had the first side of the album, where Lisa took over for the latter half.
The Serpent's Egg was the next album and built on the premise set by the previous album, although the album is slightly uneven in quality and a short listen at around 40 minutes. The album is redeemed by the opening and closing pieces "The Host of Seraphim", and Perry's epic "Ullyses".
For the next album Aion, the band slipped back several centuries and recreated working medieval instruments such as the Sackbut, Viol and Hurdy Gurdy for the distinctly Medieval flavor. Included on the album is "Song of the sibyl" a text from 14th century Spain and now a live favorite. Another text appears in the song "Fortune Presents Gifts Not According To The Book".
Into the Labyrinth was the follow up album and was the album that saw Brendan mastering the use of samples and synthesizers and also the album that brought the band's music to American audiences selling over a million copies worldwide. The track "The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove" was played across on college radio and was instrumental in the albums success.
Spiritchaser was the seventh studio album for the band and brought about an abrupt upturn in musical style, instead of drawing on the historical past the band drew upon South American and African influences which gave the album a very rhythmic ambience. Considered by some to be the bands weakest album, it features highlights such as the percussive "Nierika" which was the most played track on American college radio for that year, and the epic 9 minute trance inducing "Indus".
A 3 CD retrospective simply called 1981-1998 was issued by 4AD and compiled a comprehensive overview of the bands career, and provided diehard fans with the only finished track from the Spiritchaser follow-up sessions called "The Lotus Eaters".
As a live band is probably where Dead Can Dance have gained their reputation. To put it simply, they were phenomenal. The concerts often featured many improvised pieces that to date have never been recorded in the studio. A live album entitled Toward the Within was released in 1994 and allowed fans unfortunate enough to have not attended concerts the chance to hear a few of these songs. A companion video/DVD of the concert was also released allowing people to see these highly ethereal concerts.
After Dead Can Dance ceased to be a functioning band both Perry and Gerrard embarked upon solo careers. To date, Brendan has released one solo album The Eye of the Hunter and has completed work on a new album, 'Ark', to be released in June 2010, whilst Lisa has been more prolific but with mixed results, releasing two solo albums The Mirror Pool and The Silver Tree. Lisa has also collaborated with other artists, namely Pieter Bourke of the band Soma and Irish composer Patrick Cassidy on the respective albums Duality and Immortal Memory. Lisa has also become a sought after soundtrack artist too after a wave of publicity for the Ridley Scott film Gladiator and continues to release work on a regular basis including soundtrack work on Ali, Layer Cake, and Whale Rider. Peter Ulrich, former percussionist of the band has also released two solo albums, Pathways and Dawns and more recently, Enter the Mysterium.
A series of 31 reunion concerts took place in 2005 in both Europe and North America including two memorable sell out concerts at The Hollywood Bowl and Radio City accompanied by 40 piece orchestras. Many of these concerts were professionally recorded and released as a double CD.
In late 2011, the band announced a reunion World Tour, in order to promote their new album, fittingly titled Anastasis, as it was released on August 9, 2012, 16 years after the group's previous album. Anastasis was well received by critics and is also the first album of the band not released by 4AD Records.
The name "Dead Can Dance" is often misleading. Although this group is quite popular among the goth sub-culture with the name appearing to be inspired by the Danse macabre allegory, it should instead be interpreted as 'giving life to something that was previously inanimate' as Perry said:
"The album artwork [of our self titled first album], a ritual mask from New Guinea, attempted to provide a visual reintrepretation of the meaning of the name "Dead Can Dance." The mask, though once a living part of a tree is dead; nevertheless it has, through the artistry of its maker, been imbued with a life force of its own. To understand why we chose the name, think of the transformation of inanimacy to animacy.... Think of the processes concerning life from death and death into life. So many people missed the inherent symbolism, and assumed that we must be 'morbid gothic types,' a mistake we deplored and deplore...".
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Yulunga
Dead Can Dance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just like before when I was a child
Only to find dreams made of sand
Would just fall apart and slip through my hands
But the spirit of life keeps us strong
And the spirit of life is the will to carry on
Adversity what have I done to you
To cause this reclusive silence
And the spirit of life remains in light
And the spirit of life remains inside
I never thought it would be quite like this
Living outside of mutual bliss
But as long as the veins in our arm still stand up
The spirit of life will keep living on
The lyrics to Yulunga by Dead Can Dance capture the reality of life's impermanent nature, a theme common across many of their songs. The opening stanza refers to the singer's past hopes and dreams - things that they believed could sustain them. However, like "dreams made of sand," these aspirations slipped through the singer's hands, leaving them feeling disillusioned. Despite this, the "spirit of life" - an idea that transcends individual experience - keeps them strong, motivating them to continue on. The following stanza speaks to a rift that has formed between the singer and someone referred to as "adversity." This could be interpreted as a personal conflict the singer is going through or a reference to the general struggles of life that everyone experiences. Regardless, the silence between the singer and this antagonist has left them feeling disconnected. However, the "spirit of life" remains a constant source of guidance and comfort for the singer, even when all else has fallen away.
