Australian musical project Dead Can Dance was formed in 1981 by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry in Melbourne, later relocating to London in May 1982. Music historian Ian McFarlane described Dead Can Dance's style as 'constructed soundscapes of mesmerising grandeur and solemn beauty, African polyrhythms, Gaelic folk, Gregorian chant, Middle Eastern mantras and art rock'.

Garden Of The Arcane Delights is the only EP released by Dead Can Dance, coming out in 1984 and acting as a bridge between their first two albums. Its sleeve a sketch by Brendan Perry, depicting "primal man deprived of perception, standing within the confines of a garden containing a fountain and trees laden with fruit... a Blakean universe in which mankind can only redeem itself, can only rid itself of blindness, through the correct interpretation of signs and events that permeate the fabric of nature’s laws." This new expanded version sees the EP faithfully pressed onto one piece of a vinyl with a second disc being added, compiling both of the band’s sessions for John Peel, recorded in the same time period.

"Continuing in the vein of the self-titled debut but more clearly plunging into a wider range of music and style, Garden is the clear transition between the group's competent but derivative goth start and something much, much more special. Opening track "Carnival of Light" captures the blend at play, with rolling drums, dulcimer, processed guitar and more creating a swirling, evocative mix of sound at once new and old. Gerrard's simply lovely vocals are further icing on the cake. "Flowers of the Sea" is another similarly entrancing effort, simpler in arrangement but no less hypnotic. The remaining numbers, "The Arcane" and the wordily-entitled "In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated," follow the first album's general pattern -- Perry is again a fantastic singer, but the songs themselves aren't as memorable, embracing doomy goth sonics without adding much to the overall sonic canon." - Ned Raggett, All Music

Track Listing:

Disc 1 - Garden Of The Arcane Delights EP 45rpm:
1. Carnival Of Light (remastered)
2. In Power We Entrust The Love Advocated
3. The Arcane
4. Flowers Of The Sea

Disc 2 - John Peel Sessions (33rpm):
1. Instrumental
2. Labour of Love
3. Ocean
4. Threshold
5. Flowers Of The Sea
6. Penumbra
7. Panacea
8. Carnival Of Light

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