Dead Can Dance – Spiritchaser (2LP, Ultra Analog, Half-speed Mastering, MOFI Silver Label)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Lisa Gerrard – vocals, instrumentation
Brendan Perry – vocals, instrumentation
Additional personnel
Robert Perry – percussion (A1, B3)
Lance Hogan – percussion (A1, B3)
Peter Ulrich – percussion (A1, B3)
Rónán Ó Snodaigh – percussion (A1, B3)
Renaud Pion – Turkish clarinet (B1)
Written by Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrard
Lyrics by Brendan Perry (B2)
1 LP, gatefold jacket
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-speed Mastered
Gain 2™ Ultra Analog
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : RTI
Label : MOFI
Original Label : 4D
Recorded and produced at Quivvy Church, Ireland
Engineered by Klaus Vormehr (A1, B3)
Produced by Brendan Perry, Lisa Gerrard
Originally released in June 1996
Reissued in 2010
Tracks:
Side A:
- Nierika
- Song Of The Stars
Side B:
- Indus
- Song Of The Dispossessed
- Dedicace Outo
Side C:
- The Snake And The Moon
- Song Of The Nile
Side D:
- Devorzhum
Reviews :
“Dead Can Dance's final album Spiritchaser was something of an unusual release - it's not as much of an anomaly as the first album, but one can hear the duo wanting to stretch a bit more, however subtly. Perry and Gerrard's personal and creative tensions didn't stop them from creating another fine album, though there's a strong sense the group had finally reached a logical end. Essentially, Spiritchaser is a summing up rather than a push forward; it features all the usual elements of a Dead Can Dance album instead of further explorations to see what else could be done. Toward the Within contributors Ronan O'Snodaigh and Lance Hogan, as well as previous collaborator Peter Ulrich, appear on some tracks here, most specifically on the opening "Nierika" and "Dedicace Outro." Both are laden with lots of percussion -- unsurprising when one realizes that five performers are creating the drumming! Outside of Turkish clarinet by Renaud Pion on the Beatles-sampling "Indus," it's nothing but Perry and Gerrard throughout the album, with another combination and arrangement of multiple influences coming to bear. Both Perry and Gerrard are in fine voice throughout, their strong singing still the centerpiece of their work, but there's almost an air of predictability to their approaches at this point (perhaps explaining Perry's greater experimentation on his solo debut years later). Interestingly, overtly rock elements like Morricone-styled electric guitar appear at points amid the usual melange of various percussion instruments and arrangements. It works surprisingly well, indicating where the duo might have gone had they continued on. Spiritchaser ends on a strong note, the gentle, mysterious "Devorzhum," a Gerrard-sung number that makes for a grand conclusion.” AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett
Ultra Analog™ : The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ Series stems from the use of the Gain 2 system, mastered at half speed from the original master tapes where possible, capturing and uncovering as before undiscovered sonic information.
Half-speed mastering. In half-speed mastering, the whole process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 , Discogs : 4.63 / 5