Subjecting some of my favourite ethereal background music to scrutiny wasn't an easy task, but I'll never learn which ones are worth listening to if I keep falling asleep to them.
It took several passes through to decide my Top 10 Dead Can Dance Albums & E.P.
10. Spiritchaser (1996)
Long, lethargic ramblings, maybe they didn't have enough ideas left for more songs.
Fave: Song of the Nile
9. Into the Labyrinth (1993)
From ethnic flourishes to full-on colonisation, this is more dynamic than they've sounded in a while, but a more acquired taste, sometimes even annoying.
Fave: How Fortunate the Man With None
8. Aion (1990)
Good incidental music for a Renaissance film, but boring to sit through, not that I have often.
Fave: Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book
7. The Serpent's Egg (1988)
Continuing their ascent towards the light, Lisa Gerrard's angelic tones can't be described as an 'experiment' any more, but I have to be in the mood. I miss the horror organ.
Fave: The Host of Seraphim
6. Dionysus (2018)
It's back to narcoleptic soundtracks, but filling out the space more satisfyingly, whether that's down to changing production or taste.
Fave: Act II – The Mountain
It's a shame this particular transitional release was so brief, but like all good EPs, it makes up the minutes in replay value.
Fave: In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated
4. Spleen and Ideal (1985)
Haunting soundscapes more than songs, they're definitely on to something, they just need to make it more engaging.
Fave: Circumradiant Dawn
They'd eventually sever the goth rock roots, but they've already established the dichotomy of alternating soothing croons and scary exotica.
Fave: Ocean
What retro dungeon synth bedroom artists strive for without the requisite talent, kitsch horror tunes become transcendentally heavenly by the end.
Fave: Xavier
Not the first I'd heard, but the first that really enraptured me beyond the calling of ambience.
Fave: Children of the Sun
