From their inception in 1981, Australian duo Dead Can Dance have long been intrigued by European folk traditions, not solely in musical terms but also by secular, religious and the spiritual practises. Taking its inspiration from this backdrop and shaped as Brendan Perry explored the long and established spring and harvest festivals that originated from the Dionysus religious practices, a journey that brings to the fore, the rites and rituals that are still practised to the present day.
Two years in the making, Perry has amassed an array of folk instrumentation and as often heard on previous albums takes inspiration from across the world, tracks evolve less like songs more akin to fragments of the cohesive whole. Dionysus follows a familiar path, witness to field recordings, that includes chanting, beehives from New Zealand, bird calls from Latin America and a Swiss goatherd. The aim in Perry’s mind is to not just invoke the atmosphere and symbolic reference points but to highlight that music can be found everywhere in some form or other.
The album consists of two acts across seven movements that represent the different facets of the Dionysus myth and his cult and takes the musical form of an oratorio, which has informed both spiritual and secular pieces of music as far back in history as the early 16th century. Retaining a prevalent hold on contemporary paganism in Europe, the voices used on these movements are imagined as communities celebrating, in communion with each other at times, chanting and call and response – the various voices are present to convey emotion beyond the boundaries of language itself.
Although taking its main inspiration from the Dionysus story, the album’s artwork resonates with links to rituals depicting a mask made by the Huizhou of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico – famed for their beadwork and yarn paintings, whilst also partaking in peyote as a sacred rite and ritual for the purposes of healing and mind expansion – this is at heart of Dionysus, a celebration of not just humanity but humanity working hand in hand with nature with respect and appreciation.

Ashram
"Shining Silver Skies"
Digipak CD 2006
Equilibrium Music - EQM010
review by:
TekNoir
2006-05-15
Ashram is back after some 4 years with a splendid second album. Shining Silver Skies contains very delicate and beautiful neoclassical music. This music is the ultimate way to get totally relaxed and to enjoy intensively in a way in which everything seems to be very light. In weight, in colour and in sound. The music has just about the exact right balance between light atmospheres and deep emotions without getting all pathetic or bombastic. The ingeniously thought-out and very versatile piano sounds by Luigi Rubino create the base over which the violin of Edo Notarloberti plays it’s arrangements. There can sometimes also be heard a chello sound which adds the necessary depth to the compositions. The whole picture regarding this pure music with a slightly nostalgic character is made complete by the wonderful, sometimes almost crooning, vocals of Sergio Panarella. Sergio’s voice is melodic and has a certain degree of accessibility that borders the popular and which ensures that the music doesn’t come across as too heavy or pompuous yet deliciously balances on that fine thin line. This is truly exceptionally good.

The embryo of the band was formed in June '97 when Sergio Panarella and Luigi Rubino first started collecting ideas for the project that would later be known as Ashram. While undergoing the writing process of their first ever release, the duo invited Alfredo Notarloberti, the notorious napolitan violinist, to take their side in this ambitious project. With the line-up complete, the band recorded eleven songs out of which seven were selected and included on the demo "For My Sun", self-released in May'99. The remarkable energy and empathy between these musicians granted them an appearance as the opening track on Energeia's compilation “Intimations of Immortality Vol. 5” with the song "Spirit of the Rising Moon", and drew some media attention to this emmerging band. Shortly after, Ashram signs with the French label Prikosnovenie.

In 2001, the line-up is expanded as Leonardo Massa joins the group on cello, thus completing the ensemble that would participate in the recording of the critically acclaimed debut self-titled album released in the following year. This new release was followed by intense live activity, as the band performed innumerous shows in Italy and even a couple of tours in Portugal.

After a period of reflexion, Ashram are now presenting their second full-length recording, under the title "Shining Silver Skies", and out via Equilibrium Music in May 2006