The Revolutionary Army Of The Infant Jesus – Beauty Will Save The World (CD) Rare Xian Alternative

The Revolutionary Army Of The Infant Jesus – Beauty Will Save The World (CD) Rare Xian Alternative

Factory Sealed

For three decades the reclusive Revolutionary Army of The Infant Jesus (RAIJ) have confounded musical classification and studiously declined every invitation to explain their unique form of musical and artistic experimentation. Initially the Liverpool outfit built their reputation on their extraordinary immersive multi-media performances combining multiple layers of visual imagery, elements of ritual, enigmatic samples, field recordings and mesmeric live music. Their cult status was further reinforced with the release of the now much sought-after two studio albums The Gift of Tears (1987) and Mirror (1990) and two EP collections, Liturgie Pour La Fin Du Temps (1992) and Paradis (1995). After an 18-year hiatus the appearance of a new RAIJ album, and the apparent relaxation of their strict vow of silence, are generating predictable excitement and expectancy. Beauty Will Save the World does not disappoint. RAIJs intoxicating mix of ethereal beauty, dazzling soundscapes and oblique mystery reach new levels of intensity and subtlety. The album title - a quote from Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky is one of the many literary, cinematic and spiritual references underpinning RAIJs unexpected comeback. Founder members Paul Boyce, Jon Egan and Les Hampson, joined by a fresh wave of collaborators, have crafted an album of unique beauty and originality. Prolonged silence seems to have deepened rather than dimmed their creative impulse. As ever it is the breadth of musical genres, cultural references, borrowings and retrieved sounds that define the RAIJ aesthetic, but there is also a more consistently meditative and melodic strain that underpins the albums integrity and purpose. In a rare insight into the RAIJs creative method, Jon Egan explains: Although our work takes elements and inspiration from many disparate sources we have never viewed it as deconstruction

Tracklist
1 Song Of The Soul 8:08
2 All Is Grace 3:20
3 Après Le Temps 3:13
4 Procession 5:10
5 The Bright Field 3:07
6 Suspended On A Cross 3:48
7 A Crowd Of Stars 3:09
8 Repentance 4:22
9 Sama 7:51
10 After The End 2:32
11 Before The Ending Of The Day 9:20