Current 93 - Black Ships Ate The Sky

Tracklist Hide Credits

OUA
A1	Idumæa Arranged By – Marc Almond, Michael CashmoreVoice – Marc Almond	3:22
A2	Sunset (The Death Of Thumbelina)	3:18
A3	Black Ships In The Sky Slide Guitar – Michael Cashmore	3:38
A4	Then Kill Cæsar	3:58
A5	Idumæa Voice, Banjo, Tambura, Arranged By – Bonnie 'Prince' Billy*	2:42
A6	This Autistic Imperium Is Nihil Reich	4:03
CNAU
B1	The Dissolution Of 'The Boat Millions Of Years'	3:57
B2	Idumæa Cello – Ida MercerVoice, Harp, Arranged By – Baby Dee	4:19
B3	Bind Your Tortoise Mouth	2:30
B4	Idumæa Voice, Arranged By – Antony	2:02
B5	Black Ships Seen Last Year South Of Heaven	4:07
B6	Abba Amma (Babylon Destroyer) Performer [9.29.82 Galaxial Compositions] – William Basinski	3:19
SOMNT
C1	Idumæa Voice, Psaltery, Zither, Harmonium, Arranged By – Clodagh Simonds	2:35
C2	Black Ships Were Sinking Into Idumæa Music By [Musics On The "idumæa" Section] – Chris Carter Voice [On The "idumæa" Section], Music By [Musics On The "idumæa" Section] – Cosey Fanni TuttiVoice [Subliminal Threnodic Voice] – Amy PhillipsWords By [Phrase] – John Contreras	11:05
C3	The Beautiful Dancing Dust Voice, Piano, Music By – Antony	0:57
C4	Idumæa Voice, Dulcimer [Appalachian], Harmonica, Arranged By – Andria Degens	3:06
FTOOU
D1	Vau Vau Vau (Black Ships In Their Harbours) Viola – William Breeze	4:41
D2	Idumæa Performer [9.29.82 Galaxial Compositions] – William BasinskiVocals, Arranged By – David Tibet	1:50
D3	Black Ships Ate The Sky Viola – William BreezeVoice [Subliminal Threnodic Voice] – Amy PhillipsVoice, Guitar – David Tibet	4:20
D4	Why Cæsar Is Burning Part II Bass Guitar – Michael Cashmore	2:48
D5	Idumæa Arranged By – Iris Bishop, Shirley CollinsConcertina – Iris BishopVoice – Shirley Collins	2:42

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – The Water Tower
• Recorded At – Coptic Cat Studio
• Mixed At – The Water Tower
• Engineered At – The Water Tower
• Mastered At – Skye Mastering
• Manufactured By – Southern Records
• Distributed By – Southern Records
• Pressed By – GZ Digital Media – 67751E

Credits

• Arranged By [Cello] – John Contreras
• Arranged By [Music] – Colin Potter (tracks: A2 to A4, A6, B1, B3, B5, B6, C2, C3, D1, D3, D4), David Tibet (tracks: A2 to A4, A6, B1, B3, B5, B6, C2, C3, D1 to D4), Steven Stapleton (tracks: A2 to A4, A6, B1, B3, B5, B6, C2, C3, D1, D3, D4)
• Cello – John Contreras
• Design [Assistance] – Paul Jackson
• Design [Cover] – David Tibet
• Engineer – Colin Potter
• Guitar – Ben Chasny (tracks: A2, A4, B3, D1, D2), Michael Cashmore (tracks: A1, A3, A6, B1, B5, B6, C2, D4)
• Illustration [Hallucinatory Scrawl] – Geoff Cox-Dorée
• Liner Notes – David Tibet
• Lyrics By [Text] – Charles Wesley (tracks: A1, A5, B2, B4, C1, C2, C4, D2, D5), David Tibet (tracks: A2 to A4, A6, B1, B3, B5, B6, C2, C3, D1, D3, D4)
• Mastered By – Denis Blackham
• Music By – Ben Chasny (tracks: A2, A4, B3, D1, D2), Colin Potter (tracks: A5, B2, B4 C1, C4, D3, D5), David Tibet (tracks: A5, B2, B4 C1, C4, D3, D5), Michael Cashmore (tracks: A1, A3, A6, B1, B5, B6, C2, D4), Steven Stapleton (tracks: A5, B2, B4 C1, C4, D3, D5)
• Painting [Centrefold] – Seth Cox-Dorée
• Painting [Hallucinatory Icons And Paintings] – Anna Cox-Dorée, Seth Cox-Dorée
• Performer [Goatheard] – Steven Stapleton
• Photography By [Al Cisneros & Tina Gordon] – Sade Huron
• Photography By [Amy Phillips] – Michael Kolson
• Photography By [Anna Cox-dorée, Geoff Cox-dorée, Seth Cox-dorée] – Carolyn Cox-Dorée
• Photography By [Antony] – Alice O'Malley
• Photography By [Baby Dee] – Stephen Freiheit
• Photography By [Ben Chasny] – Cam Archer
• Photography By [Bonnie 'prince' Billy] – Unknown Artist
• Photography By [Chris Carter] – Paul Heartfield
• Photography By [Clodagh Simonds] – Magdalena Daly
• Photography By [Colin Potter] – Jackie Potter
• Photography By [Cosey Fanni Tutti] – Chris Carter
• Photography By [David Tibet, William Basinski] – Andria Degens
• Photography By [Iris Biship] – Ian Hill
• Photography By [John Contreras] – Guilio Di Mauro
• Photography By [Marc Almond] – Jamie McLeod
• Photography By [Mark Logan] – Lynn Jackson
• Photography By [Michael Cashmore] – Stefanie Thiel
• Photography By [Michael Lawrence] – Lauren Winton
• Photography By [Pantaleimon, William Breeze] – Simona Dalla Valle
• Photography By [Paul Jackson] – Stephi Strauch
• Photography By [Shirley Collins] – Katie Vandyck
• Photography By [Steven Stapleton] – Ruby Wallis*
• Producer [Astral Projection Protection Production - With Thanks And Blessings] – Al Cisneros, Mark Logan, Tina Gordon
• Recorded By [Michael Lawrence And Ben Chasny] – Michael Lawrence (tracks: A2, A4, B3, D1, D2)
• Recorded By, Mixed By – Colin Potter, David Tibet, Steven Stapleton
• Text By [Coptic And Syriac Texts] – Lance Eccles
• Text By [Further Coptic Texts] – Stephen Emmel
• Text By [Hebrew Text] – Ayse Tuzlak
• Text By [Koine Greek Text] – David Tibet
• Text By [Sumerian And Akkadian Transliteration] – Andrew George
• Voice [Electric Leaking Voices Passim] – David Tibet

