LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Dead Can Dance are a British–Australian duo founded in Melbourne in 1981 by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, relocating to London shortly afterward. Their sound draws on moody post-punk atmospheres and weaves in neoclassical/darkwave, world/folk, and ambient elements—centered on Gerrard’s distinctive vocals and Perry’s compositions and arrangements.

Into the Labyrinth is Dead Can Dance’s sixth studio album, released on 13 September 1993 via 4AD, with a US major-label release handled through Warner. The album emphasizes global and medieval-flavored sonorities and was the first Dead Can Dance record created without guest musicians. Notable entry-point tracks include “Yulunga (Spirit Dance),” “The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove,” “The Wind That Shakes the Barley,” and “The Carnival Is Over.” The title is often associated with the Greek myth of Theseus and the Labyrinth.

Track Listing:

• A1 Yulunga (Spirit Dance)
• A2 The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove
• A3 The Wind That Shakes The Barley
• B1 The Carnival Is Over
• B2 Ariadne
• B3 Saldek
• B4 Towards The Within
• C1 Bird
• C2 Tell Me About The Forest (You Once Called Home)
• C3 The Spider's Stratagem
• D1 Spirit
• D2 Emmeleia
• D3 How Fortunate The Man With None