{"title":"SWANS","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"swans-not-here-not-now-handmade-2cd","title":"Not Here\/Not Now (Handmade 2CD) Sold Out!","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eYG6969\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS • NOT HERE \/ NOT NOW 2XCD \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHand Made and Assembled\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #990000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSOLD OUT\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe packaging to this handmade limited edition is made with a linoleum block print (printed on hand-brushed white ink). The drawing for the print and the printing itself was expertly accomplished by Nicole Boitos (signed and numbered 1 – 2000 by Nicole), based upon a concept\/sketch by M.Gira. Each individual cover is further drawn upon \/ personalized and signed by M.Gira. Each one is unique! The songs on the CDs are live Swans recordings culled from the recent 2012\/2013 tours. Most of the songs have not yet been recorded as studio versions – this is new material, in progress. The collection also includes two crude demo recordings by M.Gira, of additional new material to be recorded for the upcoming new Swans studio album. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOPTIONS TO BUY THE LIVE 2XCD AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE RECORDING OF THE NEW SWANS ALBUM (AS YET UNTITLED) AND IN PROGRESS :\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. buy hand made web only 2x live Swans CD with original signed and numbered woodblock print, customized and signed by M.Gira - $40 - Limit 5 per order \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2.  as above AND RECEIVE 2xcd deluxe digi-pack signed version of (untitled) new Swans album immediately upon release: $55 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e3. as in option 1 AND RECEIVE 2xcd deluxe digi-pack signed version of Swans (untitled), website\/tour exclusive package that includes live swans dvd from 2012\/13 tours - $65\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e4. as in OPTION 3 AND RECEIVE “executive producer” credit in upcoming swans studio album - $100\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e5. OPTION 3, AND 4 PLUS a 3 color 12 x 19 inch screen printed poster ) printed on double thick, 120 weight paper and made from a drawing by m.gira. Each poster is signed by m.gira and dedicated by name to customer. These posters are limited to purchasers of this option - $175 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e6. OPTION 3, AND 4, 5 PLUS be on VIP guest list and meet band for one show on upcoming swans tour(s) 2013\/14 - $200\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7. OPTION 3, 4, 5, 6, plus, AND AGAIN, YES THIS IS REAL:  m.gira will record and send to customer avideo of a simple, short, original song, acoustic guitar and voice, with customers’ name in the song,  praising the customer, his or her ancestors, thoughts, dreams, and future or past lives, forever . This video will be made by m.gira, sitting at his desk, at home, singing directly to you, and you only. - $500\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8. Order options 1 – 7 using the shopping cart system, THEN, using the Paypal button below, contribute an additional $100 or more, and receive a secret gift, and undying gratitude. AGAIN, Please order options 1 – 7 using the shopping cart system only, and make your additional contribution for option 8SEPARATELY using the Paypal button below. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks for your support!\u003cbr\u003eIf you wish to donate separately from the above purchase options, please do so by clicking the Paypal button below. All donations, large or small, are sincerely appreciated! Again, any donations made by clicking the Paypal button below have no connection to your purchase (via the shopping cart) of any of the options above.  Thanks again!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003cform method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\n\u003cinput src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif\" alt=\"PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!\" type=\"image\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003c\/form\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFOR THIS PROJECT, SWANS WILL CONVERGE IN A COMMUNAL DESERT ENVIRONMENT WITH THE COMMITTED GOAL OF MAKING JOY THROUGH SOUND, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. YOUR PURCHASE OF ANY OF THE OPTIONS ABOVE CONTRIBUTES MIGHTILY TO THE RECORDING AND LOGISTICAL COSTS INHERENT  IN THE REALIZATION OF OUR RIDICULOUSLY OVERAMBITIOUS ASPIRATIONS. THESE DAYS, EACH RECORD FEELS LIKE IT COULD BE THE LAST. OUR HOPE IS THAT IF THAT TURNS OUT TO BE THE CASE, IT WILL BE JUSTIFIED.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCD1: 1.To Be Kind  2. Just a Little Boy  3. Coward  4. She Loves Us!  5. Oxygen… \u003cbr\u003eCD2: 1. The Seer \/ Bring the Sun \/ Toussaint L’ouverture  2. Nathalie Neal  3. Kirsten Supine (demo)  4. Screen Shot (demo)…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSWANS: michael gira - guitar, vocal; norman westerg - guitar; phil puleo - drums, duclimer, gizmos; thor harris - drums\/percussion, vibes, clarinet, melodica, violin, gizmos; christoph hahn - double lap steel guitar, guitar; christopher pravdica – bass, gizmos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/nothere1_copy1_medium.jpg?535\" height=\"226\" width=\"226\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/nothere1_copy1_medium.jpg?538\"\u003e     \u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/nothere2_copy_medium.jpg?538\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/nothere3_copy_medium.jpg?538\" height=\"240\" width=\"240\"\u003e     \u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/nothere4_copy_medium.jpg?539\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eEACH ONE IS UNIQUE\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/notheredrwgsmall_copy.jpg?539\" height=\"790\" width=\"501\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eTHE POSTER (option 5). \u003cbr\u003e3 COLOR SCREEN PRINT ON HEAVY STOCK PAPER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese recordings are a snapshot of Swans at a particular time. The songs (though it’s admittedly a stretch to call some of them “songs”), began one way at the beginning of a year-long tour, and thereafter shifted in shape constantly, sometimes spontaneously during a performance, at other times through revisions (after revisions, after revisions) during sound-check. At least an album’s worth of material was created and then discarded live in this fashion… (If I ever have the time, I’m considering sifting through all the recordings that were made of this tour and creating a special edition album of that material - some versions of the songs on this record bear no resemblance to what’s on these 2 CDs, for instance)…  So, the music presented here is at a moment perhaps three quarters of the way through the touring cycle of 2012\/13. Things continued to evolve considerably thereafter from what’s presented here, but I think these recordings caught us at a good point. At the time of this writing, we’re going into the studio in a week to record much of this material (as well as material I’ve written that hasn’t yet been played by the band) for a new album, where it will doubtless take on a completely new shape. my main hope, personally, is that I’m surprised with the results at the end.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt this stage of the game, it has been touching, stirring, inspirational, even soul-lifting to see our audiences increasing to such an extent, and to witness  people finally, finally, seeming to just open up and share the experience of making these sounds with us. It really is a shared experience, and it feels like you-all are participating with us – though we still “call the shots,” - as it should be! This last bit of touring has been the most gratifying, musically and spiritually, of my life, and I thank you here for making it possible. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs was the case with our last studio album, The Seer, we’re just going to go in the studio now and record endlessly, as a first stage. In this instance, we’ve managed to wrangle a great, live-in studio in the middle of the desert in West Texas. Once the tenure of my friends in Swans is finished there, I’ll remain, recording more with other cohorts, and I’ll travel around a bit, trying to find ways to wrestle the music into a shape that suits it’s core intent (and maybe also contravenes it). I hope the songs change and develop beyond recognition. Along the way I’ll get  more friends in to augment the sounds, and then hack at it and add more (always more) until there is no more, then start cutting things away again. I won’t pay any attention to the LENGTH of the thing, in the end, or how long it takes to make – or how many enemies I make along the way – ha ha!. Who knows how long the final effort will be – 2 hours, 3, 4? Maybe it’ll just be a strangled little worm, 10 minutes long. At the end I’ll figure out some way to put it in some sort of format that makes sense. During the last record, I realized, what difference does it make? We’re not exactly trying to make music that’s accessible in the regular music world, so why accept any constraints whatsoever? What’s an “album,” and who cares? People that are inclined to be interested will find it if they want. Just let the music dictate the final shape, nothing else. So I don’t know what will happen. Once the music shows me that it’s had enough of my interference it’ll be done, and that’s it. For that last bit of freedom – the faith you’ve shown in these endeavors - I am sincerely grateful to supporters such as yourself, indeed!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot Here \/ Not Now is what has now become known as a “fundraiser” or “crowd-sourcing” CD. I’ve been doing this sort of hand-made release since 2000 (then, with Angels of Light), and with the support of people such as yourself, have been able to record and work at a standard that would have otherwise been utterly impossible. THANK YOU, endlessly! …I also remain grateful that you – our live audience – have felt it worth your while to attend our concerts, and my hope is that you’ve experienced some of the joy we experience while playing this music. THANK YOU, again, endlessly! – Michael Gira \/ Swans \/ Young God Records \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHERE ARE SOME IMAGES THAT SHOW THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS SPECIAL EDITION:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. MG original drawing and concept sent to nicole \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/1._hammer_now001_copy_2_medium.jpg?540\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. MG showing the hammer type that should be used\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/2MG_SHOWS_HAMMERPhoto_on_2013-07-30_at_12.38_copy_medium.jpg?541\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3. Nicole’s original sketch\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/3DRAWINGnicolehammer_copy_large.jpg?542\" height=\"334\" width=\"249\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4. Nicole’s first print, and woodblock\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/4NICOLEDRAWING_BLOCK_copy_medium.jpg?543\" height=\"187\" width=\"251\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5. Each one gets a wash of white ink, then it’s printed upon\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/5_FIRST_PRINT_NICOLE_copy_large.jpg?544\" height=\"330\" width=\"246\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6. Nicole, in the process of printing 2000, a movie...,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yWLjdYQOQyU\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7.  a pile of white ink-prepped envelopes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/7_PREPPED_ENVS_copy_large.jpg?545\" height=\"191\" width=\"256\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8.  in the midst of printing...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/8_PRINTED_ENVS_copy_medium.jpg?546\" height=\"191\" width=\"256\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9. Nicole has sent them to MG, now he is personalizing and signing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/9mg_signing_copy_medium.jpg?547\" height=\"194\" width=\"259\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e10. MG signing etc. it goes on forever. things could get ugly\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/10mg_SIGNINGdunce_at_desk_copy_large.jpg?548\" height=\"346\" width=\"259\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11. MG discovers that the majority of the 2000 envelopes have, due to humidity, self-sealed!!!!! He sorts through them, finding the ones that need to be steamed open (most of them). a movie...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hZloh0qVOLk\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12. MG steams each one open. again. again. again....\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/12dunce_steaming_copy_large.jpg?549\" height=\"352\" width=\"264\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRandom video found on youtube of Swans performing “Toussaint L’ouverture” at Primavera Sound, Barcelona Spain 2013. This eventually became the final song of the set during the tour. This song grew entirely from improvisational\/emotional expressions during the live set, and eventually was harnessed and subsequently developed into a cohesive piece of music after numerous performances. It has since continued to evolve, and may soon benefit from direct, hopefully furious, equine expression during the upcoming recordings. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ICFHyJ2hiQo\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"2CD","offer_id":632058905,"sku":"","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 2","offer_id":632061605,"sku":"","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 3","offer_id":632064117,"sku":"","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 4","offer_id":632064813,"sku":"","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 5","offer_id":632065977,"sku":"","price":175.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 6","offer_id":632066361,"sku":"","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 7","offer_id":632067337,"sku":"","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/now.jpg?v=1571438765"},{"product_id":"swans-we-rose-from-your-bed-with-the-sun-in-our-head-handmade-live-2cd-sold-out","title":"We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head (Handmade Live 2CD) Sold Out!","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYGX999\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSOLD OUT\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans: We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head 2x Live Handmade CD\u003cbr\u003eHandmade and Assembled \/ With 2 Color Woodblock Print Sleeve of Original Drawing by M.Gira. Each One Uniquely Signed and Numbered and Further Personalized by M.Gira. This Version is a Limited Edition of 1000 and includes Exclusive Solo Recordings of Songs for New Swans. Album in Progress (as well as narrations\/explanations re the new songs, exclusive to this version).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eOPTIONS TO BUY LIVE 2XCD AND TO HELP  SUPPORT NEW SWANS STUDIO ALBUM TITLED “THE SEER” IN PROGRESS:\u003cbr\u003e1. buy hand made web only 2x live swans cd with original signed and numbered woodblock print sleeve made from drawing by m.gira - $30\u003cbr\u003e2. as above AND RECEIVE 2xcd deluxe digi-pack signed version of Swans The Seer immediately upon release: $45\u003cbr\u003e3. as in option 1 AND RECEIVE 2xcd deluxe digi-pack signed version of Swans The Seer, website\/tour exclusive package that includes live swans dvd from 2010\/11 tours - $55\u003cbr\u003e4. OPTION 3 AND RECEIVE “executive producer” credit in upcoming swans studio album - $100\u003cbr\u003e5. OPTION 3, AND 4 PLUS an original unique drawing by m.gira dedicated to customer (see example below) - $150\u003cbr\u003e6. OPTION 3, AND 4, 5 PLUS be on guest list and meet band for one show on upcoming swans tour(s) 2012\/13 - $175\u003cbr\u003e7. OPTION 3, AND 4, 5, 6, plus, AND YES THIS IS REAL  m.gira will record a simple, short, original song, acoustic guitar and voice, with customers’ name in the song, praising the customer, and send customer an mp3 of the song - $500\u003cbr\u003e8. OPTION 3, AND 4, 5, 6, 7 and contribute an additional $100 or more over option 7, and receive undying gratitude, and a secret gift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYOUR PURCHASE OF ANY OF THE ABOVE OPTIONS CONTRIBUTES DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE CONSIDERABLE (AND EVER EXPANDING) RECORDING COST OF THE NEW SWANS STUDIO ALBUM, THE SEER, IN PROGRESS)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks for all your support!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you wish to donate separately from the above purchase options, please do so by clicking the Paypal button below. All donations, large or small, are sincerely appreciated! Again, any donations made by clicking the Paypal button below have no connection to your purchase (via the shopping cart) of any of the options above. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks again!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cinput src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif\" alt=\"PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!\" type=\"image\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTRACK LISTING: disc one: 1. intro\/no words no thoughts 2. jim 3. beautiful child 4. the apostate 5. yr property 6. sex god sex disc two: 1. the seer (intro)\/ i crawled 2. eden prison 3. 93 ave. b blues \/ little mouth... demos\/special website only recordings: 4. hello there 5. lunacy 6. the mother of the world 7. the daughter brings the water 8. a piece of the sky 9. the seer 10. goodbye. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSWANS: michael gira - guitar, vocal; norman westerg - guitar; phil puleo - drums, duclimer; thor harris - drums\/percussion, vibes, clarinet, melodica, violin; christoph hahn - double lap steel guitar; christopher pravdica - bass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/rose1_large.jpg?550\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/coloring-personalizing_16_large.jpg?551\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/mg_drawing_example_16_large.jpg?552\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eEXAMPLE OF DRAWING YOU WILL RECEIVE WITH OPTION 5\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNote from Michael Gira: Thanks to all of you who attended the Swans shows during our recent tours. The experience, for us, was life-giving and nourishing. The audiences were not only the largest with which we’ve ever been blessed, but the most genuinely connected and in tune with the sonic\/psychic experience in which we all participate. Thank you!... Represented in these discs are the best recordings we could provide of the (ever-evolving) shows. Those of you who attended the early shows realize that the first iterations of the music morphed and grew (seemingly with a will more expansive than our own) into something quite different by the end. This, in itself, was immensely gratifying. We also developed many new songs  – or sonic events is perhaps a better way to describe some of them -  along the way. In compiling these recordings and mixing them with my trusted friend and engineer Kevin McMahon (at Marcata Studio, Gardiner NY), we did our best to represent that transition... if you choose to acquire this 2 disc set, in my view it would behoove you to listen to the music at a generous volume level. This has absolutely nothing to do with an aggressive intent, as some mistakenly assume. Exactly the opposite, in fact. As with the live experience, it’s all about immersion. We – Swans - experience that sense of being subsumed in something greater than ourselves when we perform, too. Maybe that’s even our selfish reason for making the music in the first place. At the best of moments, it doesn’t even feel as if we are playing the music ourselves. More that we’re animated – vivified – by the ongoing sonic wave.  I can’t speak for my friends and cohorts, but it’s what I live for. In any event, it’s my hope these discs provide you with a positive experience of some sort....  Thanks due here especially to my friends in Swans, listed above – true love! (full list of thanks and credits provided within the CD packaging)... ALSO INCLUDED (ON DISC 2) herein are a few acoustic performances by me of songs that will be on the upcoming Swans album. These are the basic templates - the songs necessarily mutate into something else entirely by the time we’re through with them. These simple versions are included here to give you a picture of the process involved. They’re not meant as (and aren’t!) “great performances”. By the way, these are for YOU only. Please, please, please do not “share” these, or any of the other recordings on the goddamn internet or anywhere else. Would really appreciate your attention to this request!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeaking of the packaging, the cover image is a drawing by myself that was expertly converted to woodblock, and then printed and numbered by my good friend Nicole Boitos. She also was kind enough to number them, 1 through 1000. I suppose if I weren’t perpetually holed up in the studio working on the new studio album, I would have printed them etc myself, but definitely the result would have been the smeared mess of a dim-witted 3 year old by comparison. Thanks to Nicole for doing such an expert job! But, I indeed served my time in the end. After receiving the finished prints I assembled the final package personally, signed each one, as well as did some additional coloration on each one (see pictures on this page). This is a labor of love. Or labor, anyway! See the pictures below for what’s entailed\/an indication of the process... Below those pictures a a couple random youtube links that vaguely represent a few moments of the live experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Again, Thank You! and I hope you enjoy the music. See you on the next tour.  -  MG – Dec. 2011  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zAMyKtJJ784\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6J3Lg3aLNoQ\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":632080241,"sku":"","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/rose2.jpg?v=1571438765"},{"product_id":"great-annihilator","title":"Great Annihilator","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG18\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2017 remastered 2LP and 2CD version available \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/great-annihilator-2017\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•••COMES WITH INSERT SIGNED BY M.GIRA•••\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis album is actually really good in a lot of ways. Too much reverb here and there, but not as intrusive as some other Swans releases (I used to be infatuated with Phil Spector and naively figured that adding reverb could get the same effect). Anyway, I think this album holds together well. It was a complete nightmare to make (but then, all the Swans albums were!).I lived in a tent in a mosquito infested studio right next to Cabrini Green in Chicago for what (?) something like 3 months, rarely leaving. Band members and Jarboe and Bill Rieflin etc came and went, and somehow we crafted this thing into what it became. I can still listen to most of this sometimes, so that counts for something. There's some reviews below if that's any help to you - Michael Gira\/Young God Records 2008\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe San Francisco Bay Guardian\u003cbr\u003eJan. 25-31, 1995 \u003cbr\u003eby Neva Chonin \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Swans are a study in metamorphoses. In 1983, when Melody Maker magazine dubbed the NYC noise mavens \"a deeply repulsive form of audio pornography,\" it was more a compliment than a slam. Cacophonous, confrontational, and unrelentingly loud, the band used vocal rants and bone-crunching distortion to achieve unparalleled levels of sonic pain. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen, around '87 or so, rock's ugliest ducking found its inner Swan and blossomed into a vehicle for sweeping, complex arrangements of keyboards, strings and evocative sound effects. Vocalist Michael Gira traded his guttural growl for the croon of a balladeer, and the latter-day Swans were born.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir 12th album, The Great Annihilator, is a majestic symphony of haunting melodies and shifting moods. Spirituality - or rather the absence of it - provides the linking motif. With a kinetic industrial goose step, \"She Lives!\" plays with chanted images of madness and martyrdom, while the jagged coda of \"Celebrity Lifestyle\" lays the groundwork for a cutting look at material dreams: \"She's just a drug addiction\/ And a self-reflecting image of a narcoticized mind.\" \"Warm\" forms the album's thematic center, overflowing with ethereal vocal loops and drums that patter like raindrops accross the lyrical landscape. On \"Mother\/Father\" and the mantric \"My Buried Child,\" vocalist Jarboe outdoes herself with a spectrum of darkly distinctive voices. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaken on its own, this album is a vivid example of how to combine the dissonant with the dulcet while retaining a dangerous edge. Viewed in the context of the Swans' 12-year journey from audio pornography to majestic romanticism, The Great Annihilator serves as an epic apotheosis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\/1\/1995 | Puncture | Paula Keyth  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | The Great Annihilator | Review\u003cbr\u003eThe Great Annihilator is another sweeping rock opera.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the eighteenth Swans record released since 1982's Filth set a precedent for painful soul-searching dirge. Their first new release in three years, it combines the hard-hitting percussion of the earlier albums with the prettier, ballad-heavy later songs.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Great Annihilator is another sweeping rock opera. Songs are accented with samples and eerie keyboards, supported with powerful drumming by Ministry's Bill Rieflin and other guests. Snippets of horror-movie soundtrack back Michael Gira's low thorazine crooning. The music is tightly orchestrated, with dynamics added by rhythmically chugging acoustic guitars and keyboards sounding at times like the stringboards of a broken piano, or a demented new-age synthesizer.