Notes

A Hallucinatory Patripassianist Dream.
The texts for this album were started following an intense dream I had that Black Ships had entered our skies in preparation for the arising of the final Cæsar and for the Second Coming of Christ. In subsequent dreams I saw geometric faces, colours, words and shapes falling into my head. They appeared as a multitude of images; they were dreamlike yet vital, manifesting as processions of characters and scenes and dialogues that shifted between being utterly lacking in conventional perspective to that of being hyper-dimensional. I commenced writing furiously, and the words of Black Ships Ate The Sky are the recording of this period in my life.
I asked those friends and artists whom I love and whose works I most admire to interpret the haunted words of that great hymn "Idumæa" by Charles Wesley; this piece had become an obsession for me before starting work on this album and its face watched over all these Black Ships, providing one key to this Hallucinatory Patripassianist Dream.
I live in an increasing awareness that a Love will come suddenly who will finally tear our skies apart. And then all Black Ships will be no more.
This album was started four years ago by myself and Michael Cashmore, without whom this album would not exist, and finished four years later by myself and Ben Chasny, John Contreras and Steven Stapleton, without whom too this album would not exist. My heartfelt thanks to them for all they have done. More detailed acknowledgements can be found below, but I also wish to thank those other friends who worked on this album, for without them there would be just words. Andria, Marc, Will, Dee, Antony, Clodagh, Cosey, Chris, Shirley, Amy, Bill, William, Mark, Colin, Geoff, Al, Paul, Lance, Michael: thank you.
Thanks too to Blessed John Bradburne for prayers answered and favours received.
I dedicate Black Ships Ate The Sky to our beloved friend and companion Squiggy who went on from us on St. Valentine's Day, 2006. May she rest in the Love of Christ till all times end and all friends meet again.

I Am Black Ship.

David Tibet, March 5 2006.

Current 93 dreamt Black Ships sailing by, sailing by, sailing by:
Recorded and mixed at The Water Tower, England. Michael Lawrence and Ben Chasny recorded at Coptic Cat studio, London. Engineered at The Water Tower.

All texts by David Tibet except "Idumæa", written by Charles Wesley, and the phrase "Hello Monkey-Paw" which was how I was greeted by John Contreras in a letter in 2005.
All other musics by David Tibet and Steven Stapleton with Colin Potter, except for the versions of "Idumæa" which are all arranged and played by the specific singer.

