Incantations is the fourth studio album by English musician, songwriter, and producer Mike Oldfield, released on December 1, 1978, by Virgin Records. Following his previous album Ommadawn (1975), Oldfield moved to a new home in Bisley, Gloucestershire, where he set up a new recording studio. He began working on a follow-up album in 1977, which took form as a double album with one, side-long track on each side of the LP. Initially, Oldfield wished to use real incantations in the music but ended up focusing on folklore, such as Diana the Huntress, as a loose theme. Although primarily instrumental, the album includes lyrical sections adapted from works by poets Henry Longfellow and Ben Jonson. During the recording of Incantations, Oldfield completed a self-awareness seminar called Exegesis.
Incantations peaked at No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart, marking Oldfield's first album not to reach the top five. The album was supported by Oldfield's first concert tour as a solo artist, during which all four parts of Incantations were performed live with a band, orchestra, and choir. Portions of this tour were recorded and released as the 1979 live album Exposed. The album was reissued in 2000 and 2011; the latter release featured a new digital remaster along with additional content, including Oldfield's 1979 non-album single "Guilty" and footage from Exposed.
By the end of 1975, Oldfield had released three successful albums—Tubular Bells (1973), Hergest Ridge (1974), and Ommadawn (1975)—all of which had reached the top five on the UK Albums Chart and helped establish his popularity. After completing Ommadawn, Oldfield moved to Througham Slad Manor near Bisley, Gloucestershire, and set up a new recording studio.
When work on Incantations began, Oldfield's initial goal was to create a record that contained "real incantations to exert a benign magical influence on anybody who heard it." He sought to incorporate actual spells and chants into the music, even asking Virgin Records to invite the head Druid to discuss the project. However, the visit proved unfruitful as Oldfield was turned down. He then sought inspiration from various "strange people," including poet Kathleen Raine and a "shaman, gypsy-type woman," but neither led to productive results. Eventually, a Virgin employee researched British folklore and introduced Oldfield to the myth of Gog and Magog, from which he found the theme of Diana the Huntress, which became a central motif on the album.
Oldfield, who was experiencing personal difficulties, turned to religious music during the writing process, which helped him stay calm. He wanted Incantations to have a magical quality, which led him to use a string section and flute for the first time. He wrote the orchestral arrangements himself and hired a group of musicians to perform in his studio. One notable section of the album, a vibraphone passage in "Incantations (Part Four)," was described by Oldfield as "the closest I've ever come to self-expression" and is considered one of the most important parts of the album.
Incantations was conceived as a double album, with each of the four parts taking up one side of the LP. At a total length of 72 minutes, the album remained Oldfield's longest until his 2005 double album Light + Shade. The album was influenced by composer Terry Riley's use of ostinato and was Oldfield's most complex work to date.
Incantations was recorded at Througham Slad Manor between December 1977 and September 1978, during which Oldfield faced both personal and professional challenges. After recording about 20 minutes of music, Virgin Records executives visited Oldfield’s studio, including label founder Richard Branson. Upon hearing the early music, the executives seemed unimpressed, which contributed to Oldfield's sense of frustration and isolation. The lack of support from Virgin, combined with growing public criticism, led to a period of emotional and creative difficulties for Oldfield. He began drinking heavily, which affected his personal life and strained his relationship with his girlfriend, Louise Critchlow. Oldfield later described this time as "really at rock bottom."
In June 1978, after a road trip to Italy and Greece failed to improve his situation, Oldfield attended an Exegesis seminar, which helped him feel relief and euphoria, restoring his creative energy.
A different version of "Part Four" was used for the soundtrack of Tony Palmer’s The Space Movie.
Oldfield based much of Incantations' musical structure on the circle of fifths, a method that shows the relationships among the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale, their corresponding key signatures, and the associated major and minor keys.
Early CD pressings of Incantations had a shortened version of "Part Three" (from 16:59 to 13:49). However, later pressings and standard 80-minute CDs restored the full version of the track.
The album's four parts differ in content: Parts One, Two, and Four feature lyrics, while Part Three is entirely instrumental. The lyrics in Part One repeat the names of three Roman goddesses: Diana, Luna, and Lucina. The second half of Part Two includes excerpts from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha. Part Four’s lyrics are drawn from Ben Jonson's satirical stage play Cynthia’s Revels.
The album cover was designed by photographer Trevor Key, who had previously worked on the covers for Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge. The photograph used on the cover was taken at Cala Pregonda beach in Menorca, Spain. It is uncertain whether Oldfield was present on the beach during the shoot, but it is believed that his image was added to the background later for artistic reasons. Early LP pressings included a poster featuring a slightly different photograph. The 2011 reissue of the album replaced the original artwork with a new image of the same rock formation, without featuring Oldfield.