Overall, this song is about the importance of resilience in the face of adversity. Despite the trials and tribulations that life throws our way, there is always a "spirit of life" that exists within us all, urging us to keep going. This idea is reinforced throughout the song's lyrics and also reflected in the upbeat, rhythmic nature of the accompanying music, which gives the listener a sense of hope and motivation.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I'd found a reason to live
I believed I had found something that would give meaning to my life
Just like before when I was a child
Similar to when I was a child and believed in simple pleasures
Only to find dreams made of sand
However, I discovered that my aspirations were fragile and easily destroyed
Would just fall apart and slip through my hands
Breaking apart and slipping away from my grip
But the spirit of life keeps us strong
Yet the vitality of existence enables us to persevere
And the spirit of life is the will to carry on
Our will power to continue is nourished by the spirit of living
Adversity what have I done to you
Oh hardship, what have I done to offend you?
To cause this reclusive silence
That resulted in such a secluded silent state
That has come between me and you
Creating a distance between us
And the spirit of life remains in light
However, the force of vitality continues to exist in the face of illumination and radiance
And the spirit of life remains inside
Lingering within our individual consciousness
I never thought it would be quite like this
I did not expect it to be this way
Living outside of mutual bliss
Living without shared happiness with another
But as long as the veins in our arm still stand up
As long as the veins in our arms continue to be sturdy
The spirit of life will keep living on
The spirit of living will persevere
Contributed by Alyssa H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@antonioboner2063
"Yulunga" is a song by the Australian-British neoclassical dark wave duo Dead Can Dance. It was released on their fifth studio album, Into the Labyrinth, in 1993.
The title of the song is derived from the Aboriginal word "julunggul", which is the name of a rainbow serpent creation deity in Aboriginal Australian mythology. The song's lyrics are sung in a variety of languages, including English, French, and Latin, and they evoke a sense of ancient mystery and spiritual longing.
Musically, "Yulunga" is a complex and atmospheric piece that features a variety of instruments, including didgeridoos, tablas, and duduk. The song's arrangement is both delicate and powerful, and it creates a sense of awe and wonder.
"Yulunga" is one of Dead Can Dance's most popular and enduring songs. It has been praised by critics for its beauty, its originality, and its spiritual depth. The song has also been used in a variety of films and television shows, including Baraka (1992) and The Crow: City of Angels (1996).
On one level, "Yulunga" can be seen as a celebration of Aboriginal culture and mythology. The song's lyrics evoke the beauty and power of the Australian landscape, and they pay homage to the Aboriginal people's deep connection to the land.
On a deeper level, "Yulunga" can be seen as a song about the universal human experience of spiritual longing. The song's lyrics speak to the desire to connect with something greater than ourselves, and they offer a glimpse of the possibility of transcendence.
"Yulunga" is a powerful and moving song that has resonated with listeners from all over the world. It is a song that is both timeless and timely, and it continues to inspire and uplift people to this day.
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@antonioboner2063
"Yulunga" is a song by the Australian-British neoclassical dark wave duo Dead Can Dance. It was released on their fifth studio album, Into the Labyrinth, in 1993.
The title of the song is derived from the Aboriginal word "julunggul", which is the name of a rainbow serpent creation deity in Aboriginal Australian mythology. The song's lyrics are sung in a variety of languages, including English, French, and Latin, and they evoke a sense of ancient mystery and spiritual longing.
Musically, "Yulunga" is a complex and atmospheric piece that features a variety of instruments, including didgeridoos, tablas, and duduk. The song's arrangement is both delicate and powerful, and it creates a sense of awe and wonder.
"Yulunga" is one of Dead Can Dance's most popular and enduring songs. It has been praised by critics for its beauty, its originality, and its spiritual depth. The song has also been used in a variety of films and television shows, including Baraka (1992) and The Crow: City of Angels (1996).
On one level, "Yulunga" can be seen as a celebration of Aboriginal culture and mythology. The song's lyrics evoke the beauty and power of the Australian landscape, and they pay homage to the Aboriginal people's deep connection to the land.
On a deeper level, "Yulunga" can be seen as a song about the universal human experience of spiritual longing. The song's lyrics speak to the desire to connect with something greater than ourselves, and they offer a glimpse of the possibility of transcendence.
"Yulunga" is a powerful and moving song that has resonated with listeners from all over the world. It is a song that is both timeless and timely, and it continues to inspire and uplift people to this day.
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J
@salemstarrofficial
Thanks for sharing all this. I just discovered them tonight. I have seen and love The Crow:City Of Angels also ❤
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