Black Ships Ate The Sky: all tracks ℗ & © 2006 as follows: track 1 Marc Almond/Michael Cashmore/Charles Wesley/David Tibet; tracks 2, 4, 9, 17, David Tibet/Ben Chasny and track 18 David Tibet/Ben Chasny/William Basinski/Charles Wesley; tracks 3, 6, 7, 11, 14 (part one), 20 David Tibet/Michael Cashmore and track 12 David Tibet/Michael Cashmore/William Basinski; track 5 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy/Charles Wesley; track 8 Baby Dee/Charles Wesley; track 10 Antony Hegarty/Charles Wesley; track 13 Clodagh Simonds/Charles Wesley; tracks 14 (part two) Cosey Fanni Tutti/Chris Carter/Charles Wesley; track 15 David Tibet/Antony Hegarty; track 16 Andria Degens/Charles Wesley; track 19 David Tibet/Charles Wesley; track 21 Shirley Collins/Iris Bishop/Charles Wesley.

Thank you, again, to all those who created and worked on this album.
And to those who contributed with their friendship and support: above all, Mark Logan of Durtro Jnana Records, whose friendship and endless generosity and love kept me from capsizing under the approach of Black Ships.
I wish to acknowledge the kindness of Lance Eccles for his great patience and generosity of spirit. Black Ships were launched at the same time I became obsessed with Coptic, and he helped me profoundly.
Also my love and thanks to: Olivia Bunting, Stefanie Thiel, Stephanie Volkmar, Lynn Jackson, Carolyn Cox-Dorée, Ayse Tuzlak, Chris Hakius, Stephen O'Malley, Rob Fisk, Maja Elliott, Nick Church, Jhonn Balance, Henry Boxer, Lauren Winton, Gary Held, Tony Sylvester, Matt Sweeney, Cam Archer, Howard Wuelf, Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo, Giulio Di Mauro, Enrico Croci, Greg Peters, Paul Cheshire, Jeremy Cantwell, Denis Blackham, Stephen Meixner, Ossian Brown, Stephen Thrower, Tim Renner, Joolie Wood, Simon Finn, Allison Schnackenberg, José Pacheco, Hymenæus Beta, Nikki Howes, Nidge Ince, Celia Brigstocke of the John Bradburne Society, Kat Cormie, Timothy d'Arch Smith, Paul Deighton, Bill Fay, Gary Smith, Thomas Ligotti, Little Annie, Richard Moult, Mark Coyle, Michael Kolson, KatieJane Garside, Julia Kent, Johan Kugelberg, Nick Blinko, Joe Budenholzer, Devendra Banhart, Diamanda Galás, Elisa Ambrogio, Stephen Emmel.

And thanks to all those who supported the recording of this album by subscribing to it 93 years in advance. Without you all, nihil.

Made in EU.

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Edition of 1000 copies. Packaged in a gatefold sleeve with a 16-page colour booklet. Pressed on heavyweight black vinyl.

This 2LP set contains the same music as on the (standard) Black Ships Ate The Sky CD. The vinyl is therefore the same as the CD in every musical respect, though there are several major differences to the packaging and images, and a new painting which takes up all the inner centre spread of the album.

The booklet contains an introductory note on the writing of the album by David, all the lyrics, details of those who created the album, colour photographs of all the Current 93 family on the album, website details for everyone, Hallucinatory Patripassianist colour illustrations and BlackShipText on each page, and the names of all those who supported the recording, and the release, of this album by subscribing to it in advance.

The titles of tracks B6 and D1 and the index tracks are written in Coptic, here they are entered using Roman characters.

Barcode and Other Identifiers

• Barcode: 6 21617 44441 6
• Matrix / Runout (Side A): 67751E1/B eleppetum salmatum shamê ikula
• Matrix / Runout (Side B): 67751E2/B gishma2gib an shárva mu un gu7 gu7esh
• Matrix / Runout (Side C): 67751E3/B ahenejEu eukEm ouem tpe
• Matrix / Runout (Side D): 67751E4/B ploia melana ton ouranon ePagen

Other versions

Category	Artist	Title (Format)	Label	Category	Country	Year
DURTRO JNANA 2112	Current 93	Black Ships Ate The Sky ‎(CD, Album, Dig)	Durtro, Jnana Records	DURTRO JNANA 2112	UK	2006
DURTRO JNANA LP 2112	Current 93	Black Ships Ate The Sky ‎(2xLP, Album, Ltd, TP, W/Lbl, Art)	Durtro, Jnana Records	DURTRO JNANA LP 2112	UK	2006
Durtro Jnana 2112	Current 93	Black Ships Ate The Sky ‎(CD, Album, Unofficial)	Durtro , Jnana Records	Durtro Jnana 2112	Russia	2006
DURTRO JNANA 111	Current 93	Black Ships Eat The Sky ‎(CD, Album, Ltd)	Durtro, Jnana Records	DURTRO JNANA 111	UK	2006
DURTRO/JNANA LP 2112	Current 93	Black Ships Ate The Sky ‎(2xLP, W/Lbl, TP, Art)	Durtro, Jnana Records	DURTRO/JNANA LP 2112	UK	2006

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