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGira, a lugubrious songwriter on a par with Ian Curtis, has a way of hitting the lyrical nail on the head with one deft slam of his hammer. When he says \"I love everyone,\" we know exactly what he means (he doesn't). His words are disturbed expulsions of fear and anger that take on a sarcastic, bitter tone, as in the opening lines of \"She Lives!\": \"Now I just want to thank you for going insane; every second that you suffer is a loss that I gain.\" Gira bellows from deep inside his thin frame, his delivery calling up a crooning, Sinatra-esque character—perhaps a bit more monotone: a calm, mellow front masking something ugly and forbidden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJarboe's singing styles vary from childlike voices to climbing choral backups sung with space-odyssey breathlessness. The outstanding song here, \"Mother Father,\" with Jarboe leading, is belted out with delightful viciousness. \"Buried Child\" uses whispers to call up a Macbeth-like witches' spell. Certain songs suggest the funereal, march-like beating of a drum on a slave ship. The Swans are a dark band, often criticized for their solemnity. The lyrics' visceral, graphic quality is not for the faint-hearted, nor is the music. But given the right mood, this record is uplifting, hypnotic: \"dissolve your body today, there is no in- or outside.\" Float on, SWANS. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\/1\/1995 | Option Magazine | Lang Thompson  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | The Great Annihilator | Review\u003cbr\u003eThis music is both grandiose and meticulously detailed.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor nearly two decades, Swans have pursued their own vision despite fickle fans who don't want them to change, critics who don't really listen and several indifferent record labels. But they have faith in the compelling power of their work, and remain undaunted by trends and pointless expectations. The group's newest album, The Great Annihilator, as always, demands an open ear. Put too much faith in the printed word and you might think the lyrics excessively weighty. You might wish the beat was less static, that the vocals were more varied, that the mood a bit more optimistic. Which only means you'd be happier with the Go-Go's. This music is both grandiose and meticulously detailed; rather than pop's recklessly forward momentum and instant gratification, Swans write pensive songs with unflinching but subtle humor. They layer sounds rather than put the melodies up front, giving lines of chiming guitars as much weight as the trance-like drumming or the direct vocals. The cumulative result is beguiling and moving. \"She Lives!\" is a series of moody, minor-key tumbles between sparse piano chords, distorted guitar riffs and Michael Gira's tense vocals. \"Mother\/Father\" could almost be an offbeat club hit with it's danceable (but eccentric) rhythm, Jarboe's weaving vocals (and screams) and the sheer sonic splendor of massed guitars. Though destiny to be as underrated as other Swans' albums, The Great Annihilator is compelling, thoughtful music and a good way to enter the Swans' unique world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7\/28\/1995 | Washington Post | Mark Jenkins  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | The Great Annihilator | Review\u003cbr\u003eThe best songs here manage to transcend trendiness  \u003cbr\u003e(Special to the Washington Post) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn their earliest albums, Swans made brutally basic proto-industrial music. The band gradually mellowed, however, incorporating acoustic guitars, female vocals and Eastern melodies into a style that led to an alliance with a major label. The relationship didn't last long, but the group (long based in New York but now resident in rural Georgia) hasn't entirely abandoned its sound from that period. Its latest album, \"The Great Annihilator,\" successfully incorporates aspects of both eras. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy now, combining a sinuous crypto-Islamic vocal with a fierce beat is not a novel idea. Still, Swans meld the two with more potency than most; such songs as \"Celebrity Lifestyle\" and \"Mother\/Father\" (the two \"Annihilator\" tracks recycled on a new three-song CD) are both ethereal and earthy. Indeed, the best songs here manage to transcend trendiness. By contrasting floating melodies with thumping beats—and M. Gira's bass vocals with Jarboe's soprano—Swans crafts music of such incantatory power that lyrics about the \"place in space where violence and love collide\" don't seem overreaching.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Great Annihilator \/ album \/ CD","offer_id":634003541,"sku":"YG_ANNIHILATOR_CD","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/swans-the-great-annihilator.jpg?v=1571438766"},{"product_id":"my-father-will-guide-me-up-a-rope-to-the-sky","title":"My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG43\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e•••INSERT SIGNED BY M.GIRA•••\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter years of pursuing Angels of Light and recording and producing a diverse roster of artists for his Young God label, Michael Gira has decided to reconvene his legendary group Swans. As he says: “THIS IS NOT A REUNION. It’s not some dumb-ass nostalgia act. It is not repeating the past. After 5 Angels Of Light albums, I needed a way to move FORWARD, in a new direction, and it just so happens that revivifying the idea of Swans is allowing me to do that. “\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe core group constituting Swans for this phase is Michael Gira \/ guitar \/ voice \/ mendicant friar act (original swans); Norman Westberg – guitar (original swans); Christoph Hahn – guitar (mid period swans and most angels); Phil Puleo – drums, percussion, dulcimer etc (final swans tour and most angels); Chris Pravdica – bass and gadgets (flux information sciences \/ services\/ gunga din); Thor Harris - drums, percussion, vibes, dulcimer, curios, keys (angels, now also with Shearwater)…\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis highly anticipated album is as powerful and diverse as anything Gira’s done, in Swans or otherwise. It opens with the epic, soul-crushing (bone crushing?) No Words\/No Thoughts, but quickly veers to more pastoral terrain, then on to ever-ascending mono-tonal grooves, a filmic-folk idyll featuring Devendra Banhart on lead vocal that abruptly shifts to cataclysm, then on to more airplane-taking-off ascensions, art songs, and more lethal sonic pummeling. In short, this is the new SWANS album, a significant advance from where Swans left off and as challenging and emotionally demanding as ever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIncreasing frustrated by the (self imposed) constraints he’d set for himself in Angels of Light, Gira decided that the direction he wanted his music to take would be more appropriate under the moniker of the group he started in 1982 and retired in 1997. Though the new album retains an attention to detail in orchestration, and an underlying sense of melody on many of the songs, there’s a deliberate shift towards sonic intensity, relentless, maniacal rhythms and alternately abrasive and soaring waves of electric guitar, qualities those familiar with the always-shifting sonic approach of Swans over the (now first) 15 years of its’ existence will recognize. This record immediately feels like Swans but is also obviously unique and moving into new territory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHere’s what Gira says about the moment he decided to reconvene Swans: \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“There was a point a few years ago during a particular show when I was on tour with Angels of Light, with Akron\/Family serving as the backing band. It was during the song The Provider. Seth’s guitar was sustaining one open chord (very loudly), rising to a peak, then crashing down again in a rhythm that could have been the equivalent of a deep and soulful act of copulation. The whole band swayed with this arc. Really was like riding waves of sound. I thought right then, “You know, Michael, Swans wasn’t so bad after all...” - ha ha! It brought back – in a flood – memories, or maybe not memories, more a tangible re-emersion in the sensation of Swans music rushing through my body in waves, lifting me up towards what, I can only assume, will be my only experience of heaven. It’s difficult – and probably pointless – to try to describe this experience. It’s ecstatic, I suppose – a force of simultaneous self negation and rebirth. Really, I probably only experienced this a handful of times to such an extreme extent during the entire 15 year history of Swans. All the elements have to align perfectly, and you can’t force it, though you might constantly strive for it. I don’t mean to be too lofty here, but it’s a fact. I’m talking about my own experience of the music (though I’d hope people in the audiences along the way might have experienced a similar episode). When I ask myself if I believe in God, I start to say NO, but then I remember that sensation, and I’m not so sure. So I want more of that, before my body breaks down to such an extent that it won’t be possible any more. So I’m doing it. “\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe original art for the album is by Beatrice Pediconi \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.beatricepediconi.com\/\"\u003ehttp:\/\/www.beatricepediconi.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recording of this record was made possible by the sale of a limited edition of 1000, handmade CD\/DVD package exclusively at younggodrecords.com. The music CD consisted of Gira’s acoustic demos of several songs under consideration for the new Swans album and the DVD was 2 live shows of Gira solo. Gira hand printed the edition - named I Am Not Insane - (with wood block), hand colored each one individually, and assembled the 1000 copies himself. The expectation was that it would take 3 or 4 months to sell out through the limited venue of the YGR website. It sold out in 2 weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince the musicians live in different places on the planet, the idea of rehearsal for the recordings was both impractical and expensive. They had all heard the material in demo form, so were basically familiar with the material. In order to both allow time to work out the songs as a band with a distinct personality, and to ensure freshness in the performance, they recorded the basic tracks for one song per day over a period of 12 – 14 hours each day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce they’d reached a peak, having hashed the songs over (and over) and reconfigured them from their original demo form into something unique to the group, the engineer hit record. Basic overdubs were done at the end of the same day. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdditional subsequent overdubs were done later and guests included: Bill Rieflin (long-time Swans and Angels of Light contributor and currently drummer for REM and Robyn Hitchcock). \u003cbr\u003eBill played piano, synthesizer, organ, acoustic and electric guitar, drums\/percussion and more; Grasshopper (Mercury Rev) – Mr. Grass played a swarm of mandolins; Devendra Banhart - \u003cbr\u003eDevendra sang the lead vocal – accompanied by Gira’s 3 ½ year old daughter Saoirse – to the song You Fucking People Make Me Sick. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSwans will begin touring late September and will continue touring in 2 to 3 week stints for the next 18 months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA FEW ADVANCE STORIES ABOUT THE RECORD HERE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehttp:\/\/stereogum.com\/452821\/swans-eden-prison-stereogum-premiere\/franchises\/haunting-the-chapel\/\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eand here:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehttp:\/\/thequietus.com\/articles\/04724-michael-gira-review-new-swans-album-my-father-will-guide-me-up-a-rope-to-the-sky\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHERE’S AN EARLY REVIEW:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003efrom ATTN Magazine UK \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.attnmagazine.co.uk\/music\/2428\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehttp:\/\/www.attnmagazine.co.uk\/music\/2428\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eby Jack Chuter\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is with a severe level of excitement that I present my review of the new Swans LP – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncredibly, it’s been 14 years since the release of the last full-length. Soundtracks for the Blind was a daunting and thorough two-disc collage – a seemingly conclusive statement, appearing to wring out the last of what Gira wished to express under the Swans moniker via an extensive array of means – soundscapes, live cuts, drones, electronic beats, post-rock, deceptively pretty synthesisers, spoken word passages, with Michael’s distinctive singing voice a haunting and recurrent theme. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn terms of sound, My Father… doesn’t exactly pick up from there. Nor would it slip comfortably under Gira’s Angels of Light project, which has been running since the initial de-activation of Swans. There are strong elements of both, but as Gira said himself, the Swans idea was revived as a means to move forward, and ultimately, the album does just that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThose who picked up I Am Not Insane (a collection of Gira’s initial album ideas, presented as solo pieces for voice and acoustic guitar) will be soon to realise just how skeletal those versions were. Their transformation is astonishing – although most of the melodies and lyrics remain just about intact, these early sketches are almost unrecognisable in amongst the heaps of instrumentation and collaborative ideas that have been piled on top by the rest of the line up. A towering atmosphere has gathered to decorate the bare bones of what Gira brought to the table, and it’s unmistakably Swans – clattering and rickety and unstable – forever ominous and occasionally plainly terrifying. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“No Words\/No Thoughts” was my easily my least favourite track from I Am Not Insane, but here it’s a brutally brilliant opener, exploding from the initial introduction of glistening chimes as a thundering one-chord catastrophe. It’s left as a pummelling loop for a full three minutes, featuring warped electronics, backwards cymbals and what sounds like trombones screaming in piercing slides, before breaking down and allowing Gira to finally makes his vocal entry. It’s at the point that his perfectly executed baritone drawl enters the piece that it becomes beyond doubt that Swans have continued to maintain the high standard left by Soundtracks for the Blind back in 1996. He is on blinding form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElsewhere there’s “Jim”, lurching forward on a heave-ho rhythm that rattles and thuds on piano and guitar battered in unison. Personally I hear a likeness to “All Souls’ Rising” by Angels of Light for the way in which it almost stops and starts in these hefty lumbering steps, with an organic intensity that arises out of the musician – the velocity and anger behind each hit and strum, not just the timbre of the instrument. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“You Fucking People Make Me Sick” is the only track that wasn’t present on I Am Not Insane and it’s probably the most unnerving piece of the lot. Contorted vocals from Devendra Banhart are echoed in a twisted child-like tone and scattered across minor-chord guitar jangle, before the piece cuts abruptly into a brilliant interplay between percussive stomp and a juddering flourish of piano dissonance. After countless listens, I’ve yet to fully “get” the nightmarish and bizarre first half, but find myself in absolute awe of the harrowing noise of the second. A lot of these pieces are left to spiral off on their own accord, often giving way to freakish atonal experimentation and leaving the sound of a band completely enveloped in their own grooves, playing off of each other with an unspoken musical understanding. It’s fascinating to hear, if not always immediately accessible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter the thudding locomotive of “Eden Prison”, “Little Mouth” closes the album on a weary melancholy deeply rooted in Angels of Light, with a thick chorus of backing vocals guiding it forward. The final minute sees the instruments away to leave Michael singing into silence – a particularly beautiful highlight from I Am Not Insane that was thankfully retained for the final product. In fact, it’s these closing stages that highlight a particular worry I had prior to going into my first listen. Would the full band versions of these tracks do justice to the strength of the song-writing at work on I Am Not Insane? I needn’t have given it a moment thought. Swans Are Not Dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky \/ album \/ CD","offer_id":634017797,"sku":"YG_MYFATHER_CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky \/ album \/ LP","offer_id":634017801,"sku":"YG_MYFATHER_LP","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky \/ album \/ 2CD","offer_id":642709301,"sku":"YG_MyFather_2CD","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky \/ album \/ WAVs","offer_id":51961781223726,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/myfather.jpg?v=1571438766"},{"product_id":"soundtracks-for-the-blind","title":"Soundtracks For The Blind","description":"\u003cdiv id=\"content\" role=\"content\" class=\"col2-right-layout\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"mainContent\"\u003e\n\u003csection\u003e\n\u003carticle class=\"productdetail\"\u003e\n\u003csection id=\"productdetail\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"productdetail_right\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG01\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•••SIGNED BY M.GIRA•••\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis double CD album has everything in there – all the ideas from Swans’ 15 years of work.  There’s some contemporary recordings of the band as it existed in ‘96\/7, with Larry Mullins on drums\/percussion, Jarboe singing and playing keyboards, Vudi playing electric guitar, and Joe Goldring playing bass and electric guitar, and me singing and playing electric and acoustic guitar, but there’s also a huge amount of sounds and recordings that I (and a few by Jarboe here too) collected over the years. These are reassembled, looped, mangled, and in many cases overdubbed upon to create new pieces of music. Being the “artist” in this case, it’s hard for me to talk about this one, because the memory is so laden (or burdened!) with the experience of making this thing. I guess what I’m trying to say here is I almost had a heart attack making it (slightly kidding here). It was just overwhelming. I really set my own trap, dug my own grave on this one. There was SO MUCH material to deal with, to sift through (whole trunks full of decomposing, moldy cassettes and discs with samples and sounds), and the task of making it into something coherent was at times debilitating. Really like climbing up a mountain of sand. I don’t remember why I set this goal for myself, to somehow incorporate such a ridiculously disparate amount of material. I think maybe it was so I could justify throwing all that crap into the local dump, which is what I did when I finished the album.  But in the end, after centuries of picking at this huge iceberg of material with a toothpick, my trusty engineer Chris Griffin and I managed to sculpt something out of it. It actually breathes, seems to live, in most places I think. There’s a press release below written by Kurt at Atavistic (Swans label at the time), and some reviews too, which might give you a better idea of how this sounds. Anyway, in the end, I was elated with this music, both because I liked it and because finishing it meant I could finally lay Swans to rest after 15 years. In my case, I’m always happiest when I’m leaving. – Michael Gira\/Young God Records 2008\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePress release from 1997 by Kurt at Atavistic: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoundtracks for the blind is the final studio album from the legendary band. Throughout their fifteen-year history, Swans have unfailingly presented intense, utterly singular \u0026amp; peerless music. Soundtracks for the blind, their new double-cd set, is the final studio album. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoundtracks was compiled from a complex variety of sources, among them cassette loops, found sounds, narratives \u0026amp; multi-track recordings of new songs \u0026amp; interludes featuring many of the same talented musicians who joined M. Gira \u0026amp; Jarboe on last year's highly successful great annihilator world tour: Larry Mullins (drums, iggy pop band) \u0026amp; Vudi (gtr, american music club) and Joe Goldring on bass and guitar. These myriad textures, sounds \u0026amp; musical passages were then collaged, merged \u0026amp; interwoven by gira, and true to form, the fidelity \u0026amp; aural effect on the listener is just astounding.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoundtracks for the blind totally delivers, in full circle fashion, the promise nascent in '94's great annihilator album. The collision of art, sound \u0026amp; technology has seldom sounded more complete or seductive... Soundtracks for the Blind yields total sonic immersion: your only option is to succumb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12\/1\/1996 | The Wire | Biba Kopf  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review\u003cbr\u003eSwans always wrote every song like it was going to be their last  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Swans always wrote every song like it was going to be their last. Even so, the announcement that this is finally it, after some 15 years of honing word, gristle, rhythm and half-melody into some of the finest, most enduring, if (unsurprisingly) somewhat unfairly overlooked works in the whole rock cannon, comes as a shock. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat they've decided to submit to cold economic reality and call it a day rather than face another soul-destroying struggle with media indifference and a diminishing fan base is sensible enough. But what is truly sad about the whole Swans saga coming to an end now is the fact that the music they've been making these past three years is every bit as powerful as the extraordinary, torturously slow, delayed-drop gallows rock with which they announced themselves at the start of the 80's. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese last Swansongs, spread over two CDs (which, appropriately enough, last a lifetime) cap and conclude all the major Swans concerns. At the same time, the instrumental fragments and interludes that punctuate the fully developed pieces hint at all the Swansongs that now will never be, just as they provide tantalizing glimpses of the future directions that Swans motivating force Michael Gira, and longtime partner Jarboe, might take.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe musical scope of Soundtracks is as breathtaking as it is thematically devastating. Along with its immediate predecessor, Die Tür Ist Zu, it constitutes the cement that binds all their preceding music into a single, formidable body of work. The subject of this body of work is the human body itself, and the daily toll taken on both body and soul by pointless, spiritually unsatisfying work. The tape collage \"How They Suffer\" underlines the physical frailty that permeates the set. It features two tape extracts, one of Jarboe talking to her mother, who is facing the onset of old age; the other is Gira's father talking about the detached retina that has left him blind. The piece is as moving as it is characteristically bleak, in that it offers no solace other than the sense of calm acceptance in the two voices. This admission of more directly autobiographical material is rare for a group which always spoke in the first person to articulate universal, and universally ugly, truths. Perhaps the sense of mortality the piece invokes accelerated The Swans' decision to call it a day. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere the younger, earlier Swans would subject the body to a vicious pummeling, simulating the cruelty of the exchange values that at base govern our lives, the latter day Swans will pile into a singular riff with the musical intention of providing a release. Monotonal guitar pieces like \"The Sound\" and \"Helpless Child\" combine the controlled frenzies of Glenn Branca's guitar orchestras with the emotional intensifications of Austrian blood-artist Herman Nitsch. Where before there seemed no end to The Swans' riffing, now the piling up of overtones finally bursts into the light that illuminates the earlier darkness. But the songs are scarcely less grim. \"All Lined Up\" is even more devastating in its updated version than it was in its original take on Gira's solo album Drainland. What was once a flesh parade is now a march of the dead—ghost shapes iridescent in the winter light and the narrative intoned in Gira's most weatherbeaten baritone. Time and again, Gira and Jarboe pick at the scabs of their past to see if they can still bleed. Empathy straddles the Greed\/Holy Money and Children Of God eras with the narrator cursing a lapse into kindness as a betrayal of weakness, while the last song \"The Final Sac\", reprises the notion of love, divine or otherwise, as a form of dominance and submission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRight up to their dying moments The Swans have stayed true to their witheringly bleak vision. It has absolutely no comparison in rock. Indeed, if Gira's obsessive way of putting a small, yet complete vocabulary through endless permutations of the same, seemingly self-loathing theme can be compared to anything it should be to the novels of the late, great Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard. Meanwhile, another Austrian, the satirist Karl Kraus, summed up why he and their like keep gnawing at the same corpse: \"Because,\" he said, \"I persist in believing there's life in it yet.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11\/27\/1996 | Detroit Metro Times | Thom Jurek  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review\u003cbr\u003e* * * * * stars  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith the issue of Soundtracks For The Blind, their 15th album in as many years (along 12\"s and side projects), Swans are calling it quits. There's one final tour planned and then the band enters the palace of rock and roll memory. