Formed in 1981 in Melbourne, Dead Can Dance consists Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard, a phenomenal duo who quite possibly set the foundation for all Gothic styled music. The band's style range over a multitude of genres. Their debut album,
Dead Can Dance displayed their early roots as well as the 4AD influence, as the band took a Post-Punk/Gothic approach to the music utilising the classic echoey sound of the genre. Nonetheless, the music is by no means derived. The band experimented with keyboard melodies, reverbed guitars and almost tribal drums creating an immense (and slightly noisy) wall of sound. This became their signature sound and allowed for Lisa's passionate and powerful Grecian influenced vocals to naturally meld into the music.
The use of stringed instruments (while not exclusive to DCD) also became a prominent element of Dead Can Dance and became the most recognisable part of the music. This paved the way for their later works which dropped the Post-Punk sound and adopted a Neoclassical and Darkwave approach to the music, still retaining a strong Gothic undertone (and possibly a Baroque one as well). The guitars were removed entirely and the melody was carried by the violins and cellos. Lisa's voice also became the focal point of the music instead of merely supporting Brendan. Nevertheless, what I consider to be their magnum opus,
The Serpent's Egg, was also made in their later years.
The band went on an indefinite hiatus 1998 with the individual members focusing their attention on solo works.
Sample
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnJOH5PImrwRecommended works:
The Serpent's Egg
Dead Can Dance
Within The Realm of a Dying Sun
Absolutely breathtaking band. I would say one of the most important in my musical listening.
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