Magician Among the Spirits

"Magician Among the Spirits" is the tenth studio album by the Australian alternative rock band The Church, released in August 1996. The album's title is inspired by a book written by Harry Houdini and C. M. Eddy, Jr. in 1924, which explores Houdini's investigations into spirit mediums. The album cover features a photographic negative of Houdini as its centerpiece.

The album was reissued in 1999 with a revised track listing under the name Magician Among the Spirits And Some. At the time of its recording, the band was facing significant challenges, including a lack of a recording deal following their previous album, Sometime Anywhere. The initial sessions began as a two-man project involving Steve Kilbey and Marty Willson-Piper. However, the recordings expanded to include new drummer Tim Powles, violinist Linda Neil, and former member Peter Koppes, who contributed to four tracks. Simon Polinski (Yothu Yindi) was brought in to co-produce, engineer, and mix the album.

Musically, Magician Among the Spirits marked a return to guitar-based material with influences from krautrock and art rock. The album's centerpiece, a 15-minute track also titled "Magician Among the Spirits," featured contributions from Koppes and had split vocals by Kilbey and Willson-Piper. The inclusion of Utungun Percussion added a new, primal dimension to several tracks.

Released on the band's own Deep Karma label, the album faced distribution challenges. The U.S. distributor went bankrupt shortly after the release, resulting in the loss of up to A$250,000 worth of merchandise and sales. This financial setback compounded the band's already precarious situation. In May of that year, Kilbey expressed concerns about the band's future, noting the breakdown of management and financial troubles, leading to fears that this could be their final record.