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor me, this is difficult, because on a pop scene filled with transience and trend, Swans have always been present if not always visible, ever looking forward. They are, in both ambition and excess, a true voice of resistance to an \"alternative\" music that consumed its own corrupted flesh in the mid-1980s. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI won't spend time talking about the legion of bands they influenced—most of whom have gained in stature and economic status as a result of Swans' renegade aesthetic and unbreakable spirit—it leaves too bitter a taste in my mouth. And though I know both Gira and Jarboe are far too driven to give up working—there are books, films and duo and solo recordings planned—I will miss the persona that was so singularly Swans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a title, \"Soundtracks for the Blind\" is filled with irony. Never have Swans been so focused on their particular strengths as they are on this double CD. As a final statement, it shows that Swans are exiting at the very top of their game, not as a broken, empty shell that merely references the finer moments of yesteryear. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisually, this set is a work of art. A cardboard digipak with two sparely designed discs of copper and silver and a gorgeous lyric sheet inserted in an inside pocket with a silkscreen of a human boneyard on the flipside. The design has everything to do with the music; it's ambiguous, austere, imposing; it stands out and invites you in, via a complex, devastating seduction. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMusically, \"Soundtracks For The Blind\" consists of sounds compiled from many sources: found, appropriated, played, looped and multi-tracked from live shows to hand-held cassette recordings to studio constructions. Gira and Jarboe recruited collaborators such as former American Music Club guitarist Vudi, Iggy Pop drummer Larry Mullins, Joe Goldring and Kris Force, and edited in contributions from Norman Westberg, Clinton Steele and Larry Lame (these last four, former Swans members). All the music was taken apart, collaged, spindled, manipulated, remixed and remodeled by Gira and engineer Chris Griffin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore often than not, guitars bleed into keyboards and unidentifiable sounds, samples melt into drum loops, voices slip in and out of a thick, warm, sleepy mix and words become narrations by which the music changes direction, disappears and re-emerges transformed. Where single acoustic guitars appear, stringed instruments and unidentifiable sounds displace them and relegate them to the periphery, opening up a space for the singer to shift meanings even further afield. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlmost all individual traces (except for vocals) are obscured, not to render them beyond recognition necessarily, but in order to create an original (who can say that in pop anymore?), hypnotic, genreless whole, that breeds and reflects sadness, loneliness, isolation, alienation, resignation, tragedy and an eros born of out need, not want. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe twin notions of ambiguity and blur serve Swans well; they create the emotional axis on which \"Soundtracks For The Blind\" turns. Where one tracks begins, another ends, both thematically and contextually. The segues fold one emotion and the trace of its passage into another; that is then grafted as a new shadow onto the next theme. It's obvious that \"Soundtracks For The Blind\" was conceived as a continuous whole. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn years past, Swans were deservedly known for their aggression and brutality. These schema have been replaced by an ominous softness, an almost a malevolent tenderness expressed in whispers and washes. No longer do rage and domination battle with repulsion and submission for dominance in their sound—though the threat is ever-present. Individually, these territories have been eclipsed by a new, wider space, in which they are all contained: abjection. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is from the Mark of Cain that Gira and Jarboe speak, it is in this ravaged, hallowed ground from which a new sonic cartography has been hewn, and a new grammar of the iniquitous been birthed. Here Neitszche, Baudelaire and Mary Magdalene walk with Bataille, Genet and Joan of Arc. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn \"Red Velvet Corridor,\" the opening track, a slowly evolving theme of three notes breathes in the mix before what sounds like strings and a vocal drone placidly enter the fray. A lone feedback well comes from the ether and paints it momentarily. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe theme never stops, it is simple, melodic, beautiful; but even here, its sweetness colors a feeling of something sorrowful. It's elegiac, it moves the listener to the very aesthetic space Swans' discourse come from. And as it fades, one is not quite prepared for the instrumental that follows, \"I Was A Prisoner In Your Skull.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small, minimal phrase slips out into the fore only to be overshadowed by groaning voices, pounding drums and strange, disorienting spoken words. The voice, neither Gira or Jarboe, proclaims in a pathetic manner his superiority to an unidentified lesser who depends on him. Airy keyboards repetitively play throughout, highlighting the speaker's increasingly twisted confession and accusations. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the first actual \"song\" on the record appears, \"Helpless Child,\" electric and acoustic guitars along with subtle keyboards delicately frame the narrative Gira is about to iterate. And in his controlled delivery, we can hear the cracks in his protagonist's psyche; his heart is bursting with longing and regret. This is the articulation of what is to come over the next two hours, full of warped soul and bent love, cruelty and atrocity: \"Now you be the mother\/and I'll be your fool\/I'll hide myself deep inside your crimson pool. The muddy water runs\/Beneath your folds\/You won't let me breathe, you won't let me go. Now you be the stranger\/and I'll be the white-skinned son\/You'll blacken my innocence, with sugar and opium.\/The children were suffocating down in your damp cave\/And you were the mother, and I was the sleeping slave\/Protect me from violence, hold me in your cool lips\/You drug me with kindness, I can pretend I exist\/Now you be the only child\/I'll suck on your breast\/You'll feed me with gasoline, I'll burn my name in your head.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere, redemption is a matter for the past to reconcile, the cupboard is empty and so is the bed. What is longed for is wholly absent and growing ever fainter as memory. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is what Swans do, they read the unmentionable and mirror it back to us in a language that is enough for us to understand and from so far outside our everyday experience it borders on the sacred. What Swans seem to be saying in these songs is that these elements really are part of our lives. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThings do get somewhat aggressive on \"Yum-Yab Killers,\" a live track where Jarboe chants over a drum intense mix laden with woolly guitars: \"I said come here, dear, you know what I'll do\/I'll make you my mirror of the things that I chew.\" Alternately, she spits the words or they drip from her mouth like poisoned honey. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom primal scream to funereal modal excess to ambient noir, sound forms to near-heraldic balladry, Swans have looked into the mouth of the vast unknown and given it a name, and in the process they've named themselves. They've raided the musical past for forgotten treasures—their own and others—and have made use of them in a new way. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(It is interesting to note their appropriation of Pink Floyd's \"One Of These Days\" on \"The Sound.\" Swans turn a once merely disturbing song by the former band into something so ominous, future-phobic and frightening, getting to the end of its 13 minutes is an experience in tension). \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe copper disc is only a predictable extension of disc one in that nothing is ever done predictably, though everything has a consistent \"feel.\" Each note, beat and cluster, is in a constant state of metamorphosis. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Soundtracks For The Blind\" breaks itself open and reveals itself slowly. There are epiphanies as well as black holes to be found, sometimes within the same track. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn all, \"Soundtracks For The Blind\" is almost unbearably beautiful. In its lush appearance it is seductive; in its loss, unmerciful; in its harrowing vision, it never flinches from horror; in its sheer volume and musical landscape, it is exhaustive without bankrupting itself creatively. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn \"Soundtracks For The Blind\" Swans ask questions that most of us don't want to be asked, let alone answer. One of the most sexually charged and emotionally honest recordings I have ever heard, its expressions of lust and shame allow us to live inside it and take comfort in its excesses. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a rare thing in music, that a document, particularly a final one, can encompass the darkness of the entire world in one place. Like I said, I am having a tough time accepting the fact that Swans won't be around anymore. God knows we need their courage and flawed grace more than ever.   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e11\/23\/1996 | Melody Maker | Jonathan Selzer  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review\u003cbr\u003elike fragments from a world whose foundations are in the last stages of erosion  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo this is it, the last album proper by my favourite, most fatalistic band, a band who could give rise to the most transcendent of feelings only because they'd detail their own limits with such meticulous care, a band who sensed such overwhelming destiny they were stricken by it. The first time I played a Swans record, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Listening to them now, ravaged, wretched, as terminal a document for the millenium as you'll ever encounter, they sound as though they're beyond belief, as tragic as an unrequited martyr. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Soundtracks For The Blind\" is what's left now that all Swans' endeavour has burnt itself out. It's composed from shreds—tape loops, \"found\" samples, recorded testimonies of spiritually lost mid-Westerners—isolated moments blended together, like fragments from a world whose foundations are in the last stages of erosion. When they do become galvanised, it's not through any will of their own, so much as from a final, dying vision—but it's a glorious and redemptive vision, succumbing to an overpowering feeling of loss. Michael Gira has never sounded quite as raw, as naked as this. His voice is now a riddled rasp. \"Animus\" is as noble and as disconsolate as Judy Garland's last performances, with hopeless longing to match. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans are way ahead of you. They've already reached the point of post-millennial tension. Majestic in its scope, pathetic in its humanity, \"Soundtracks For The Blind\" fulfils Swans' irrevocable fate and their tragedy, that they'd surpass themselves. Into oblivion. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2\/1\/1997 | The Equipment Authority | Kurt B. Reighley  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review\u003cbr\u003ean ambitious collage that folds found sounds, tape loops, and studio recordings into a dense aural melange  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOften compared with Sonic Youth, Swans has consistently displayed greater stylistic diversity than its down-town N.Y.C. art-noise colleagues without deviating from frontman Michael Gira's singularly bleak vision. This, the band's last release (supposedly Swans is calling it quits), is no exception. It's an ambitious collage that folds found sounds, tape loops, and studio recordings into a dense aural melange.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoundtracks for the Blind eschews conventional verse\/chorus\/bridge structures, favoring experiments with timbre and juxtaposition instead. The 1-2-3 transition from the disorienting samples of \"Her Mouth is Filled with Honey\" into the churning rock repetitions of \"Blood Section,\" followed by the twisted howl of \"Hypogirl\" (sung by longtime collaborator Jarboe), could prompt a case of whiplash. Testimonies from unspecified individuals, as in the unnerving \"Minus Something,\" offset majestic instrumental interludes of cello, bells, guitar, and keyboards. Often the most captivating elements border on subliminal, such as the fax tones buried in \"Red Velvet Corridor\" or the organ accents of \"I Love You This Much.\"  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cumulative sensation of Soundtracks' disparate elements is akin to eavesdropping on dozens of psychotherapy sessions, hearing seemingly disassociated sets of ideas underpinned with a constant surge of raw feeling. Swans has been criticized for a decade and a half for being a difficult band for listeners to understand, but you don't have to know the details of the emotional impetus behind Gira's music to appreciate its raw power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Soundtracks For The Blind \/ album \/ 2xCD","offer_id":634038737,"sku":"YG_SOUNDTRACKS_CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/soundtracks.jpg?v=1571438766"},{"product_id":"swans-are-dead-live-95-97","title":"Swans Are Dead: Live '95-'97 (SOLD OUT)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG03\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•••SIGNED BY M.GIRA•••\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAside from the early self-eviscerating era of Swans the 2 tours captured on this album are my favorite live recordings of Swans. Somehow, all the different periods of the band came together here, and I remember the performances as being transporting and even transcendent. That's my own experience of course, but my instinct tells me the audience experienced it that way too. The sound quality of these recordings is good-to-excellent, in my opinion. In fact, of all the Swans albums, this is the one I feel most comfortable listening to. I mean \"comfortable\" in the sense that the recording seems to have captured the performance and intent of the music. There's some reviews below. If you choose to purchase this, yes, play it loud, and I hope it gives you pleasure. - Michael Gira\/Young God Records 2008\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2\/25\/1998 | SF Weekly | Dave Clifford\u003cbr\u003eSwans | Swans Are Dead | Review \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAttrition‹the act of wearing away a surface through repeated rubbing, or the gradual reduction of will through constant waves of repetition‹is the defining characteristic of Swans. In the 15-year existence of the now-finished group, vocalist\/guitarist Michael Gira and a revolving door of contributors‹the most significant of these being longtime vocalist\/keyboardist Jarboe‹sought to isolate and exaggerate the limitations of music. Where rhythm and melody traditionally embody a song, Swans have dissected it. Where lyrical themes traditionally ignore the visceral and brutal sides of sexuality, Swans have sought to magnify them. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn early recordings like Filth and Young God, Swans hammered single or double beats of a measure and a melody into plodding tempos. The result was simplistic, brutal, and anti-melodic. But once Gira had mastered the form, he abandoned it in favor of a new sound, one in which chiming Middle Eastern drones were infused with a rhythmic impulsion. The melodicism cost the band a considerable following in the early 90s. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans Are Dead, the final act of attrition, contains live recordings culled from their final world tours of 1995 and 1997. Here, as clever as always, Swans' music atomizes rhythm and melody by taking repetition to an extreme, almost aberrant degree, to a point where the music is transformed into a behemoth machine that simultaneously disrupts and illuminates its own internal structure. On the album opener, \"Feel Happiness,\" the rhythm of a standard bar is frozen, as a repeated snare crack and cymbal crash compound beneath drop-tuned droning bass, guitars, and keyboard. Similar to the way a skipping CD or record plucks a small element from a passage and disrupts its logic, the repetition of flowing cymbals and a fragmented guitar melody disrupts a normal rock song.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany of the songs performed on these final tours were versions of older Swans material, reworked to emphasize certain melodic, lyrical, and rhythmic subtleties. \"Blood Promise,\" the syrupy 1994 ballad, is stripped to a torturous chiming drone of guitars and flaring cymbals. \"I Crawled\" is reworked from its original crushing plod into a tense narrative with slowly building crescendos. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStill, it is songs like \"The Sound\" and \"Not Alone\" that jarringly demonstrate Swans' tasteful flirtation with streamlined melodies. Compounding several harmonies of instruments that swirl continuously in mantra form, the group creates a sound of constant elevation and rhythmic attrition. \"The Sound\" begins as a murmur of keyboards, vibraphone, and lightly thumping percussion, and a simple melody is slowly built within the repetitive modulation between two notes. The structure has fractured and musical order is, if only briefly, transcended. Which is exactly the aim of Swans' music‹to give the taste of ecstatic annihilation. And here, a blissful farewell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2\/19\/1998 | TimeOut New York | Issue No. 126 | Jordan N. Mamone Review | SWANS ARE DEAD \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of a 15-year existence, Swans built up a solid reputation for blinding intensity and brutal honesty. Leader Michael Gira was so unafraid to explore the limits of the crushingly leaden and the mystically ethereal that his compositions and from-the-gut emotional frankness occasionally verged on the ridiculous. More often, his tunnel vision and severity intensified music of a singular power unmatched in its sensuous physicality and visionary depth. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans leave behind a legacy as the most radical aesthetic dissenters from the golden age of '80s NYC tumult rock, yet also as the most faithful adherents to that scene's sternness and experimental edge. A force of extremes and paradoxes, their bowing out with an exorbitant but necessary double-live CD is only appropriate. Swans Are Dead is rough going if you're averse to Gira's obsessively dark, rhythmic repetition, but otherwise it's a rewarding final chronicle of one of the most fascinating forces ever to grace a stage. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGira \u0026amp; Co.'s discography is rich in masterful concert documents, and this pristinely recorded capper is no different. Swans Are Dead skirts redundancy by drawing from the band's twilight works but also including reinterpretations of old pile drivers; the industrial thuds of \"I Crawled\" and \"Your Property\" are every bit as methodical and grandiose as their '84 renditions but now boast aggro-elegant, complex arrangements and the dramatic, seductive pipes of keyboardist Jarboe in lieu of Gira's tough roar. These rewrites fit in perfectly with the more recent stuff (including two all-new epics), which is still huge and richly textured but often similarly mutated. \"Low Life Form,\" from Gira's spartan '95 solo LP, swells into an immobilizing tidal wave, while the once cold, steely \"I Am the Sun\" turns into a perversely choleric cabaret shuffle. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough Swans Are Dead splits its discs between a 1995 lineup and the 1997 final tour personnel, the musicianship is uniformly distinctive and flawless. If the set fails in any way, it's due to an inability to capture the volume, imposing vastness and intoxicating vibe of live Swans. But with the band buried and a Huysmansian conglomeration of home stereo, virtual reality and hypnotism yet to be invented, Swans Are Dead will have to suffice as the ultimate sensory blowout. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4\/1\/1998 | Ink #19 | Drew West  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Swans Are Dead | Review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey were, are, and will always be the most powerful band in the world live.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA banshee screams while the Vikings swing hammers and swords into their enemies. I sense sweat pouring from faces. Every soul being destroyed from within the shell it lives. The anger, resentment, and rawness cuts through even the hardest heart. No one ever does it like Swans. Even through the CD, I get goose bumps. I can't explain it. When I watched Swans in Atlanta for the last time, my body went numb. Every hair stood on end. I was waiting for lightning to come through the ceiling and ignite my body. So I ask why? Why must I suffer? Why are they doing this to us? Why does it have to end? They were, are, and will always be the most powerful band in the world live. We have only two CDs to remember them, but they exhibit nothing but perfection. It is Swans. Gira mixed both live recordings and \"bootlegs\" from fans to capture the emotions. I have never heard a live recording capture \"live\" like this before, and probably never will again. The songs included do not matter, because they are perfect. The first disc is the final 1997 tour, and the second the 1995 tour. I cannot promote illegal activities to gain possession of this release, but any fan will be happy. Now all that is left is the final reissue sets, and SWANS ARE DEAD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8\/3\/1995 | Sound Projector | Ed Pinsent  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Review | Swans are Dead  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI find it remarkable how Swans have progressed over the many years of their existence from near-atonal cacophony to trembling acoustic melody without ever compromising the severity or intensity of the effect their music induces. The earlier Swans records, although slow, loud and harrowing, with titles that pretty much say it all ('Raping a Slave', 'Butcher', 'Thug'), always hinted at some delicate sense of beauty amid the walls of guitar noise and shudder-inducing lyrics. Although more recent albums have been perversely tuneful ('The Sound Of Freedom' could almost be Swans' take on Bruce Springsteen) that edgy sense of vertigo has remained undiluted. It is this quality which makes them unique. My first experience of the group Whitehouse (cited as an influence by Michael Gira)ì was quite extreme. I found the records disturbing to such an extent that I had doubts about wanting such vile artefacts in my house. Whitehouse, by their own testament, produced 'the most violently repulsive records ever made'. Whitehouse are all about domination - that is, beating the listener into submission. But where their untrammelled fury is directed outwards at the listener, that of Swans takes the opposite approach. Swans music doesn't name names, but rather focuses on the psychological profile of rage directed inwards; which, with the extremes to which Gira's lyrics take it, seems altogether more disturbing. Whitehouse may scream and rage about what plans they have in store for your bottom, but when Gira howls 'I'll cut off my right arm just to stand in your shadow', and sounds as though he intends to do just that, it is genuinely scary. This double CD marks the conclusion of the group's long and tormented history, with expertly recorded selections from the last two tours. Like Mr Dinger (see elsewhere), Swans are in their element doing one simple thing over and over until one is carried away by its divine momentum. The effect works in a similar way to the principle of Chinese water torture, and on occasion to an apparently similar end. This is not to suggest Swans are just about pain. No, it's more complicated than that, like the dull and vaguely satisfying numbness of a picked-at wound, a second of clarity and calm before a violent storm, extended out towards infinity. Yet in spite of this, even at their slowest and ugliest, Swans remain sublimely glorious and panoramic. There is something very Old Testament at work here. A fitting full stop to Swans' fifteen year sentence.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Swans Are Dead: Live '95-'97 \/ album \/ 2xCD","offer_id":634051313,"sku":"YG_DEAD_CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"WAVs \/ album \/ digital","offer_id":51960323080494,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/dead.jpg?v=1571438766"},{"product_id":"the-seer-1","title":"The Seer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eYG45\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eInsert signed by M. Gira\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDVD Description \u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Swans Seer DVD was recorded variously in the cities of Melbourne, Australia, Berlin, Germany, Brooklyn, NY, San Francisco, CA., LA, CA., and Torrance, California. The footage was filmed throughout the swans tour(s) of 2010\/2011. The DVD captures swans at the peak of their creative\/destructive potential. The film is a work in progress, and will ultimately result in a feature film \/ filmography of Swans.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDVD Credits\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirected, filmed and produced by Simon Henwood and Marco Porsia. Edited by Marco Porsia. Additional cameras: Rodney Ascher, Dan Knight, Phi Tidy, Alessandra Romeo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"margin_bottom_3\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA NOTE FROM MICHAEL GIRA\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The Seer took 30 years to make. It’s the culmination of every previous Swans album as well as any other music I’ve ever made, been involved in or imagined. But it’s unfinished, like the songs themselves. It’s one frame in a reel. The frames blur, blend and will eventually fade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe songs began on an acoustic guitar, then were fleshed out with (invaluable) help from my friends, then were further tortured and seduced in rehearsals, live and in the studio, and now they await further cannibalism and force-feeding as we prepare to perform some of them live, at which point they’ll mutate further, endlessly, or perhaps be discarded for a while.