Dead Can Dance have announced their upcoming ninth studio album Dionysis, and tour dates for 2019 entitled “A Celebration – Life and Works 1980-2019”.
The announcement follows Brendan Perry taking to social back in April on the eve of the new album’s mastering at Abbey Road, and a buildup of the band’s presence on social media. Posts made via Twitter, and an newly formed Instagram account have showcased pictures from throughout the history of the band formed by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry nearly 40 years ago.
The new album can be pre-ordered in three formats, which a deluxe version on exclusive heavyweight transparent purple 12” vinyl, accompanied by a CD and deluxe 16-page 12” x 12” hardback picture book with padded cover.
There are standard vinyl and cd editions as well.
The tracklisting is described as “seven movements representing different facets of the Dionysus myth and his cult.” Lisa Gerrard, (who is currently on tour in promotion of her record The Mystery Of The Bulgarian Voices), sings on 4 of the seven movements featured on the new Dead Can Dance album.
ACT I: Sea Borne – Liberator of Minds – Dance of the Bacchantes
ACT II: The Mountain – The Invocation – The Forest – Psychopomp
Each composition is describe on an updated biography via group’s website, noting that since Dead Can Dance formed in Australia in 1981, Perry and Gerrard “have been informed by folk traditions from all over Europe, not just solely in terms of instrumentation, but also by secular, religious and spiritual practices.”
On the new album’s concept, it goes on to say:
“The story to their forthcoming album Dionysus took shape as Brendan Perry became fascinated by long established spring and harvest festivals that had their origins in Dionysian religious practices throughout Europe. The presence of the religion was suppressed during the ideological control of Christianity and Islam since the Roman Empire, and so the influence that Dionysus still had on these festivals would continue to manifest itself albeit in a more censored form.”
Perry and Gerrard are set to embark on 26 date European tour for the album that commences in May of 2019. Tickets are on sale 10am local on Friday 7th September at: http://smarturl.it/DCDDionysus
See dates below.
