Incantations
| Incantations | ||||
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| Studio album by Mike Oldfield | ||||
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Publication |
1978 |
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| Label (s) | Virgin Records | |||
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Format (s) |
CD, 2LP |
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Title (number) |
4th |
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running time |
72 min 44 s |
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| occupation |
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Mike Oldfield |
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Studio (s) |
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Incantations is the fourth studio album by British musician Mike Oldfield from 1978. Incantations (translated: 'conjurations'), Oldfield's longest album to date , was first released as a double album and later as a CD. As on the previous albums, the four tracks have no names, they are simply numbered.
style
Oldfield's music on Incantations is minimalist and heavily repetitive; In Part Two, for example, a 20-second vocal theme is repeated for five minutes; in Part Four , a carillon theme extends over almost six and a half minutes. While in previous albums the technique of layering different separately recorded soundtracks created the effect of many instruments, only a few instruments can be heard here at the same time. Oldfield is supported by a string orchestra and a choir , both under the direction of David Bedford, who was also responsible for the album The Orchestral Tubular Bells .
The lyrics for Part Two and Part Four are not from Oldfield; the former is The Song of Hiawatha by Longfellow , the latter is the Ode to Cynthia from Cynthia's Revels by Ben Jonson . As is customary with earlier works by Oldfield, the lyrics are mostly subordinate to the music and ultimately only serve as an additional timbre, the content is of secondary importance.
Backgrounds / miscellaneous
- Since Oldfield was very shy of publicity, he underwent therapy called "Exegesis" while he was taking Incantations ; apparently with a resounding effect: Immediately afterwards, Oldfield went on a live tour with Incantations for the first time.
- As before, Trevor Key is responsible for the green cover. You can see Oldfield on the beach of Cala Pregonda in Menorca .
- When Incantations first appeared on CD in 1985, the album did not fit on just one disc; Part Three was thus shortened by over three minutes (the beginning was omitted) - it was only when a running time of 74 minutes became the norm in the late 1980s that these lost minutes were restored.
- The beginning of Part Two is a reverse theme from Part One .
- The two flute solo sounds at the beginning in Part Two run through the complete circle of fifths several times, and then start all over again.
Track list
- Part One - 19:08
- Part Two - 19:36
- Part Three - 16:58
- Part Four - 17:01
Charts
UK # 14, D # 41, S # 32, N # 14