Thursday, December 29, 2011

Dead Can Dance Gives New Ethnic Twist To A Forgotten Genre (Oct. 2010)

Under The Radar
Dead Can Dance

Originally published for the Bismarck State College Mystician back in October, 2010.



Genre: Post-Punk/Goth/Neo-Classical

The punk rock movement of the 70s left its mark on the musical community, creating a widespread of differing influences. Though the nihilistic attitude and DIY ("do-it-yourself") mentality of the the scene remained intact, the artists went on to create a much more experimental and versatile genre: Post-Punk.
Early Post-Punk groups such as Siouxsie & the Banshees and Joy Division stayed closer to the source material but emphasized complexity and melancholy melodies. The 80s, however, witnessed an evolution in the genre that split into different directions. Some artists took the sound and made it catchier and more commercially viable, creating New Wave groups such as Blondie, Talking Heads and Devo. A few groups, such as The Pixies and Sonic Youth, took a more experimental approach, branching off to the point of being nearly unclassifiable. Groups such as Bauhaus and The Cure, however, took the meloncholy tone introduced by early Post-Punk bands to extreme measures, producing either minimalistic material of a macabre nature or synth-heavy melodies of gloom and doom, creating Goth.
It's worth noting that this is the only genre to be officially classified as Goth by music analysists and commentators, despite its use by broad audiences to describe a cadre of musical artists – usually with intended negative connotations. As the genre grew and the niche among 80s culture started to bloom, one band took the style and created something unique: Dead Can Dance.
Dead Can Dance was a Post-Punk/Goth group that originated from Australia. Their first album, a self-titiled record, was already noteworthy for tis more ambient and ethereal sounds as well as their contrasting vocalists, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard. Perry was noted for his distinctively haunting baritone vocals while Gerrard had showcased an expansive range from contralto to mezzo-soprano and experimented with traditional Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Oriental vocals.
It was the band's later work that made them stand out. They slowly started experimenting with multi-ethnic folk and Neo-Classical. By the time they produced their fifth album, The Serpent's Egg, they were unclassifiable. Dead Can Dance's signature had become a mixture of Dark Etheral and ethnic folk deriving from ancient and traditional styles of various eastern ethnicities, notably the Romani and other ancient Mediterranean cultures. The influences have often been attributed to Gerrard growing up in the Greek-Turkish suburb Prahran, Australia.
Over time, the group put less emphasis on lyrics and more on instruments. Eventually, even the vocals were used more instrumentally where Gerrard often sang in idioglossia: languages Gerrard invented.
By the nineties, the group had become a duo featuring solely Perry and Gerrard. The two became so diverse in their talents they were able to produce their elaborate music without the help of the guests and collaborators who had contributed to the production of their earlier material. Unfortunately, the two drifted apart due to creative differences and split up after producing their final album, Spiritchaser, in 1996. Since their break-up, the group only reunited in 2005 and has shown no intention of reuniting again.
Although not known in the mainstream musical community, their legacy followed a similar path as New Age/Trance legends Tangerine Dream, with their music featured in musical scores of countless film and television projects. Some of the notable uses include "Sanvean" on The West Wing and "The Host of the Seraphim" for Terminator 3, The Mist and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole.

Notable Albums:
The Serpent's Egg (1988)
Into The Labyrinth (1993)
Spiritchaser (1996)


Notable Tracks:
"The Host of the Seraphim"
"Saltarello"
"The Writing On My Father's Hand"
"Sanvean"

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