A Passage In Time

Performer: Dead Can Dance
Producer: Dead Can Dance; John A. Rivers; Dead Can Dance; John A. Rivers
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Dead Can Dance: Lisa Gerrard, Brendan Perry. Back in the early '90s, music released by the English record label 4AD was reasonably difficult to come by (not to mention expensive) in the U.S. The compilation A PASSAGE IN TIME became Dead Can Dance's first U.S. release. Though tracks from most of the band's albums are represented (only those from its 1984 self-titled debut are omitted), the bulk of the tracks appearing here were originally on THE SERPENT'S EGG (1988) and AION (1990). It also features two tracks that were recorded specially for this collection, "Bird" and "Spirit," both of which subsequently turned up on the vinyl version of the band's next studio album, 1993s INTO THE LABYRINTH. Among this collection's standouts are "Saltarello," which was adapted from a 14th-century piece of Italian dance music and played on bagpipes, drums, and tambourine; "The Host of Seraphim," with hyper-sustained organ notes under a spectacularly echoed vocal by Lisa Gerrard; and "Enigma of the Absolute," featuring one of the best examples of Brendan Perry's genuinely affecting vocals along with a tempered, pulsing percussive line. A PASSAGE IN TIME is an excellent place to examine Dead Can Dance, though it really only scratches the surface of this band's fascinating cannon.

Spin (1/92, p.74) - Recommended - "..includes much of Dead Can Dance's best material...[singer] Lisa Gerrard's voice is like a crystal that resonates as it cuts to the bone.."

Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard formed Dead Can Dance in the early 1980s in Australia, moving to London before the release of their self-titled debut in '84. Their unique sound bore a dark, gothic feel, but was far more idiosyncratic than that of the goth-rock hordes. Over the years they incorporated Early Music, electronics, Celtic flavors, and various World Music touches, all held together by the pair's trademark vocal blend. Dead Can Dance split up on a high note following their 1996 album SPIRITCHASER, with Perry and Gerrard both going on to solo work, and the latter singing on numerous film soundtracks.

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