I Dead Can Danceor Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perrywill present their new album in Italy, Dionysus[PIAS], due out on 2 November. Since its inception in 1981, the Australian duo has long been intrigued by European folk traditions, not only in musical terms, but also in terms of secular, religious and spiritual practices. Taking inspiration from this, Brendan Perry has explored the long established spring and harvest festivals that originated from the religious practices of Dionysus, a journey that brings to the fore the rites and rituals that are still practiced to this day. Dionysus is in two acts through seven movements representing the different facets of the myth of the Greek god and his cult, and takes the musical form of an oratorio, in the style of the 16th century. As always, Perry drew inspiration from his natural surroundings to compose the music, in particular animal calls and natural sounds, recreated here using folk instruments from all over the world.