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite what you might have heard or presumed, my quest is to spread light and joy through the world. My friends in Swans are all stellar men. Without them I’m a kitten, an infant. Our goal is the same: ecstasy!\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHOW THE SONGS CAME TO BE\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe songs The Seer, Ave. B Blues, Avatar, and The Apostate were developed organically as a group in rehearsals and on tour. They morphed constantly throughout the last series of Swans tours, and were captured and lovingly adorned in the studio. The remaining songs on the album were developed from the ground up in the studio with the participation and input of all the contributing musicians, guided by an invisible hand...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecorded at Studio P4 and Andere Baustelle in Berlin, by Kevin McMahon and at Marcata Studio, Gardiner, NY, by Kevin McMahon. Additional recording at Trout Recording, Brooklyn, NY, engineer: Bryce Goggin. Mixed by Kevin McMahon at Marcata. Produced by Michael Gira.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eFULL CREDITS\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSWANS\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eMichael Gira\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003evoice, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, casio, sounds\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eNorman Westberg\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eelectric guitar, voice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eChristoph Hahn\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003elap steel guitars; electric guitar, voice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003ePhil Puleo\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003edrums, percussion, hammer dulcimer, voice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eThor Harris\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003edrums, percussion, orchestral bells, hammer dulcimer, handmade violin thing, vibraphone, piano, clarinet, voice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eChristopher Pravdica\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003ebass guitar, voice, incredible handshake\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eHonorary Swan: Bill Rieflin\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003epiano, organ, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, percussion, casio, synthesizer, bass guitar, voice, bird idea\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSPECIAL GUESTS\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eKaren O\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003elead vocal on Song for a Warrior (Karen appears courtesy Interscope Records)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eAl and Mimi of Low\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eco-vocals on Lunacy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eJarboe\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003ebacking vocals and voice collage on Piece of the Sky and backing vocals on The Seer Returns\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eSeth Olinsky, Miles Seaton, Dana Janssen (Akron\/Family)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003ebacking vocals on Piece of the Sky\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eCaleb Mulkerin and Colleen Kinsella of Big Blood\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eaccordion, vocals, dulcimer, guitar, piano and assorted other instruments on the Seer Returns\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eSean Mackowiak (the grasshopper)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eacoustic and electric mandolins, clarinet, various songs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eBen Frost\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003efire sounds (acoustic and synthetic) on Piece of the Sky\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eIain Graham\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003ebagpipes on The Seer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eBruce Lamont\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003ehorns on The Seer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eBob Rutman\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003esteel cello on The Seer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eCassis Staudt\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eaccordion various songs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eEszter Balint\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eviolin, various songs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eJane Scarpatoni\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003ecello various songs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eKevin McMahon\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003eadditional drums on the Seer Returns, electric guitar, sounds on various songs\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eBryce Goggin\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003epiano on Song for a Warrior\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"margin_bottom_0\"\u003eStefan Rocke\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"margin_top_0\"\u003econtra bassoon on the Seer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by Michael Gira. Recorded at Studio P4 and Andere Baustelle in Berlin, by Kevin McMahon, assistants Marco and Boris, and at Marcata Studio, Gardiner, NY, by Kevin McMahon. Additional recording at Trout Recording, Brooklyn, NY, engineer: Bryce Goggin, assistant: Adam Sachs. Mixed by Kevin McMahon at Marcata. Mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose Berlin. Pre-mastering by Jamal Ruhe at West Westside Music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork: Paintings and Swans photo portraits by Simon Henwood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"margin_bottom_3\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"media_container\"\u003e\u003ciframe height=\"281\" width=\"500\" src=\"\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/45729481?portrait=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" mozallowfullscreen=\"mozallowfullscreen\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"webkitallowfullscreen\"\u003e\n    \u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"The Seer \/ album \/ 3xLP","offer_id":634120341,"sku":"YG_THESEER_LP","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"The Seer \/ album \/ 2xCD","offer_id":634120337,"sku":"YG_THESEER_CD","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"The Seer \/ album \/ 2CD+DVD","offer_id":634120345,"sku":"YG_THESEER_DVD","price":20.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"The Seer \/ album \/ WAVs","offer_id":51923217449262,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_55_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad.jpeg?v=1571438766"},{"product_id":"we-rose-from-your-bed-with-the-sun-in-our-head","title":"We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eYG1969\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e-SIGNED BY M.GIRA-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is now available as a deluxe digipack with beautiful art by \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/heidiyardley.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHeidi Yardley.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e“We Rose…” was initially released as a limited edition of 1000, handmade special 2xcd package with various levels of purchase for fans to offset the costs of the new Swans studio album The Seer. The edition of 1000 sold out in under 24 hours.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eHere are some early reviews for your perusal:\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/thequietus.com\/articles\/08657-swans-we-rose-from-your-bed-with-the-sun-in-our-head-review\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Quietus\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003efrom \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tinymixtapes.com\/music-review\/swans-we-rose-your-bed-sun-our-head\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTiny Mix Tapes\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tinymixtapes.com\/music-review\/swans-we-rose-your-bed-sun-our-head\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/a\u003efrom \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/pitchfork.com\/reviews\/albums\/16588-we-rose-from-your-bed-with-the-sun-in-our-head\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePitchfork\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTRACK LISTING: disc one: 1. intro\/no words no thoughts 2. jim 3. beautiful child 4. the apostate 5. yr property 6. sex god sex disc two: 1. the seer (intro)\/ i crawled 2. eden prison 3. 93 ave. b blues \/ little mouth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecorded variously in Melbourne Australia, Berlin Germany, and NYC. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSWANS: michael gira - guitar, vocal; norman westerg - guitar; phil puleo - drums, duclimer; thor harris - drums\/percussion, vibes, clarinet, melodica, violin; christoph hahn - double lap steel guitar; christopher pravdica - bass.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese recordings capture the rejuvenated and invigorated Swans as the group staked out new sonic and rhythmic terrain in 2010\/11. The seeds of much of the upcoming album The Seer are contained herein as the group developed new material while on tour. The tour(s) saw Swans enjoy the largest and most diverse audiences of their career. Contrary to the expectations of some, the experience was, though sometimes extreme, always joyous.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNote from Michael Gira: Thanks to all of you who attended the Swans shows during our recent tours. The experience, for us, was life-giving and nourishing. The audiences were not only the largest with which we’ve ever been blessed, but the most genuinely connected and in tune with the sonic\/psychic experience in which we all participate. Thank you!... Represented in these discs are the best recordings we could provide of the (ever-evolving) shows. Those of you who attended the early shows realize that the first iterations of the music morphed and grew (seemingly with a will more expansive than our own) into something quite different by the end. This, in itself, was immensely gratifying. We also developed many new songs  – or sonic events is perhaps a better way to describe some of them -  along the way. In compiling these recordings and mixing them with my trusted friend and engineer Kevin McMahon (at Marcata Studio, Gardiner NY), we did our best to represent that transition... if you choose to acquire this 2 disc set, in my view it would behoove you to listen to the music at a generous volume level. This has absolutely nothing to do with an aggressive intent, as some mistakenly assume. Exactly the opposite, in fact. As with the live experience, it’s all about immersion. We – Swans - experience that sense of being subsumed in something greater than ourselves when we perform, too. Maybe that’s even our selfish reason for making the music in the first place. At the best of moments, it doesn’t even feel as if we are playing the music ourselves. More that we’re animated – vivified – by the ongoing sonic wave.  I can’t speak for my friends and cohorts, but it’s what I live for. In any event, it’s my hope these discs provide you with a positive experience of some sort....\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"We Rose From Your Bed With The Sun In Our Head \/ album \/ 2xCD","offer_id":634198457,"sku":"YG_WEROSE_CD","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"WAVs \/ album \/ digital","offer_id":51960263672110,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_56_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad.jpeg?v=1571438767"},{"product_id":"various-failures","title":"Various Failures","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG06\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-Signed by M.Gira-\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis music is culled from the period when Swans were in the midst of a major transition from sonic onslaught to actual songwriting (really begun with Children of God, but continued here). There were several releases in this vein, and I took the songs I thought best and compiled them into this double album collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m ambivalent about much of it, but then what do I know???? Some if it is genuinely good I think. Anyway, I was learning (how to write a song) as I went.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people seem to like this material, and I’m obviously (even now) incapable of being objective, so listen to some song samples and make your own choice. It is the best selling of the Swans reissues, if that means anything to you. The artwork is rather fetching if I may say so, by the esteemed Deryk Thomas. I love his work - a cross between Disney and Francis Bacon, Bosch and Turner. Seek him out on thee internet thing! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e– Michael Gira\/Young God Records 2008\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis two-CD set collects the best of material previously released on Swans  \"The Burning World\" album and its various singles (1989), the World of Skin album \"10 Songs For Another World\" (1990), \"White Light From the Mouth of Infinity\" (1990\/1), and the \"Love of Life\" album and its various singles (1992). All these items are out of print, and this double CD set is the most sought-after release in the Swans'  series of reissues\/compilations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD ONE: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1 Miracle of Love     \u003cbr\u003e2 Black Eyed Dog     \u003cbr\u003e3 The Golden Boy That Was Swallowed by the Sea    \u003cbr\u003e4 (-)     \u003cbr\u003e5 I Remember Who You Are     \u003cbr\u003e6 Her    \u003cbr\u003e7 No Cruel Angel     \u003cbr\u003e8 When She Breathes     \u003cbr\u003e9 Why Are We Alive?     \u003cbr\u003e10 The Child's Right     \u003cbr\u003e11 (-)     \u003cbr\u003e12 The Other Side of the World     \u003cbr\u003e13 Song for Dead Time [Mg Version]     \u003cbr\u003e14 Love Will Save You     \u003cbr\u003e15 Blind   \u003cbr\u003e16 Unfortunate Lie [Instrumental Version]     \u003cbr\u003e17 Was He Ever Alive?     \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCD TWO: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e18 Failure       \u003cbr\u003e19 Identity        \u003cbr\u003e20 The Sound Of Freedom \u003cbr\u003e21 Trust Me     \u003cbr\u003e22 Better Than You     \u003cbr\u003e23 Saved     \u003cbr\u003e24 Will We Survive?     \u003cbr\u003e25 Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes     \u003cbr\u003e26 God Damn the Sun     \u003cbr\u003e27 Eyes of Nature     \u003cbr\u003e28 You Know Everything     \u003cbr\u003e29 Song for Dead Time [J. Version]     \u003cbr\u003e30 Picture of Maryanne       \u003cbr\u003e31 Amnesia     \u003cbr\u003e32 Dream Dream     \u003cbr\u003e33 Please Remember Me  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e(\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note most of this material is also available on the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/white-light-from-the-mouth-of-infinity-love-of-life-ltd-ed-vinyl-box-set-3cd-release\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWhite Light. . . \/ Love of Life\u003c\/a\u003e albums)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll Music Guide \u003cbr\u003eReview by Ned Raggett \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGiven the label troubles which rendered much of Swans' late-'80s\/early-'90s work out-of-print all too quickly -- Gira's comments on MCA and Sky Records since that period have never been less than utterly scathing -- this particular entry in the late-'90s reissue series was one of the most eagerly awaited releases by fans, though not without controversy. Rather than completely reissuing everything -- Burning World, White Light, Love of Life, the World of Skin album Ten Songs From Another World, plus numerous singles and the live Omniscience -- Gira compiled and fully remastered a broad-ranging (and as has often been the case with these reissues, non-chronologically ordered), two-disc distillation of what he considered to be the best moments of the period. (In many cases he selected alternate or unreleased takes, some notably better than the more familiar versions, as with Burning World's \"God Damn the Sun,\" one of only two tracks taken from that troubled album; Omniscience itself is not featured at all on this collection.) There was some griping from Swan's fan base over this, but the fact is Gira's instincts were spot on; Failures pulls together all of the fantastic, often unappreciated highs from these years, resulting in something arguably better than all of the original releases put together. The band's spectral, mysterious, folk-influenced side (such as \"Failure\" and the World of Skin's take on Nick Drake's \"Black-Eyed Dog\") and the epic, film soundtrack-sounding side (\"Better Than You,\" \"The Golden Boy...\") are both featured in full force, as are the many side explorations and combinations of the same. As a further welcome bonus, just about every B-side from the singles of those years appears here, including such wonders as Gira's take on \"Song for Dead Time\" and the acoustic version of \"New Mind.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom SSMT.com  2003 \u003cbr\u003eReview by John Chedsey \u003cbr\u003eReview date: 06\/2003 \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ssmt-reviews.com\/artist\/swans.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttp:\/\/www.ssmt-reviews.com\/artist\/swans.html\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the latter half of the 90s, Swans' material saw a rebirth in the form of an extensive series of reissues via Young God Records, band leader Michael Gira's own label. Packing an incredible amount of material into two-disc sets, these reissued missives are a treasure trove of material that revitalize one of America's most impressive bands. Of these reissues, none may be more impressive than Various Failures 1988-1992. During this period of time, Swans released a handful of albums that have since fallen out of print and become rather expensive collector's items. But rather than reissue these albums for whatever reason, Gira chose to personally sum up the time period on these two discs. Considering the two albums have a total running time over one hundred and fifty minutes, Various Failures is an extensive time capsule that almost fully captures this era of Swans. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1988, Swans had begun their transformation from a dense, massive wall of sound that crushed feeble listeners into a squishy paste into a considerably more delicate and somber sound. Basing the songs on introspective lyrics, echoing acoustics and production and an entirely pensive mindframe, the songs on Various Failures are an extensive journey that will take nearly any listener through the entire gamut of emotions. Since these thirty four songs are so sprawling and full, digesting this two CD set requires quite a few dedicated listens. Once one has worked his or her way past the daunting nature of the music, Various Failures becomes the type of album that will never leave your stereo for days. Between Gira's haunting baritone voice and Jarboe's rather unusual range of voices and approaches, the CDs cover emotional ground like the IRS inspecting your tax return for a reason to audit. Unlike early material, there is little bombast, except in the emotional impact. Gira's tone often sets a very despondent mood, yet at the same time the backing music can be incredibly uplifting and intense. So many songs become highlights that both CDs are practically one major highlight. Gira must be commended for scouring his music from that era to create a two CD package that flows as one complete release, rather than a hodge-podge compilation. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the fact that some Swans fans felt the selection of songs could have been different, Various Failures is an incredible retrospect of a very creative and rich period in Swans history. It is the type of CD that can turn a casual fan into a deep believer and force listeners into an Ebay addiction to find the original out of print albums where this music was derived. Although it may take quite a bit of time to fully get one's head around due to the length and amount of music, this CD set is by far one of the most impressive releases for Swans.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Various Failures \/ album \/ 2xCD","offer_id":643644669,"sku":"YG_VARIOUSFAILURES_CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"WAVs \/ album \/ digital","offer_id":51959674274094,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/swans-various-failures.jpg?v=1571438767"},{"product_id":"children-of-god-world-of-skin","title":"Children of God\/World of Skin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•••SIGNED BY M.GIRA•••\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG02\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy 1986\/7 Swans had run its course with the physical assault of sound that we had employed previously for the most part. I wanted to move on to other things and didn’t want to get stuck in some style, which in our case had the potential of becoming cartoonish if we’d continued in that direction. So I pushed the music into unfamiliar territory. We spent 6 weeks in an old isolated medieval sawmill in Cornwall England “experimenting” and hashing things out. Even though there was the inevitable tension between myself and the musicians at that time, I remember that episode fondly and miss everyone involved…sigh. Everyone did a great job musically, as well as imbibing with enthusiasm the local brews and eating huge amounts of free food. Jarboe came more to the fore as a presence too. The line up of Gira \/ Kizys \/ Westberg \/ Jarboe \/ Parsons was a really good version of the band - one of the best live versions of Swans ever – actually much more intense and visceral in performance than in the nuanced takes of the songs on these recordings. Lyrically, I’d always seized on abstract subjects like money\/power\/sex\/work, etc., and I was watching a lot of Jimmy Swaggart on TV (the televangelist), and I thought he was a great rock performer, so I stole his thunder as best I could. I didn’t want to mock the religious impulse, which would have been a typical thing to do at the time, but instead to get inside it. Everyone wants to lose themselves in something bigger than they are. I don’t know if this is a bad thing or a good thing. Anyway, Children Of God was a major turning point for Swans and the musical tendencies that are first engendered here were fertile ground for the remaining future records. Around the same time Jarboe and I did 2 records under the name World Of Skin. Some of it’s good, some of it isn’t (my opinion) and a large assortment of that material is included here as a second disc, for historical purposes. If you’re interested, there’s a live Swans album from the time that ain’t so bad. YGR doesn’t release it but you can find it here:\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140108110946\/http:\/\/www.atavistic.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttp:\/\/www.atavistic.com\u003c\/a\u003e ….  - Michael Gira\/Young God Records 2008    \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRemastered and edited from original releases to essential tracks, combined with World of Skin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\/1\/1990 | Alternative Press\u003cbr\u003eSwans\u003cbr\u003eFrom the 100 best records of the decade\u003cbr\u003eSWANS Children Of God (1987) \u003cbr\u003eBy  C. Elliot \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePat Robertson's bid for the presidency, the oxymoronic Moral Majority, Bakker's fall from grace: These events were met in a head-on collision with Swans' perfect blend of sound and themes, their musical brawn contrasting with Jarboe's soft passionate blasphemy. \"We are Special. We are perfect. We are born in the sight of god\" she sings on the last title track, opting for the best salvation money can buy, the promise of expired suffering, But not before Gira's condemnation of every last one of us, \"The sex in your soul will damn you to hell,\" he bellows on the opener, \"New Mind.\" He's ready to make us receive the new mind, be brainwashed, do whatever it takes in light of this damnation, and so the album coalesces in a series of never relenting haunts. Early records were made of the shock of crunch and grind alone; on Children of God, oboe, piano, flute, harmonica, and cello are incorporated as each song alternates between hellish hopelessness and quiet mourning. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReligion comes equipped with a trail of blood and unthinkable sin. Ultimately, cowering in the darkest corners leads one to search for the light. There's blood on all our hands. For Swans, love is a drug, work a humiliation, and mortality a cruel joke. What we do to convince ourselves otherwise can't compete with this record, and it's still downright scary, and beautiful, to hear. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eALL MUSIC GUIDE REVIEW \u003cbr\u003eReview    by Ned Raggett \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKicking off with \"New Mind\" -- which, while having the same general pace of most earlier Swans songs, also sounds distinctly different with its clearer, inventive arrangement, call-and-response vocals, and Gira's declamatory but not screamed lead vocal -- Children of God finds the band making their own particular great leap forward. The simmering changes that were apparent in the albums just before this one's release fully come to the fore, as Swans take the courage to explore both their huge-sounding, bombastic side and gentle, if often still disturbing, delicacy (due credit especially to Westberg, Kizys, and Parsons, possibly the best musical lineup Swans ever had until the final years). The results are fascinating, ranging from the spare piano melting into ambient feedback of \"In My Garden\" and the twisted gospel blues of \"Our Love Lies\" to the acoustic guitar and organ on \"You're Not Real, Girl\" and the raging pounder \"Beautiful Child.\" Equally importantly, if not more so, Jarboe now assumes a full role with Gira as co-leader of the band; while all lyrics are still Gira's, the two share lead vocal duties (though aside from the title track, no duets) throughout the album. The weary, evocative croon which Gira developed into his major vocal trademark here emerges to full effect (though he can still roar with the best of them at points) while Jarboe's cool, rich tones are simply astounding, as evidenced on an even more compelling version of \"Blackmail,\" originally from the A Screw EP. Though Children is dedicated without any apparent irony to Jesus Christ, Gira's words remain as irreverent, challenging, and obsessed with overarching issues of religion, power, sex, love, and control as before, but with an ever-increasing depth and beauty to match the lusher musical textures. With flute, oboe, and strings adding further texturing to the often quite lovely songs created by the band, Children remains perhaps the key album of Swans' career -- the clear signpost towards their ever-more ambitious albums in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12\/1\/1988 | Forced Exposure\u003cbr\u003eSwans | Children of God | Review \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce again the Swans seem eager to wrap up another phase and blow open whole new doors of exploration. Putting the stupifyingly great Skin records into proper context, Children of God sprawls all over the current Swans vortex; higher key swoon, straightish power-chord moves, mystic spirituality. That last part is not the easiest thing to come to terms with; I'm not gonna sit here and try to tell what it's all suppose to signify, but it's not surprising if you've been following the last coupla releases, and more importantly, in their context. It somehow doesn't really bother me. A coupla years ago I was dreading the potentially noxious results of each successive Gira \u0026amp; Co. move. Now I simply can't wait. - JJ\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7\/18\/2003 | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140108110946\/http:\/\/pitchforkmedia.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003epitchforkmedia.com\u003c\/a\u003e | Brandon Stosuy  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | Children of God \/ World of Skin | Review\u003cbr\u003elove, human frailty, and the midnight beauty of black orchids  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a college radio DJ in the mid-90s, I once played \"God Damn the Sun\"-- the coda from 1988's The Burning World -- for over an hour on repeat. Every time the song faded, I placed the needle back in the starting groove and waited for the tentative drones to begin again. The Swans' bleak eulogizing mixed perfectly with the snow outside the station window, and I imagined passers-by who could hear were realizing we'd found the proper soundtrack to wait out the winter, literally and figuratively: \"When, when we were young\/ We had no history\/ So nothing to lose\/ Meant we could choose\/ Choose what we wanted then\/ Without any fear\/ Or thought of revenge\/ But then you grew old\/ And I lost my ambition.\" In actuality it's a more temperate song, set to the dusty alcoholism of Malcolm Lowry's Under the Volcano , and the snow...I was just being dramatic. But Swans-- for all their bombast-- avoided succumbing to the same high-school theatrics during their band's fifteen year existence, contrary to what you might have been told.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFormed in 1982 and fronted by vocalist and guitarist Michael Gira (currently busying himself with Angels of Light and Young God Records), Swans included a revolving cast of unrelentingly deft and like-minded downtown players, most significantly vocalist\/keyboardist Jarboe, who's pitch-clear voice contrasted diabolically with Gira's deeper-than-hell bellow. Perhaps because of his fire and brimstone intonation-- which makes Ian Curtis sound like a pistol-whipped soprano-- Swans were often pigeonholed as a too-dark, almost laughable gothic experiment. The assessment is reductive and tone-deaf: at their best, Swans seamlessly layered no-wave and heavyweight industrial pounding with streams of erudite Middle-Eastern drones, drop tuning, monolithic sheets of noise, harrowing, force-fed dynamics, and gorgeously lilting strings and acoustic guitars. Add to this adventurousness Gira's dark tales of warped love, lusty damnation, torturous addiction, and soul-sickened existentialism and you've got yourself one of the more interesting musical takes on the underbelly of human nature to crop up in the last two decades. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of the band's work went rapidly out of print, but Gira has graciously remastered and reissued much of it on Young God. The blistering Children of God , for example, was originally released in 1987 and reissued ten years later as a double CD with World of Skin , a compilation of tracks from Skin, a Gira\/Jarboe collaboration focused more on Jarboe's ethereality. World of Skin compiles Blood, Women, Roses (1987) and Shame, Humility, Revenge (1988), albums from the same time period as Children of God (1987).  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChildren of God , one of the band's strongest releases, established Gira as an Old Testament tyrant obsessed with the nature of love, human frailty, and the midnight beauty of black orchids. Much of Swans' earliest work on Filth and Young God found the band fixating on single beats in a brutally sweeping, industrial cacophony, in many ways the realization of the theories of the Futurists. Later, with the addition of Jarboe, Gira brought more varied sounds into the mix, melding hooks and spatial variation to the unwavering rhythms. Children of God stands as a solid example of this transition: the maniacally heavy drone of the album's opener, \"New Mind\" gives way to the fragility of Jarboe's \"In My Garden\". This is one of a dozen wonderful juxtapositions here; in its expansiveness, Children of God brings to mind disparate touchstones: Joy Division's factory-worker melancholy, more elaborately atmospheric Black Metal bands like Emperor who deal in swirling beauty and intensity, Big Black for pure aggression, and old-time softness of traditional folk.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn Children of God , Gira's brief lyrical declarations have also begun to evolve into a larger sense of storytelling (he in fact published a hypnotic collection of Gothic short tales, The Consumer , on Henry Rollins' imprint 2.13.61 in 1996). On later recordings like The Burning World (1988), the details of the prose equaled the atmosphere evoked within the music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorld of Skin is less accomplished, its quiet introspection lacks the maniacal propulsiveness of Swans. On the plus side, tracks like \"Breathing Water\" and \"One Small Sacrifice\" anticipate Gira's later work with Angels of Light, albeit in a more skeletal, funereal form. Here, though, Jarboe's vocalizing often errs on the side of the new age: her interpretation of \"Cry Me a River\" is static (to be fair, Gira's remake of \"I Want To Be Your Dog\" is equally ho-hum) and \"We'll Fall Apart\" sounds like the precursor to some hopelessly lightweight Sarah McLaughlin's malaise. On the other hand, \"Blood on Your Hands\" is a lovely dark-night spiritual harmonized by Jarboe and other singers. This track also shows up on The Swans Are Dead , a mind-blowing documentation of their final world tours of 1995 and 1997. Live, it grows into a sinister solo alto with a slight drone humming and other ambient noise in the background. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the misfires on World of Skin , to experience these carefully paired documents as a singularity is an intense study in contrasts and linkages as well as a compelling look at a particularly fruitful moment in the development of one of America's more ecstatically uncompromising, idiosyncratic, and sadly overlooked composers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Children of God\/World of Skin \/ album \/ CD","offer_id":987990165,"sku":"YG_Children_CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Children of God\/World of Skin \/ album \/ WAVs","offer_id":52056771887406,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_65_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad.jpeg?v=1571438768"},{"product_id":"to-be-kind","title":"To Be Kind","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(10, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG46\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-INSERT SIGNED BY M. GIRA-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eYoung God Records is\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e delighted to announce the release of a new album, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo Be Kind\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e, out on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eMay 13, 2014\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e. The album will be released on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eYoung God Records\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e (North America) and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003eMute\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e in the rest of the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"line-height: 1.2;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em; float: left; text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/mg_notblind_grande.jpg?1541\" alt=\"Michael Gira - photo by Jennifer Church\" height=\"300\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ci\u003ephoto by Jennifer Church\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA NOTE FROM MICHAEL GIRA:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHello There,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe (Swans) have recently completed our new album. It is called \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo Be Kind\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. The release date is set for May 13, 2014. It will be available as a triple vinyl album, a double CD, and a 2XCD Deluxe Edition that will include a live DVD. It will also be available digitally. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was produced by me, and it was recorded by the venerable John Congleton at Sonic Ranch, outside El Paso Texas, and further recordings and mixing were accomplished at John’s studio in Dallas, Texas. We commenced rehearsals as Sonic Ranch in early October 2013, began recording soon thereafter, then completed the process of mixing with John in Dallas by mid December 2013.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA good portion of the material for this album was developed live during the Swans tours of 2012\/13. Much of the music was otherwise conjured in the studio environment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recordings and entire process of this album were generously and perhaps vaingloriously funded by Swans supporters through our auspices at \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/\"\u003eyounggodrecords.com\u003c\/a\u003e via the release of a special, handmade 2xCD live album entitled \u003cstrong\u003eNot Here \/ Not Now\u003c\/strong\u003e. See details here: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1nekqma\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttp:\/\/bit.ly\/1nekqma\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eSwans are\u003c\/strong\u003e: Michael Gira, Norman Westberg, Christoph Hahn, Phil Puleo, Thor Harris, Christopher Pravdica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Guests for this record include: Little Annie (Annie sang a duet with me on the song Some Things We Do, the strings for which were ecstatically arranged and played by Julia Kent); St. Vincent  (Annie Clark sang numerous, multi-tracked vocals throughout the record); Cold Specks (Al contributed numerous multi-tracked vocals to the song “Bring the Sun”); Bill Rieflin (honorary Swan Bill played instruments ranging from additional drums, to synthesizers, to piano, to electric guitar and so on. He has been a frequent contributor to Swans and Angels of Light and is currently playing with King Crimson)...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFULL MUSICIAN CREDITS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans: \u003c\/strong\u003eMichael Gira - vocals, electric and acoustic guitar; Norman Westberg - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals; Phil Puleo - drums, percussion, dulcimer, piano, keys, vocals; Christoph Hahn - lap steel guitars, electric guitar, vocals; Thor Harris - drums \/ percussion, vibes and bells, wind instruments, handmade viola, vocals; Christopher Pravdica - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals. Honorary Swan Forever: Bill Rieflin - (on multiple songs throughout the record) drums \/ percussion, piano, bass, guitar, synths, keyboards. \u003cstrong\u003eGuest Musicians: \u003c\/strong\u003eDuet with MG on Some Things We Do - Little Annie. Strings and String Arrangement on Some Things We Do - Julia Kent. Background Vocals on Nathalie Neal, Bring the Sun, Screen Shot, Kirsten Supine - St. Vincent (appears courtesy of Loma Vista Recordings). Background vocals on Bring the Sun - Cold Specks (appears courtesy of Mute Artists LTD). Background Vocals on She Loves Us, A Little God in My Hands - Jennifer Church. More Musicians (Dallas): Violin - Daniel Hart; Mandolin - Rex Emerson; Trombone - David Pierce; Trumpet - Evan Weiss; Piano, Harpsichord, Synth - Sean Kirkpatrick; Piano – John Congleton.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI love you! Michael Gira\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"media_container\"\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XwwLzxjTtz4\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eBaby head images taken from original paintings by Bob Biggs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_PARIS_NOV_2o13_Photo_Matias_Corral_copy_1024x1024.jpg?1197\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ci\u003ephoto by: Matias Corral\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"To Be Kind \/ album \/ 2CD","offer_id":989790149,"sku":"YG_TOBEKIND_CD","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"To Be Kind \/ album \/ 2CD+DVD","offer_id":989791989,"sku":"YG_TOBEKIND_DVD","price":20.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"To Be Kind \/ album \/ 3LP","offer_id":989790153,"sku":"YG_TOBEKIND_LP","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"To Be Kind \/ album \/ RED VINYL 3LP (LIMIT 2 PER CUSTOMER)","offer_id":44086367289646,"sku":"YG_TOBEKIND_RED_LP","price":47.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"To Be Kind \/ album \/ WAVs","offer_id":51922854740270,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/SWANS-TBK-CD-ART-SCAN-600dpi.jpg?v=1571438768"},{"product_id":"oxygen","title":"Oxygen (SOLD OUT)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eTRCP-180\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS\u003c\/strong\u003e - \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOxygen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOut digitally on November 25,\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e2014.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing an edit of \u003cstrong\u003eOxygen\u003c\/strong\u003e by \u003cstrong\u003eMute Records\u003c\/strong\u003e founder \u003cstrong\u003eDaniel Miller\u003c\/strong\u003e, a \u003cstrong\u003elive version from Primavera\u003c\/strong\u003e, an early version recorded at Gira’s home and an \u003cstrong\u003eacoustic version\u003c\/strong\u003e recorded at StudioMute, the title track of the four-track EP is taken from \u003cem\u003e'\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/to-be-kind\"\u003eTo Be Kind\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e'\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLimited Edition Japanese CD Single (limit 1 per customer)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/14_large.jpg?18044423463553716698\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Oxygen \/ Swans - Japanese CD Single (limit 1 per customer) \/ album \/ CD","offer_id":1078302813,"sku":"YG_Oxygen_CD","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_146_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad.jpeg?v=1571438768"},{"product_id":"filth","title":"Filth (Remastered 2015)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eInsert signed by M. Gira \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eSWANS: FILTH Vinyl, Remastered in 2015\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eSWANS: FILTH Deluxe 3XCD Remastered and Compiled in 2015\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“This is all slabs of sound, rhythm and screaming\/testifying. What more do you need? In a way, it was a reaction against Punk (and just about any other music you can think of), and the conservative notion that 3 chords were somehow necessary. I used to deny it vehemently at the time, but No Wave (I “hated” that scene too, for some reason I can’t remember now) played a big role as the germ from which this music grew, along with The Stooges and Throbbing Gristle, of course. I wanted Swans to be “heavier” though – I wanted the music to obliterate -  why, I don’t remember! I think it just felt good.  Live, we used two basses (playing utterly unmusical chords that were stabbed and left to  sustain or sometimes hit in staccato or opposing rhythms), drums, a  “percussionist” that slammed down on a metal table with a metal strap, crude  cassette loops of various sounds\/noises (usually some kind of undefined  ROAR), and Norman Westberg’s glorious sustained and screaming guitar chords.  It was pretty elating to play live – for us. If 100 people showed up (which would have been a huge audience at the time – 20 was more the average), 80 were guaranteed to leave by the second song. Somehow that tension – contempt or indifference from the audience – was nourishing, so we kept going. “\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003e- Michael Gira \/ Swans\/Young God Records\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 3CD package constitutes a definitive, comprehensive document of SWANS during the time period 1982 – 5, beginning with the first EP and the debut album Filth, and leading up into various early rare live recordings as well as studio outtakes from the Cop and Greed era… Accordion booklet includes archival photos and graphics… Entire 3CD set re-mastered in 2015.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eDISC ONE: SWANS original debut LP “Filth” from 1983, with the line up of M.Gira, Norman Westberg, Roli Mosimann, Harry Crosby, and Jonathan Kane. Also features versions of \"Strip\/Burn,\" \"Heatsheet,\" \"Blackout,\" \"Clay Man,\" \"Stay Here, and \"Weakling,\" all recorded live at The Kitchen, NYC, 1982. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eDISC TWO: Body to Body material comprised of various studio out-takes and live recordings 1982-85, with a nine-minute version of \"Raping a Slave,\" recorded live in Berlin, 1984.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eDISC THREE: Debut 12” EP #1, originally released in 1982, plus many additional archival live performances from NYC and London, 1982-4. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCD ONE: FILTH:\u003c\/b\u003e 1. Stay Here (5:36) 2. Big Strong Boss (3:02) 3. Blackout (3:47) 4. Power for Power (5:52) 5. Freak (1:13) 6. Right Wrong (4:43) 7. Thank You (3:52) 8. Weakling (5:20) 9. Gang (3:24) 10. \u003ci\u003eLive at The Kitchen, NYC 1982\/3 \u003c\/i\u003e(24:18): a. Strip\/Burn  b. Heatsheet c. Blackout d. Clay Man e. Stay Here f. Weakling   \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCD TWO: BODY TO BODY:\u003c\/b\u003e: 1. Iʼll Cry for You (5:41) 2. Red Sheet (3:11) 3. Loop 33 (0:59) 4. Your Game (3:57) 5. Seal It Over (3:48) 6. Whore (3:56) 7. Weʼll Hang for That (3:55) 8.Half Life (3:57) 9. Loop 21 (1:26) 10. Get Out (3:31) 11. Job (5:40) 12. Loop 1 (1:01) 13. Mother, My Body Disgusts Me (4:43) 14. Cop (5:56) 15. Only I Can Hear, Only I Can Touch (2:41) 16. Thug (9:44) 17. Raping a Slave (live Berlin 1984) (9:02)  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eCD THREE: E.P. #1 PLUS LIVE RECORDINGS\u003c\/b\u003e: 1. Laugh (4:09) 2. Speak (4:28) 3.Take Advantage (4:35) 4. Sensitive Skin    (6:17) \u003ci\u003eLive at CBGB NYC\u003c\/i\u003e 1982-3: 5. Living Arms (3:26) 6. Howling Red Sheet (3:40) 7. Big Strong Boss (2:45) 8. Clay Man (4:56)  9. We’ll Hang For That (4:3).  \u003ci\u003eLive at Heaven London 1984:\u003c\/i\u003e 10. This is Mine (7:02)  11. Why Hide (8:37)  12. I Crawled  (7:06) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003eAssorted reviews for the 2CD Filth\/Body to Body set, below. Filth is now exclusively available with an additional, 3\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003csup\u003erd\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003e CD comprised of the first Swans EP (1982) as well as additional live recordings:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll Music Guide \u003cbr\u003eReview by Brian Whitener \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the center of New York's celebrated downtown music scene emerged a most ugly ducking, the Swans. With a sound like a ditch witch stuck in a tar pit, in 1982 the Swans were the height of noise. Musically, it would be termed proto-industrial, proto-noise rock, but aesthetically it was a sound shot through the axes of power. Strung between the poles of domination and submission, the Swans created a music with a sexually dark, malefic vision of society as despotic and individuals as subjugated to the point of dissolution. This double album, part of a planned series of reissues, captures the Swans at the beginning of their career. The first CD contains their earliest album, Filth, along with a previously unreleased live performance at the Kitchen. It's a classic album and, even though the quality isn't great, sounds more uncompromising live. The second consists of unreleased studio tracks, tape experiments, and live recordings from 1982 through 1985, providing an interesting balance to the \"finished\" compositions of Filth. It shows Michael Gira et al. testing the limits of their sound, exploring new directions, and laying the groundwork for future albums. Releasing them together makes a point about the experimental quality of the Swans' work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePunknews.org \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThere are many bands that try to make brutally heavy music; a handful of those bands actually succeed, and then even less of those bands reach the terrifying level of intense brutality that New York's Swans delivered throughout the first half of their musical career (before they veered off into a softer, although no less interesting direction until their demise in the mid-`90s). Their first full-length album entitled Filth is an exhausting exercise in the art of noise terrorism and completely crushing brutality, and I absolutely adore it.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe music -- it consists of almost \"industrial\" (not the genre) sounding instrumentation similar to that of Einsturzende Neubauten, though less experimental and very straightforward. Heavy, crushing blasts of noise hit over and over and over again with vocalist Michael Gira going totally manic. The whole thing is really very simple, yet at the same time completely original and remarkably potent. My personal favorite track \"Stay Here\" is a perfect example of this: a brutal, metallic beat being played over and over again behind yelled and occasionally growled vocals. Lyrically the album is very dark, heavy and bleak, just like the music sounds, although there is definitely a sense of irony and satire in a few of the lyrics.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI should probably state now that this is definitely not for everyone -- this is extremely loud, brutal and uncompromising music not made with any \"audience\" or \"scene\" in mind. I get the feeling that this is what the world must sound like inside Gira's head -- and what a violent, terrifying and wonderful world that must be. It's hard to compare it to anything else...maybe a slight comparison to early Einsturzende Neubauten, and I know that the Wolf Eyes were in some way influenced by the Swans. However the Swans are far more structured. musically speaking. But you get the idea -- just that crushing, iron-hitting cement sound that pretty much makes everything else look soft by comparison.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHenry Rollins once said \"It doesn't get any heavier than the Swans. That's pretty ultimate stuff\" and I'd have to agree. My favorite tracks include \"Stay Here,\" \"Blackout,\" \"Power for Power,\" \"Big Strong Boss.\" If you think you can handle it then by all means pick it up, along with the albums Greed + Holy Money and Cop \/ Young God. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrainwashed.com \u003cbr\u003eSwans, \"Filth \/ Body To Body, Job To Job\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWritten by Mark Weddle  26 March 2000 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSince Swans demise in 1997, Michael Gira has meticulously re-packaged exactly what he wants to preserve of Swans 15 year legacy via double cd re-issues, this being the fourth and final one. This set couples the long out print 1983 debut album Filth and the 1982-85 studio out takes and live recording collection Body to Body, Job to Job. In addition is a previously unreleased 25 minute live show in NYC from 1982\/3 and a 9 minute live version of \"Raping a Slave\" from 1984. Noticeably missing are the four songs from the debut s\/t EP from 1982\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwans always had the potential for brutal sonic assaults throughout their life span but this era in particular focused solely on an uncompromising and unapologetic, sledge hammer sound. Melody and harmony are essentially absent in favor of pounding percussion, raw slabs of guitar and bass sound and Gira's guttural vocals. Lyrically Gira reels against authority and control, money, sex, violence, etc. with simple, receptive slogan like chants. Altogether it's a big, ugly, intense, slowed down mutant strain of punk rock that was all their own, at least, up until everyone started copying them. The 25 minute live show (indexed as 1 track) on the Filth disc is bootleg quality but in this case it doesn't much matter as it's comparable to, and just as interesting as, the numerous rare live recordings on the Body to Body disc.  It's a bit of a challenge to listen to all of one disc at a time, much less the entire 2 hours and 15 minutes, but for those days when you get a traffic ticket, you're doing your taxes, you hate your job, your significant other leaves you or you just plain hate everything ... this is your soundtrack. Say what you will about Gira's track selection for these re-issues but he certainly did a great job of creating a great looking and sounding set of discs for old and new fans alike.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Filth (Deluxe) \/ album \/ 3CD","offer_id":2199606017,"sku":"YG_Filth_3CD","price":20.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Filth \/ album \/ Black LP","offer_id":2199680321,"sku":"YG_Filth_LP","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Filth \/ album \/ Red LP","offer_id":39756514492489,"sku":"YG_Filth_LP_RED","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Filth (Deluxe) \/ album \/ WAVs","offer_id":51705821888814,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_190_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad_grande_1b3fc0f7-5f78-45a8-82cb-5aaa4003a36e.jpeg?v=1571438768"},{"product_id":"swans-remastered-2015","title":"Swans 12\" (Remastered 2015) (SOLD OUT)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eYG47\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003eSigned by M. Gira \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSWANS: 12\" EP\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003ere-mastered in 2015 \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHi There!\u003cbr\u003eThis is the first recorded output of Swans, in it's nascent first stage, circa 1981. As such, it's searching for a sound or a mode of working that we hadn't quite found yet, but if you listen carefully I think you can discern the seeds of things to come. I was still singing from my head, rather than my gut, but that was soon to come. I'm still rather fond of the words on this E.P., though I certainly don't currently ascribe to the world view implied therein. The genesis of this way of writing was in my earlier days in art school, when I'd write out dry but vivid and descriptive scenarios, or instructions, for my performance art undertakings at the time. Impersonal, though impassioned, if that makes any sense. The songs began musically in all cases with a simple bass part I'd worked out (on a small scale bass that Mr. Rhys Chatham loaned me - and showed me how to tune, God Bless Him!) , then were developed with Jonathan Kane on drums, Bob Pezzola on guitar, and Daniel Galli-Duani on heavily treated saxophone.  I have no recollection if this material was ever performed in a live setting. Live, with the exception of Jonathan and myself, the line-up changed immediately and fairly constantly until the recording of Filth in 1983, soon after which Jonathan departed...  In any event, this material was recorded some 34 years ago. Who ARE these people, and why did they do this? That's a question I can't really answer now, except to say it was probably necessary at the time. I hope you enjoy the music! - Michael Gira \/ Swans \/ Young God Records 2015\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl","offer_id":4037896065,"sku":"YG_SWANS_EP","price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/R-6902777-1429144971-9559.jpeg.jpg?v=1571438768"},{"product_id":"the-gate","title":"The Gate (Handmade 2CD) Sold Out!","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eYG2015\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS • THE GATE 2XCD\u003cbr\u003eHAND MADE AND ASSEMBLED\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003eSold Out - Shipping Oct 1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe image on this limited edition item is printed with a linoleum block on hand-brushed white ink. We used a manufactured double CD rough cardboard sleeve this time to aid in sturdiness. The drawing for the print was expertly accomplished by Nicole Boitos (\u003ca href=\"www.nicoleboitos.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewww.nicoleboitos.com\u003c\/a\u003e) (signed by Nicole and numbered 1 – 2500) based upon a sketch\/concept by M. Gira (see below for evolution of this process). Each individual cover is further drawn upon, personalized and signed by M. Gira. Each one is unique! The package comes with a sheet of notes \/ text by M. Gira discussing the live recordings and plans for developing them on record… The 4 new \/ unrecorded live songs (of 6 live songs total) contained here are (long) pieces that were developed through correction, improvisation, and catastrophe over the course of 16 months touring, and they’re still not “finished”, per se – as always, this is work in progress, to be further explored in the studio. Also included are 4 very rough, crudely recorded demos by M. Gira, that will be re-recorded and further orchestrated on the new Swans album…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOPTIONS TO BUY THE LIVE 2XCD AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE RECORDING OF THE NEW SWANS ALBUM (AS YET UNTITLED) AND IN PROGRESS :\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ebuy hand made web only live Swans 2CD with original signed and numbered woodblock printed sleeve customized and signed by M.Gira - $45 - Limit 5 per customer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 1 Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6056228225\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"2\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eas in option 1 AND RECEIVE 2xCD+DVD deluxe digi-pack signed version of Swans (untitled) new album upon its release in May 2016. DVD is expertly produced document of live Swans 2014\/15 tours - $65\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 2 Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6056228289\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"3\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eas in option 1 AND RECEIVE 3xLP + Live DVD of Swans (untitled) new album upon its release in May 2016. DVD is expertly produced document of live Swans 2014\/15 tours - $80\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 3 Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6056228353\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"4\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eas in OPTION 2 or 3 AND RECEIVE “executive producer” credit in upcoming swans studio album (choice of deluxe 3LP+DVD or deluxe 2xCD+DVD upon its release in May 2016) - $100\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 4 w\/ 2CD+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6056506625\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 4 w\/ 3LP+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6056589441\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"5\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eas in OPTION 4, and receive a 4 color 16” x 21” inch screen printed poster printed on double thick, 120 weight paper and made from a drawing by m.gira (see below). Each poster is signed by m.gira and dedicated by name to customer. These posters are limited to purchasers of this option - $185 \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 5 w\/ 2CD+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6056722305\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 5 w\/ 3LP+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6058872577\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"6\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eas in OPTION 4, 5, PLUS be on guest list for one show on upcoming Swans tour(s) 2016\/17 (and come and say hi at the merch table after the show) - $200\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 6 w\/ 2CD+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6060229697\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 6 w\/ 3LP+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6060570241\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"7\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eas in OPTION 4, 5, 6, plus, AND YES THIS IS REAL: send us a simple self portrait using your cell phone or computer photo device (see example below) and m.gira will draw a portrait of you using your photo as a guide. Best efforts will be made at obtaining a likeness but not guaranteed! Style will be expressive and whimsical and drawing will be peppered with praises for your virtues and presumptive status amongst the Gods… signed, dated and dedicated to you by m.gira - $500\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 7 w\/ 2CD+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6060602881\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-embed_type=\"product\" data-shop=\"young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\" data-product_name=\"The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\" data-product_handle=\"the-gate\" data-has_image=\"false\" data-display_size=\"compact\" data-redirect_to=\"checkout\" data-buy_button_text=\"Buy Opt 7 w\/ 3LP+DVD Now\" data-button_background_color=\"7db461\" data-button_text_color=\"ffffff\" data-variant_id=\"6060664385\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\ndocument.getElementById('ShopifyEmbedScript') || document.write('\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.shopifyapps.com\/assets\/widgets\/embed\/client.js\" id=\"ShopifyEmbedScript\"\u003e\u003c\\\/script\u003e');\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/young-god-records-2.myshopify.com\/cart\/6056228225:1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBuy The Gate (Handmade 2CD)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/noscript\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col start=\"8\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter ordering any of the above options, using the shopping cart system above, additional donations to the recording process can be made using the Paypal button below. Contribute an additional $100 or more, and receive a handwritten thank you note in the mail from m.gira with a drawing on the note and undying gratitude. AGAIN, this option does not include The Gate or the new album. You must use the shopping cart system only or purchase those, then make your additional contribution for option 8 SEPARATELY using the Paypal button below. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks for your support!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you wish to donate separately from the above purchase options, please do so by clicking the Paypal button below. All donations, large or small, are sincerely appreciated! Again, any donations made by clicking the Paypal button below have no connection to your purchase (via the shopping cart) of any of the options above.  Thanks again!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cform method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\n\u003cinput name=\"cmd\" value=\"_s-xclick\" type=\"hidden\"\u003e \u003cinput name=\"hosted_button_id\" value=\"B2KP5XBKB4FPJ\" type=\"hidden\"\u003e \u003cinput src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif\" alt=\"PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!\" border=\"0\" type=\"image\"\u003e \u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" width=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/mg_for_web_portraits_copy_a8130de7-300c-4dca-bb4d-53e45be3181e_grande.jpg?15396418420641050806\"\u003e“Example of how the portrait image you send us should look. Can be frontal, ¾ or full profile – up to you. Please make image from slightly below shoulders and make sure your entire face and head are within the frame.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e……………………………….....................................................................................................................\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS:\u003c\/strong\u003e michael gira - guitar, vocal; norman westerg - guitar; phil puleo - drums, duclimer, gizmos; thor harris - drums\/percussion, vibes, clarinet, melodica, violin, gizmos; christoph hahn - double lap steel guitar, guitar; christopher pravdica – bass, gizmos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTHE GATE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD1:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1. Frankie M. 2. A Little God in My Hands 3. Apos\/Cloud of Unforming\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD2:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1. Just a Little Boy 2. Cloud of Forgetting 3. Bring the Sun\/Black-Eyed Man 4. When Will I Return (demo) 5. New Rhythm Thing (demo) 6. People Like Us (demo) 7. Red Rhythm Thing (demo) 8. Finally, Peace (demo)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SwansTheGateAdjusted.jpg_copy_56bec375-c879-4f07-b85b-c05141783a4b_grande.jpg?11402636892804311089\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“4 COLOR SCREEN PRINT ON HEAVY STOCK PAPER. DRAWN\/DESIGNED BY M.GIRA. THESE ARE LIMITED TO OPTION 6 AND WILL NOT OTHERWISE BE AVAILABLE.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/1each_different_grande.jpeg?5421596841801419547\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/2eachdifferent_grande.jpeg?4831714046087135236\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/3eachdifferent_grande.jpeg?2562326872521045784\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/4eachdifferent_ec1a74ad-62f6-4401-83b2-3dcd80afe28a_grande.jpeg?7071681504283411489\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“EACH ONE IS UNIQUE”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e………………………………………………............................................................................................\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNOTES FROM MICHAEL GIRA \/ SWANS \/ YOUNG GOD RECORDS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThis is hard to write because it’s about an end to something I love very much. My friends and I in this newest incarnation of Swans have been going at it relentlessly for over 5 years now. We’ve either been in the studio or on tour (endlessly, it seems) since I decided to reconvene the band. We are still very much in love with each other, I assure you, and musically our time together has been one of the most fruitful periods of my own long career, due in no small part to the intuitive rapport we’ve developed together. For some reason, God has been kind to us. We had no idea it would work out so well when we first got together, so long ago now it seems. And crucially, that rapport still exists, and it’s a magic I love and crave, and we still love making the sounds we do together, even when it’s a struggle and even if we sometimes find ourselves walking through an airport and realizing we’re asleep while walking and nor do we realize what city or country we’re in at the moment. But my intuition tells me that at this point in our fruitful congress, we are approaching an end. Though there’s still much to be said and new landscapes to explore on the new album and final (but yes, anticipated to be endless) tour, it’s time that we… what’s the word here… \u003cem\u003edissolve\u003c\/em\u003e. By this I mean that each of us will continue on our own glorious diamond-strewn path - well, my 5 friends will, anyway – and I intend to keep the name and ongoing project of Swans active in a different form, drawing sporadically on the myriad list of musical cohorts I’m met along the way over the last 30 plus years (including I hope, at times, if they’ll consent, my 5 friends mentioned above) , but the creature, the beast, the monster, the liberating vortex of light and sound that is the 6 of us working in close quarters together over extended periods of time, will cease to exist. Most likely, Swans albums will not appear so fast and furious. And who knows how future albums will \u003cem\u003esound\u003c\/em\u003e? One part of me wants \u003cem\u003emore\u003c\/em\u003e sound in the future, more orchestration, complete sonic overload, and another side wants to pare things down and try at last to write the extended sort of narratives I’ve always thought lurked somewhere inside me but I never quite found. But I do know that Swans shows and tours will be decidedly less frequent and more sporadic after this last extended push we’re planning after the upcoming new record… Or I maybe I’ll just give up music and try to write fiction. In any event, we’ll see! But at this point, in this important present moment I’m subsumed in the process of making what I view as this pinnacle statement in sound with this essential Swans version, with my friends Norman, Kristof, Thor, Phil, and Christopher, and I sincerely hope that with your generous help we can achieve what I hope to be the best, most fully realized, most sonically diverse and nuanced, most urgently performed and best produced album yet associated with the name I picked at random from a list on a scrap of paper at a kitchen table in New York City’s East Village a century ago. And here I thank sincerely and with deep emotion my friends in Swans for having had the patience and dedication to endure my less than silky personality and to persist doggedly in the face of brutal tour schedules, in the pursuit of an elusive and probably unobtainable sonic epiphany. And here I thank you for making this (perhaps) quixotic pursuit possible, in recorded form. Thank you for your support and faith in this project! … As to The Gate itself, it was recorded in Berlin at Berghain, night 2, for the most part, in 2014, and as usual, finds the material in a state of flux. The music’s always changing, but this is a good representation of the experience in 2014 \/ 15, even if some of the material ended up in a different place by the end of the touring cycle. In this vein is a perhaps interesting event on CD1, regarding the piece Apos\/Cloud of Unforming - this was the very night that our rendition of the song The Apostate morphed through improvisation into what has since become, through the usual trials, The Cloud of Unknowing. Needless to say, the eventual form that the new songs on these recordings will take in the studio is likely to change considerably as well. …The demos included here are very rough sketches. They’re basically what I play to the band and other musicians when we begin to develop arrangements for them in the studio. In most cases, though I have plans, in truth I have no real idea where they’ll end up! … Once again, we’re recording the basic performances and with overdubs by the core band, at Sonic Ranch (\u003ca href=\"www.sonicranch.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ewww.sonicranch.com\u003c\/a\u003e), outside El Paso, Texas, and looking forward to it. It’s the best recording environment I’ve ever had the privilege to work in, and I highly recommend it. The recording will be engineered by the esteemed John Congleton. After these recordings are finished John and I will be going directly to his studio in Dallas to record more vocals and a host of additional musicians. After a short break, I’ll be going out to Seattle to record my friend (and as always, Honorary Swan) Bill Rieflin, who will play a wide assortment of instruments. Then, I’ll fly directly to Berlin, where I’ll record more overdubs by assorted musicians, and then Doug Henderson of Micro-Moose Berlin and I will mix the record. I have no idea when it will be finished. I intend to strangle it until it submits, or vice versa. Whoever wins, roughly 4 - 5 months after it’s completed, my friends and I will embark on our final tour together… And speaking of live performances, thank you for attending our shows and sharing the experience of the sound with us. As I’ve said before, at certain moments the sound can become a living entity in itself, “playing” all of us, and it’s been a pleasure to watch you levitate – if ever so slightly – along with us. I can’t think of a greater joy than being subsumed in the sound during a live performance. Speaking with some of you after the shows has also been a pleasure, and it’s deeply gratifying that the music has meant something real and true to many of you. That is my most profound reward after working for so many years in the service of this music. God bless you!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 80%; text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eAgain, sadly, I’m forced to plead that you refrain from uploading any of these recordings on YouTube or anywhere else on the net. These recordings are intended for your ears only, as valued supporters of our efforts. They’re works in progress, sometimes quite crude in that respect, and are not meant for general consumption. I thank you here for respecting this sincere request!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n \n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA NOTE ON THE DVD:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eMarco Porsia traveled with us extensively and he filmed, edited, and directed the DVD. He enlisted the aid of a few friends here and there for additional camera work but for the most part he did it all himself, and I thank him here for his tireless efforts and acute eye. I think the DVD captures – as much as can be done – the live Swans experience. I’m quite grateful that such a document exists. The sound to the DVD was recorded in 2015 at Volksbuhne, Berlin, by Doug Henderson, and I think it sounds pretty damn good (even though at time of this writing and in the trailer below it is as yet unmixed)!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e       -     Michael Gira August 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5W2kdrLlz7U?rel=0\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e“Here is a short trailer for the DVD using an excerpt from a live song in transition, “Cloud of Unknowing”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHERE ARE SOME IMAGES THAT SHOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COVER IMAGE AND THE PROCESS OF MAKING IT INTO A FINISHED PACKAGE. These images show first the initial drawing by m.gira, then the back and forth exchanges and revisions by Nicole to arrive at the final image:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/1_mg_drawing_gate_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/2_nicole_first_sketches_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/1_mg_drawing_gate_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"259\" width=\"194\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/2_nicole_first_sketches_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"259\" width=\"460\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/3_more_nicole_sketch_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"183\" width=\"325\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/4_mg_adjusts_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"183\" width=\"326\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/5_nicole_adjusts_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"196\" width=\"347\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/6_more_nicole_adj_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"198\" width=\"298\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/7_mg_proportions_gate_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"199\" width=\"300\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/8_nicole_final_sketch_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"198\" width=\"353\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/9_nicole_at_work_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"242\" width=\"242\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/10_the_woodblock_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"240\" width=\"426\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/11_more_woodblock_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" alt=\"\" height=\"376\" width=\"669\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/bottom_image_1024x1024.jpg?3456512653445913611\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/bottom_image_grande.jpg?11620234636676428222\" style=\"float: none;\" height=\"667\" width=\"667\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Option 1 (limt 5 per customer)","offer_id":6056228225,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt1","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 2 (w\/ 2CD+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6056228289,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt2_CD","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 3 (w\/ 3LP+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6056228353,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt3_LP","price":80.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 4 (w\/ 2CD+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6056506625,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt4_CD","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 4 (w\/ 3LP+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6056589441,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt4_LP","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 5 (w\/ 2CD+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6056722305,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt5_CD","price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 5 (w\/ 3LP+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6058872577,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt5_LP","price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 6 (w\/ 2CD+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6060229697,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt6_CD","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 6 (w\/ 3LP+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6060570241,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt6_LP","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 7 (w\/ 2CD+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6060602881,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt_CD","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Option 7 (w\/ 3LP+DVD of new album)","offer_id":6060664385,"sku":"YG_GATE_Opt8_LP","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/2eachdifferent_copy.jpeg?v=1571438769"},{"product_id":"white-light-from-the-mouth-of-infinity","title":"White Light from the Mouth of Infinity","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eYG50\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eInsert signed by M. Gira \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso available packaged with \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/products\/love-of-life\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove of Life\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e as 3CD or Vinyl Box Set \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/white-light-from-the-mouth-of-infinity-love-of-life-ltd-ed-vinyl-box-set-3cd-release\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhite Light from the Mouth of Infinity\u003c\/strong\u003e, Swans’ seventh studio album originally released in 1991, is considered the starting point for the second section of Swans’ inimitable history. Described as “…the glistening, glimmering sounds of the pensive countryside” by Stereogum, this will be the first time White Light from the Mouth of Infinity has been available on vinyl since its original release on Young God Records in 1991. The vinyl issue will include the track ‘Blind’, not included in the original release.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhite Light from the Mouth of Infinity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSide A\u003cbr\u003e1 Better Than You \u003cbr\u003e2 Power and Sacrifice \u003cbr\u003e3 You Know Nothing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSide B\u003cbr\u003e4 Song for Dead Time \u003cbr\u003e5 Will We Survive \u003cbr\u003e6 Love Will Save You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSide C\u003cbr\u003e7 Faliure \u003cbr\u003e8 Song for the Sun \u003cbr\u003e9 Miracle of Love\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSide D\u003cbr\u003e10 Blind \u003cbr\u003e11 When She Breathes \u003cbr\u003e12 Why Are We Alive \u003cbr\u003e13 The Most Unfortunate Lie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"White Light from the Mouth of Infinity \/ Swans - Vinyl \/ album \/ 2LP","offer_id":10952029447,"sku":"YG_WhiteLight_LP","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"WAVs \/ album \/ digital","offer_id":51959718248750,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_218_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad.jpeg?v=1571438769"},{"product_id":"the-glowing-man","title":"The Glowing Man","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG58 - YG58DLX\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Of the 4 albums Swans released since its reconfiguration in 2010, this is my favorite. To my ears, it's the most finely produced, and the performances and the breadth of the material reached as high as we could possibly go after constantly hashing it out together for 8 years. After this, the only thing left was to collapse, which is what we ultimately did. - M.Gira\/Swans \"\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e*INSERT SIGNED BY M.GIRA*\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eAlso available though \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mutebank.co.uk\/articlegroup.html?c=swans_glowing_man\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Glowing Man\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e will be available on double CD and deluxe triple gatefold vinyl, with a poster and digital download. In addition, there will be a limited edition double CD\/DVD format, which features a Swans live performance from 2015. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Glowing Man\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, announced as the last album release of Swans’ current incarnation, will be followed by an extensive tour. The tour will unfold with dates beginning in North America in the summer followed by Swans first ever South American shows, before returning to Europe in the autumn. Announced tour dates are listed \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/pages\/tour-dates\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e, with more to follow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ka_hKb7dSiY\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA NOTE FROM MICHAEL GIRA OF SWANS:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In 2009 when I made the decision to restart my musical group, Swans, I had no idea where it would lead. I knew that if I took the road of mining the past or revisiting the catalog, that it would be fruitless and stultifying. After much thought about how to make this an adventure that would instead led the music forward into unexpected terrain, I chose the five people with whom to work that I believed would most ably provide a sense of surprise, and even uncertainty, while simultaneously embodying the strength and confidence to ride the river of intention that flows from the heart of the sound wherever it would lead us - and what’s the intention? LOVE!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd so finally this LOVE has now led us, with the release of the new and final recording from this configuration of Swans, The Glowing Man, through four albums (three of which contain more complexity, nuance and scope than I would have ever dreamed possible), several live releases, various fundraiser projects, countless and seemingly endless tours and rehearsals, and a generally exhausting regimen that has left us stunned but still invigorated and thrilled to see this thing through to its conclusion. I hereby thank my brothers and collaborators for their commitment to whatever truth lies at the center of the sound. I’m decidedly not a Deist, but on a few occasions – particularly in live performance – it’s been my privilege, through our collective efforts, to just barely grasp something of the infinite in the sound and experience generated by a force that is definitely greater than all of us combined. When talking with audience members after the shows or through later correspondence, it’s also been a true privilege to discover they’ve experienced something like this too. Whatever the force is that has led us through this extended excursion, it’s been worthwhile for many of us, and I’m grateful for what has been the most consistently challenging and fulfilling period of my musical life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoing forward, post the touring associated with The Glowing Man, I’ll continue to make music under the name Swans, with a revolving cast of collaborators. I have little idea what shape the sound will take, which is a good thing. Touring will definitely be less extensive, I’m certain of that! Whatever the future holds, I’ll miss this particular locus of human and musical potential immensely: Norman Westberg, Kristof Hahn, Phil Puleo, Christopher Pravdica, Thor Harris, and myself mixed in there somewhere, too.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e ………….\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e THE GLOWING MAN TRACKLISTING\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCloud of Forgetting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCloud of Unknowing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe World Looks Red \/ The World Looks Black\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople Like Us\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrankie M.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Will I Return?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Glowing Man\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinally, Peace.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I wrote the song ‘When Will I Return? specifically for Jennifer Gira to sing. It’s a tribute to her strength, courage, and resilience in the face of a deeply scarring experience she once endured, and that she continues to overcome daily.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe song ‘The World Looks Red \/ The World Looks Black’ uses some words I wrote in 1982 or so that Sonic Youth used for their song ‘The World Looks Red’, back in the day. The music and melody used here in the current version are completely different. While working up material for this new album, I had a basic acoustic guitar version of the song and was stumped for words. For reasons unknown to me, the lyric I’d so long ago left in my typewriter in plain view at my living and rehearsal space (the latter of which Sonic Youth shared at the time) and which Thurston plucked for use with my happy permission, popped into my head and I thought “Why not?” The person that wrote those words well over three decades ago bears little resemblance to who I am now, but I believe it remains a useful text, so “Why not?”. Maybe, in a way, it closes the circle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe song ‘The Glowing Man’ contains a section of the song ‘Bring The Sun’ from our previous album, To Be Kind. The section is, of course, newly performed and orchestrated to work within its current setting. ‘The Glowing Man’ itself grew organically forward and out of improvisations that took place live during the performance of ‘Bring The Sun’, so it seemed essential to include that relevant section here. Since over the long and tortured course of the current song’s genesis, it had always been such an integral cornerstone I believe we’d have been paralyzed and unable to perform the entire piece at all without it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Cloud of Forgetting’ and ‘Cloud of Unknowing’ are prayers. ‘Frankie M’ is another tribute and a best wish for a wounded soul. ‘The Glowing Man’ contains my favorite Zen Koan. ‘People Like Us’ and ‘Finally, Peace’ are farewell songs.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e - Michael Gira 2016\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Glowing Man was recorded at Sonic Ranch, near El Paso, Texas, with John Congleton as recording engineer. Further recording was made at John’s Elmwood Studio, in Dallas, Texas, and at Studio Litho (Seattle, WA) with Don Gunn, engineer, and at CandyBomber (Berlin) with Ingo Krauss, engineer. The record was mixed by Ingo at CandyBomber and by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, Berlin. Doug Henderson mastered it at Micro-Moose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere’s a list of the principal players on the record (complete credits and words to the songs available on request):\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e: Michael Gira – vocals, electric and acoustic guitar; Norman Westberg – electric guitar, vocals; Kristof Hahn – lap steel guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals; Phil Puleo – drums, dulcimer, knocks, vocals; Christopher Pravdica – bass guitar, vocals; Thor Harris – percussion, vibes, bells, dulcimer. Hit Man and 7th Swan: Bill Rieflin – drums, piano, synth, Mellotron, bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuest Musicians\u003c\/strong\u003e: Jennifer Gira sings the lead vocal on ‘When Will I Return?’ The cello solo on ‘Cloud of Unknowing’ was graciously provided by the ferocious improviser, Okkyung Lee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" height=\"448\" width=\"634\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SwansLive_CreditJensWassmuth_5_1024x1024.jpg?18374057538931938739\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NxICmkwNOrw\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"The Glowing Man \/ Swans - 2CD \/ album \/ 2CD","offer_id":22838368455,"sku":"YG_Glowing_2CD","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"The Glowing Man \/ Swans - Ltd. Ed. 2CD+DVD \/ album \/ Ltd Ed. 2CD+DVD","offer_id":22838382087,"sku":"YG_Glowing_2CDDVD","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"The Glowing Man \/ Swans - 3LP \/ album \/ 3LP","offer_id":22838401095,"sku":"YG_Glowing_3LP","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"The Glowing Man \/ album \/ WAVs","offer_id":51924290961710,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/image.php_id_234_size_1024_g_profile_virtuallabel.audiosalad.jpeg?v=1571438769"},{"product_id":"great-annihilator-2017","title":"Great Annihilator \/ Drainland (Remastered 2017)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG59\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1CD original version is still available here: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/products\/great-annihilator\"\u003ehttps:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/products\/great-annihilator\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•••COMES WITH INSERT SIGNED BY M. GIRA•••\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Great Annihilator\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003c\/strong\u003eoriginally released in 1995 and described at the time as \u003cem\u003e“…a majestic symphony of haunting melodies and shifting moods”\u003c\/em\u003e [SF Bay Guardian], will be released on double vinyl – \u003cstrong\u003ethe album’s first release on vinyl for decades\u003c\/strong\u003e - and as a 2CD set. Both the vinyl (in the form of a download code) and CD will feature \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/frontpage\/products\/drainland\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDrainland\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, Michael Gira’s debut solo album recorded at the same time as \u003cem\u003eThe Great Annihilator\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I have long been uneasy with the sound of the mastered version of The Great Annihilator (and it's companion, contemporaneous  solo album, Drainland, included here in this new release). For whatever reason things drifted out of hand at the time, and there was never enough time or money to untangle the sonic knots created by the original unsatisfactory mastering that took place until now. It was with the utmost alacrity that I received the news recently from my friend Bill Rieflin that he had discovered the original (after much digging), \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eunmastered\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e mixes for both albums in his archives. We were able to proceed now with lovingly mastering both Great Annihilator and Drainland from these virgin sources, with our right hand mastering man Doug Henderson in Berlin, Germany. I have to say I'm rather pleased with the result. It's one of those instances where it's like hearing the thing for the first time again. I hope you enjoy the experience.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e- Drainland is a 1995 obscure solo album by me, co-produced by the lovely Bill Rieflin and myself, with musical contributions from Bill and Jarboe. Mostly featuring spare arrangements, it was recorded in Bill's living room. Some of this is pretty damn good. Some of it isn't! In all modesty, I think the good outweighs the bad. It was recorded immediately after the recording of GA. \" - M. Gira 2017\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_20170516_104111_1024x1024.jpg?v=1494946981\" alt=\"\" width=\"473\" height=\"653\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jY6qjHrJJHQ\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/blogs\/press\/great-annihilator-1995-press-kit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCLICK HERE TO VIEW PRESS RELEASE FOR GREAT ANNIHILATOR CIRCA 1995\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHere's some information on The Great Annihilator:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis album is actually really good in a lot of ways. Too much reverb here and there, but not as intrusive as some other Swans releases (I used to be infatuated with Phil Spector and naively figured that adding reverb could get the same effect). Anyway, I think this album holds together well. It was a complete nightmare to make (but then, all the Swans albums were!). I lived in a tent in a mosquito infested studio right next to Cabrini Green in Chicago for what (?) something like 3 months, rarely leaving. Band members and Jarboe and Bill Rieflin etc came and went, and somehow we crafted this thing into what it became. I can still listen to most of this sometimes, so that counts for something. There's some reviews below if that's any help to you - Michael Gira\/Young God Records 2008\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe San Francisco Bay Guardian\u003cbr\u003eJan. 25-31, 1995 \u003cbr\u003eby Neva Chonin \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Swans are a study in metamorphoses. In 1983, when Melody Maker magazine dubbed the NYC noise mavens \"a deeply repulsive form of audio pornography,\" it was more a compliment than a slam. Cacophonous, confrontational, and unrelentingly loud, the band used vocal rants and bone-crunching distortion to achieve unparalleled levels of sonic pain. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen, around '87 or so, rock's ugliest ducking found its inner Swan and blossomed into a vehicle for sweeping, complex arrangements of keyboards, strings and evocative sound effects. Vocalist Michael Gira traded his guttural growl for the croon of a balladeer, and the latter-day Swans were born.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir 12th album, The Great Annihilator, is a majestic symphony of haunting melodies and shifting moods. Spirituality - or rather the absence of it - provides the linking motif. With a kinetic industrial goose step, \"She Lives!\" plays with chanted images of madness and martyrdom, while the jagged coda of \"Celebrity Lifestyle\" lays the groundwork for a cutting look at material dreams: \"She's just a drug addiction\/ And a self-reflecting image of a narcoticized mind.\" \"Warm\" forms the album's thematic center, overflowing with ethereal vocal loops and drums that patter like raindrops accross the lyrical landscape. On \"Mother\/Father\" and the mantric \"My Buried Child,\" vocalist Jarboe outdoes herself with a spectrum of darkly distinctive voices. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaken on its own, this album is a vivid example of how to combine the dissonant with the dulcet while retaining a dangerous edge. Viewed in the context of the Swans' 12-year journey from audio pornography to majestic romanticism, The Great Annihilator serves as an epic apotheosis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\/1\/1995 | Puncture | Paula Keyth  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | The Great Annihilator | Review\u003cbr\u003eThe Great Annihilator is another sweeping rock opera.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the eighteenth Swans record released since 1982's Filth set a precedent for painful soul-searching dirge. Their first new release in three years, it combines the hard-hitting percussion of the earlier albums with the prettier, ballad-heavy later songs.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Great Annihilator is another sweeping rock opera. Songs are accented with samples and eerie keyboards, supported with powerful drumming by Ministry's Bill Rieflin and other guests. Snippets of horror-movie soundtrack back Michael Gira's low thorazine crooning. The music is tightly orchestrated, with dynamics added by rhythmically chugging acoustic guitars and keyboards sounding at times like the stringboards of a broken piano, or a demented new-age synthesizer.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGira, a lugubrious songwriter on a par with Ian Curtis, has a way of hitting the lyrical nail on the head with one deft slam of his hammer. When he says \"I love everyone,\" we know exactly what he means (he doesn't). His words are disturbed expulsions of fear and anger that take on a sarcastic, bitter tone, as in the opening lines of \"She Lives!\": \"Now I just want to thank you for going insane; every second that you suffer is a loss that I gain.\" Gira bellows from deep inside his thin frame, his delivery calling up a crooning, Sinatra-esque character—perhaps a bit more monotone: a calm, mellow front masking something ugly and forbidden. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJarboe's singing styles vary from childlike voices to climbing choral backups sung with space-odyssey breathlessness. The outstanding song here, \"Mother Father,\" with Jarboe leading, is belted out with delightful viciousness. \"Buried Child\" uses whispers to call up a Macbeth-like witches' spell. Certain songs suggest the funereal, march-like beating of a drum on a slave ship. The Swans are a dark band, often criticized for their solemnity. The lyrics' visceral, graphic quality is not for the faint-hearted, nor is the music. But given the right mood, this record is uplifting, hypnotic: \"dissolve your body today, there is no in- or outside.\" Float on, SWANS. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1\/1\/1995 | Option Magazine | Lang Thompson  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | The Great Annihilator | Review\u003cbr\u003eThis music is both grandiose and meticulously detailed.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor nearly two decades, Swans have pursued their own vision despite fickle fans who don't want them to change, critics who don't really listen and several indifferent record labels. But they have faith in the compelling power of their work, and remain undaunted by trends and pointless expectations. The group's newest album, The Great Annihilator, as always, demands an open ear. Put too much faith in the printed word and you might think the lyrics excessively weighty. You might wish the beat was less static, that the vocals were more varied, that the mood a bit more optimistic. Which only means you'd be happier with the Go-Go's. This music is both grandiose and meticulously detailed; rather than pop's recklessly forward momentum and instant gratification, Swans write pensive songs with unflinching but subtle humor. They layer sounds rather than put the melodies up front, giving lines of chiming guitars as much weight as the trance-like drumming or the direct vocals. The cumulative result is beguiling and moving. \"She Lives!\" is a series of moody, minor-key tumbles between sparse piano chords, distorted guitar riffs and Michael Gira's tense vocals. \"Mother\/Father\" could almost be an offbeat club hit with it's danceable (but eccentric) rhythm, Jarboe's weaving vocals (and screams) and the sheer sonic splendor of massed guitars. Though destiny to be as underrated as other Swans' albums, The Great Annihilator is compelling, thoughtful music and a good way to enter the Swans' unique world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e7\/28\/1995 | Washington Post | Mark Jenkins  \u003cbr\u003eSwans | The Great Annihilator | Review\u003cbr\u003eThe best songs here manage to transcend trendiness  \u003cbr\u003e(Special to the Washington Post) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn their earliest albums, Swans made brutally basic proto-industrial music. The band gradually mellowed, however, incorporating acoustic guitars, female vocals and Eastern melodies into a style that led to an alliance with a major label. The relationship didn't last long, but the group (long based in New York but now resident in rural Georgia) hasn't entirely abandoned its sound from that period. Its latest album, \"The Great Annihilator,\" successfully incorporates aspects of both eras. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy now, combining a sinuous crypto-Islamic vocal with a fierce beat is not a novel idea. Still, Swans meld the two with more potency than most; such songs as \"Celebrity Lifestyle\" and \"Mother\/Father\" (the two \"Annihilator\" tracks recycled on a new three-song CD) are both ethereal and earthy. Indeed, the best songs here manage to transcend trendiness. By contrasting floating melodies with thumping beats—and M. Gira's bass vocals with Jarboe's soprano—Swans crafts music of such incantatory power that lyrics about the \"place in space where violence and love collide\" don't seem overreaching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailable digitally via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/swans.bandcamp.com\/album\/great-annihilator-remastered-2017\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBandcamp\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans \/ M. Gira","offers":[{"title":"Great Annihilator+Drainland \/ album \/ 2CD","offer_id":37797067530,"sku":"YG_ANNIHILATOR_2CD","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Great Annihilator \/ album \/ 2LP","offer_id":37797289290,"sku":"YG_ANNIHILATOR_LP","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs \/ album \/ digital","offer_id":51960258691374,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/swans-the-great-annihilator_1e5a30d1-11d3-4085-a491-0bfa9f52b7b6.jpg?v=1571438770"},{"product_id":"deliquescence","title":"DELIQUESCENCE","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eYG60\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cb\u003eSigned by M. Gira \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDELIQUESCENCE\u003c\/strong\u003e is a 2XCD live album recorded in 2016\/17, documenting the final Swans tour of this configuration of the band. It shows the Swans live set generally as it stands now (though, as always, the set continues its transformation along the way as the tour progresses). It contains two (long) pieces that \u003cem\u003ehave never been, and never will be, recorded elsewhere\u003c\/em\u003e. In addition it contains a lengthy, unfinished and discarded work in progress. As usual, the pre-existing material used in the live set is subject to constant revision\/expansion. The performances were expertly (multi track and live mics) recorded and mixed, and this album and package serves as an excellent document of this mutually telepathic and fiercely exploratory version of Swans. The two concerts that provided the material for these recordings took place at Huxley’s, Berlin, and The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco. The artwork is drawn\/designed by Michael Gira. The art is printed on raw cardboard stock and is undercoated and embossed strategically for maximum tactile effect. Each dot represents a very specific point in time, expanding infinitely and consigned to flames. This item is sold primarily at this website and on tour. All copies sold at this website and at live shows are signed by M.Gira. We are printing a maximum of 3000 and then this item will disappear forever. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_h8t\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"js_1gn\" data-tooltip-position=\"right\" data-hover=\"tooltip\" data-tooltip-content=\"Wednesday 5:54pm\" class=\"_5wd9\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_5wde _n4o\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_5w1r _3_om _5wdf\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"_4gx_\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrack Listing:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e1. The Knot (new piece)\u003cbr\u003e2. Screen Shot\u003cbr\u003e3. Cloud of Forgetting\u003cbr\u003e4. Deliquescing (new, discarded)\u003cbr\u003e5. Cloud of Unknowing\u003cbr\u003e6. The Man Who Refused To Be Unhappy (new)\u003cbr\u003e7. The Glowing Man\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTotal Running Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 hours, 36 minutes \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeliquescence Personnel:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eNorman Westberg: Guitar\u003cbr\u003eChristoph Hahn: Lap Steel Guitar, loops\u003cbr\u003eChristopher Pravdica: Bass Guitar\u003cbr\u003ePhil Puleo: Drums, Dulcimer\u003cbr\u003ePaul Wallfisch: Piano, Organ, Mellotron sounds\u003cbr\u003eMichael Gira: Guitar, Vocals\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis fond reflection of the characters involved in this configuration of Swans appears in the extensive notes in the booklet contained in the package:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans Live Personnel 2010 – 2017, Considered: \u003c\/strong\u003e...in which a portrait of the seven sentinels is assayed... \u003cem\u003eChristoph Hahn\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays a lap steel guitar, caressing, then viciously torturing the strings, while precariously perched high atop his stool, knees akimbo. Part guardian-gargoyle, part bird of prey, part \u003cem\u003efilm noir \u003c\/em\u003ebarstool-lothario, he’s often seen spontaneously erupting in a Teutonic fury of blurred hands, arms and teeth, then just as suddenly relaxing back on his pedestal, surveying the scene onstage while running a comb nonchalantly through his pomaded coiffure. His heroes are Robert Mitchum, Dr. Strangelove and Karl Marx; \u003cem\u003ePhil Puleo\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays the drums and the hammer dulcimer with equally applied force, and even nuance, when occasionally appropriate. Sporting the honed body of a Spartan, he nevertheless improvises on his \u003cem\u003ebatterrie \u003c\/em\u003ewith the clairvoyant and graceful intuition of a deer darting happily through a nighttime forest, while doggedly scanning his colleagues’ glistening backs for signs of danger, opportunity, or blessed relief. He admits candidly to having rarely found any of these things, or at least he thinks so. Like everyone else in the group, the minute he leaves the stage he forgets everything that just happened; \u003cem\u003eNorman Westberg\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays guitar and stands impossibly still, grinding a helpless nugget of gum into abjection while simultaneously piercing objects near and far with a cruel and impassive gaze. His hands move up and down the neck of his guitar without collaborating with the rest of his body. An old-school American stoic in the extreme, he once made M.G. weep helplessly by smiling for a glimpsed instant onstage. He knits scarves for friends and family while listening to \u003cem\u003eRaw Power \u003c\/em\u003eon repeat; \u003cem\u003eMichael Gira\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays guitar to questionable effect, sings, often spastically gesticulates, and can sometimes be seen slapping his face \u003cem\u003eThree Stooges\u003c\/em\u003e- like onstage. He claims he can actually \u003cem\u003efeel \u003c\/em\u003ethe molecules that comprise his body breaking down inside him, turning painfully to powder, but he remains stupefied with childish joy at the simple fact of his existence. He believes he “runs things,” and this delusion often results in catastrophe. He sometimes coyly pretends to help load and unload the band’s copious gear. He cries during the finale of \u003cem\u003eIt’s a Wonderful Life\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eChristopher Pravdica\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays the bass guitar, and has also been known to wield it like a club. The contained and disciplined violence of this man can nightly be seen squeezing out in jets from his pores, shamelessly saturating his shirt, pants, and socks with liquefied, pungent pheromones, leaving a sizeable puddle where he stands. He plays the bass like Robert De Niro pounding the jail cell wall in Raging Bull. His unrelenting onstage obsession with Phil Puleo is alarming. He once beat the obscenely muscular Thor at arm wrestling. He long ago eschewed a formal education, yet he hungrily studies and thoroughly understands quantum physics. His brain is a terrifying vortex of minutiae; \u003cem\u003eThor Harris\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays the vibraphone, orchestral bells, percussion, gong, and various gizmos with equal parts aplomb, mechanical precision, abandon, and near-fatal masochistic endurance. Known worldwide as a boyishly handsome gentle giant, he loads gear as if it were saltine crackers. Even-tempered, tolerant, democratic in spirit, his sublimated dark side more than once caused him to \u003cem\u003elose it \u003c\/em\u003ewith M.G.’s annoying, incessant and insensible directives. An expert, curious, and inventive carpenter by trade, he has never been seen wearing a shirt; \u003cem\u003ePaul Wallfisch\u003c\/em\u003e: The subject plays the piano and organ with carefree virtuosity as his head bobs like a dashboard Jesus careening at 90 MPH down an unpaved road. In addition to the musical flair and style with which he naturally comports himself, this newest recruit to the group brings with him a sartorial aura that alludes, perhaps unwittingly, to a slightly louche lounge singer. An accomplished arranger and director of theater music, an admitted New York intellectual, an intrepid bare- bones world-traveler (he claims to have once been lined up against a wall in a Sub-Saharan country, but he’s increasingly unsure if he instead read this in a book by Sartre), he can also often be found watching DVDs of dubious merit on the tour bus at 4 AM with the rest of the spiral-eyed group. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg height=\"373\" width=\"577\" alt=\"Swans photos by nriko.com\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Swans2017Photobynriko.comHorzHR_1024x1024.jpg?v=1494883098\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSwans photos by \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/nriko.com\/\"\u003enriko.com\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NxICmkwNOrw\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swans","offers":[{"title":"Ltd. 2xCD","offer_id":41395599700,"sku":"YG_DELIQUESCENCE_2CD","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":52190444323118,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/scan_34a3d8f3-4f28-4f46-a636-20027249e2d3.jpg?v=1571438770"},{"product_id":"leaving-meaning","title":"leaving meaning.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eYG63\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans • leaving meaning.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2xLP\u003c\/strong\u003e - (includes special insert, 18”x24” poster and download card with all extended mixes and additional track. Please note some tracks on the vinyl release have been edited for length)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2xCD\u003c\/strong\u003e (extended mixes and additional track)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBoth CD and 2xLP are double printed on raw cardboard stock.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSigned Insert by M. Gira•\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnsigned copies also available though \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/collections\/swans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRead a review here: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/freq.org.uk\/reviews\/swans-leaving-meaning\/\" class=\"\"\u003ehttp:\/\/freq.org.uk\/reviews\/swans-leaving-meaning\/\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuest artists include The Necks, Anna and Maria von Hausswolff, Baby Dee, Ben Frost, Jeremy and Heather of a Hawk and a Hacksaw and more.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eListen to the song It's Coming It's Real (featuring Anna and Maria von Hausswolff) below\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrack Listing:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHums\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnnaline\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Hanging Man\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmnesia\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeaving Meaning\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunfucker \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCathedrals of Heaven\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Nub\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/3ZVZo30M8Lc\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIt's Coming It's Real\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome New Things (\u003cem\u003eCD\/DIGITAL ONLY\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat Is This?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy Phantom Limb\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cu\u003eSwans: leaving meaning \u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e(by M. Gira)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eleaving meaning.\u003c\/em\u003e is the first Swans album to be released since I dissolved the line up of musicians that constituted Swans from 2010 – 2017. Swans is now comprised of a revolving cast of musicians, selected for both their musical and personal character, chosen according to what I intuit best suits the atmosphere in which I’d like to see the songs I’ve written presented. In collaboration with me, the musicians, through their personality, skill and taste, contribute greatly to the arrangement of the material. Here below are the primary contributors to \u003cem\u003eleaving meaning:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Gira\u003c\/strong\u003e – Vocals, words, acoustic\/electric guitar, production. I started Swans in NYC in 1982 and have been the primary songwriter, singer and producer throughout the years. In the early years I played bass, but later switched to guitar. During the years of Swans hiatus (1999 – 2010), I released several albums by and toured with a group called Angels of Light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKristof Hahn\u003c\/strong\u003e – Lap steel, various guitars throughout, backing vocals, generous and insightful advice on mixes and arrangements. Kristof first became involved with Swans in 1989, was a principal contributor to Angels of Light, and a core Swans member 2010 – 2017. Kristof’s other musical ventures have included the Rock ‘n’ Roll Noir band Les Hommes Sauvages and Kool Kings (with Alex Chilton). He’s currently working on an instrumental record for Lawrence English’s label, Room 40. He holds a Masters Degree in Political Science, and when Swans doesn’t pay the bills, he translates books for a living. Kristof’s presence, on and off tape, is pivotal to this record. Kristof lives in Berlin, Germany.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLarry Mullins\u003c\/strong\u003e - Drums, vibes, orchestral percussion, Mellotron, various keyboards, backing vocals. Larry (AKA Toby Dammit) is a trained symphonic percussionist and all around consummate musician. He played through the 90s with Iggy Pop and later with The Stooges. He played with Swans in the late 90s and was a main contributor to Angels of Light. He is rumored to have been involved with The Residents. His varied and numerous credits also include a stint with Silver Apples as well as recently, Shakespeare’s Sister. His current main job is playing keyboards with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I decided immediately to ask Larry to contribute to Leaving Meaning after watching the German TV series Babylon Berlin, and suddenly, unbeknownst to me, there was Larry as the main focus of various cabaret scenes, drumming behind a huge kick drum in his inimitable style. After laughing in shock for perhaps half an hour, I decided to contact him. We hadn’t been in close touch for a long time and I’m elated I reached out. Larry lives in Berlin, Germany. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYoyo Röhm\u003c\/strong\u003e  - Electric bass, double bass, various keyboards, piano, backing vocals. Yoyo came to my attention through his work with Kristof and Larry in Berlin. In addition to his excellent bass playing, Yoyo’s ears were invaluable in helping to sort out many of the arrangements. Yoyo plays with numerous left field musicians around Berlin and also works with Mick Harvey on his Serge Gainsbourg recordings and tours. Yoyo, Larry, Kristof and I rehearsed in Berlin for 3 weeks prior to recording. Yoyo is a true Berliner – gruff and determined on the outside, a marshmallow inside. He was a great musical resource for this record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Necks – \u003c\/strong\u003e(Chris Abrahams - piano, organ; Tony Buck - drums, percussion; Lloyd Swanton - double bass). I have been an avid Necks fan since I first saw them perform at a Big Ears Festival in 2010. They subsequently played with Swans at a few shows in Australia. Their live performances and recordings are just about any superlative you can think of – mesmerizing, transcendent, sublime. Their music is entirely improvisational – it’s my understanding that they have no idea what they’re going to play before they start. And yet, mostly using rudimentary jazz trio instrumentation, they manage to fashion burgeoning and ever-evolving, immersive clouds of sound that utterly envelop the listener as the music unfolds. I’m beyond honored and humbled that they agreed to perform the basic tracks for 2 of my songs (The Nub, and Leaving Meaning). Their performances were then delicately, and (I hope!) tastefully further orchestrated upon in Berlin. Tony lives in Berlin, and also played drums on the song Some New Things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnna and Maria von Hausswolff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\" face=\"Arial\" size=\"3\" style=\"color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e– Choral backing vocals. Anna is blessed with a soaring voice, lyrical acuity and increasing facility with the church organ. I was impressed recently to learn that she often travels around Europe and visits churches unannounced, where she talks her way into being allowed to use the resident organ – some of them rather massive, I imagine – and plays and explores for hours. Her searing records and live shows reflect the courage of her imagination and have garnered her increasing, much deserved recognition. Maria is an accomplished Swedish cinematographer and director of photography. In 2017 I heard Anna and Maria singing together at a sound check for a special song they were doing in Anna’s set, was instantly enthralled, and resolved at that moment to ask them to participate together on a Swans recording.  I’m delighted they agreed to come to Berlin and record for me. They were a joy to work with! They live in Scandinavia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBen Frost\u003c\/strong\u003e - Guitar, synthesizers, sound manipulations. Ben’s adventurous sound-craftings, sometimes harrowing and sometimes delicate and quite musical, and his powerful live shows, have afforded him much recognition of late. I’ve also been highly impressed with his soundtrack work for the HBO series, Dark. He’s an extremely talented arranger and composer. His mission for this record was intentionally ill defined. I basically wanted his ears and sensibility, with no particular part or instrument in mind. I arrived at his studio in Reykjavik, Iceland, put up the songs, and he played what he thought a song needed. I was pleasantly surprised to discover his unique approach to the electric guitar as well as his synth work. Ben also was quite helpful with arrangement and mixing ideas. Ben lives in Iceland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBaby Dee\u003c\/strong\u003e – Lead vocal on The Nub, supported by her friends Fay Christen and Ida Albertje Michels, and Jennifer Gira. Dee has released numerous records (one produced by Bonnie Prince Billie, I think), and if you don’t know them, you should! The first time I saw her she was riding a unicycle in circles outside the now-defunct Avant club, Tonic, in NYC, playing a ukulele (or accordion?) and singing with great mirth. I saw her set that night and was won over. She’s since toured with Swans several times. Her music could loosely be called neo cabaret, but more accurately she’s totally unique and a great performer and songwriter, graced with a powerful voice and high-end ability on the piano, accordion and more. I wrote The Nub specifically for her to sing. I was stymied for words to the main guitar figure to the song, and suddenly she popped into my mind, floating through the universe in diapers, sucking milk from the stars. The song wrote itself. Dee lives in The Netherlands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeremy Barnes and Heather Trost\u003c\/strong\u003e – Jeremy: Santur, hi-hat, fiddlesticks, accordion, engineering; Heather: Stroh violin, violin, viola, fiddlesticks, engineering. Together, Jeremy and Heather comprise the band \u003cem\u003eA Hawk and a Hacksaw\u003c\/em\u003e. (Jeremy played at one time with the bands Neutral Milk Hotel and Beirut). Again, if you don’t know their music, you should! They’ve released several records. It’s Balkan\/Gypsy influenced, somewhat psychedelicized, with great singing, playing and melodies. They’re each multi-instrumentalists and they intrepidly travel the world, both touring and simply exploring the Balkans, in search of adventure and master musicians of the region, some of whom they simply befriend, others whom they record. They toured with Swans a while ago, and I’ve had it in the back of my mind to ask them to record on a record since. I travelled to their home studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico, presented the songs, and did the same thing I did with Ben – I said, “Now what?” You can hear them on several songs on the record, sometimes subtly, at other times more pronounced. In any event, it’s great to have such a pair of wonderful humans on the record.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eADDITIONAL MUSICIANS: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDana Schechter \u003c\/strong\u003e– Dana played bass on the song Some New Things. Dana was a core member of Angels of Light. Her current band is Insect Ark. It’s rather heavy and great. Will be working with Dana more soon in the future and very pleased we reconnected recently.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJennifer Gira\u003c\/strong\u003e – Backing vocals throughout and cameo vocal on Sunfucker. Jennifer has sung backing vocals on the past few Swans albums as well as lead vocal on the song When Will I Return? on the last Swans album, The Glowing Man. She’s also of invaluable help on mixing and arrangement decisions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCassis Staudt \u003c\/strong\u003e– Accordion and harmonium. Cassis was a core member of Angels of Light. She moved to Berlin some time ago and we lost touch. Cassis is a composer of music for films in Berlin. I’m very happy to be working with her again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNorman Westberg\u003c\/strong\u003e – Electric guitar. Norman played on a few key moments on this record. Norman has been in and out of Swans since the beginning (mostly in) and was a core Swans member in 2010 – 2017. We’ll continue to work together into the future, absolutely. Norman releases solo instrumental records through Lawrence English’s Room 40 label. We’re touring (each solo) together in Eastern Europe soon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChristopher Pravdica\u003c\/strong\u003e - Bass guitar, sounds. Chris played at pivotal moments on this record. He was a core Swans member in 2010 – 2017. We’ll continue to work together in the future, absolutely. Chris has recently been enlisted by Jamie Stewart for his band Xiu Xiu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhil Puleo\u003c\/strong\u003e – Phil played hammer dulcimer on the song Amnesia. This might be considered a severe under utilization of his considerable talents as a drummer, but there’s more to come quite soon. Phil was a core member in Swans 2010 – 2017 and played as a member of Swans in the late 90s, and contributed to Angels of Light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThor Harris\u003c\/strong\u003e - percussion, trumpet, clarinet, sounds, bells, gizmos, additional vibes. Thor drove up from Austin to record for me at Heather and Jeremy’s place in Albuquerque. Always a highpoint to be in the presence of this committed musician and friend. Thor was a core member of Swans in 2010 – 2016 as well as Angels of Light. Certainly more to come! Thor has his own happening combo, Thor and friends, and they make seductive and beautiful records and tour often. He also has recently been recruited by Jamie for Xiu Xiu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaul Wallfisch\u003c\/strong\u003e – Paul played piano to great effect here and there on the record. Paul was a touring member of Swans in 2017. He works with the glorious human chanteuse Little Annie. He’s also a musical director for theater productions in Germany, and recently landed a very fancy-pants job as musical director\/composer for a theater production at a historical theater in Vienna.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThanks to All!!!! MG\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3ZVZo30M8Lc\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jSyV00AbaaA\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pSJatNEtShs?autoplay=1\u0026amp;loop=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8gjKazkHqZg\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pSJatNEtShs?autoplay=1\u0026amp;loop=1\u0026amp;playlist=pSJatNEtShs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHahn\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Hahn_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565890727\" alt=\"Hahn\" width=\"473\" height=\"631\"\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDee\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Dee_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565890833\" alt=\"Dee\" width=\"475\" height=\"634\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe von Hausswolffs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/The_von_Hausswolffs_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565891183\" alt=\"The von Hausswolffs\" width=\"483\" height=\"483\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBarnes, Harris, Trost\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Barnes_Harris_Trost_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565890884\" alt=\"Barnes, Harris, Trost\" width=\"475\" height=\"634\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGira\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Gira_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565890928\" alt=\"Gira\" width=\"475\" height=\"357\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrost\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Frost_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565890967\" alt=\"Frost\" width=\"479\" height=\"639\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJ.Gira\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/J.Gira_1024x1024.jpeg?v=1565891009\" alt=\"J.Gira\" width=\"484\" height=\"644\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchechter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Schechter_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565891065\" alt=\"Schechter\" width=\"482\" height=\"643\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMullins\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Mullins_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565891102\" alt=\"Mullins\" width=\"482\" height=\"482\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRoehm\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Roehm_1024x1024.JPG?v=1565891149\" alt=\"Roehm\" width=\"481\" height=\"855\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"2CD","offer_id":20179498532937,"sku":"YG_LM_2CD","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2LP","offer_id":20199419019337,"sku":"YG_LM_2LP","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":51959632363822,"sku":null,"price":13.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/chipboard_YG63.jpg?v=1569396180"},{"product_id":"swans-where-does-a-body-end-pre-order","title":"Swans - Where Does A Body End?","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThis is not a Young God Records\/Swans release. We're making it available through this website since it would likely be of interest to people who appreciate the music  of Swans. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e-SIGNED BY M. GIRA-\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans - Where Does A Body End?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirected by Marco Porsia - 160 minutes - 2019\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSynopsis: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere Does a Body End? is an intimate portrait of the band SWANS, from their roots as a brutal, confrontational post-punk band that emerged from the same early 1980s era NYC that gave us Sonic Youth (and, somehow, Madonna) through their ill-fated bid at mainstream success in the 90s indie-rock gold rush, through breakups and chaos (on and offstage) to their odds-defying current status as one of the most accomplished and ambitious bands in the world, one whose concerts are more like ecstatic rituals than nostalgic trips back through their most popular songs. SWANS has always been a collection of singular performers, but there's been one constant since its formation in 1982--singer, songwriter Michael Gira. With unfettered access to hundreds of hours of Gira\/SWANS archives of never-seen-before recordings, videos, and photographs, the film brings us along the path they needed to carve for themselves. The film is many things, a musical history, a time-capsule, a tour diary, a concert film, but mostly it's the story of a life in the arts, frequently difficult, spanning decades without a safety net, creating the work because Gira says What else am I going to do? As bandmate Thor Harris notes, Michael is not a fearless person, but he is a fearless artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere really is no other force of music like Swans. Swans stand alone, integral, drenched in pathos. A band to end all bands. --Thurston Moore\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll DVDs and \u003cspan\u003eBlu-rays\u003c\/span\u003e will be Region 0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeluxe Edition is a 2 Disk Blu-ray Deluxe Edition With 156 Minutes of Bonus Material housed in a 6 panel digipak with original artwork by Hrvoje Karalic and an 8 panel foldout insert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#333333\" face=\"Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif\" size=\"2\" style=\"color: #333333; font-family: 'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/368275509\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/368275509\"\u003eSWANS - Where Does A Body End? Trailer\u003c\/a\u003e from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/monoduo\"\u003eMonoduo Films\u003c\/a\u003e on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\"\u003eVimeo\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#333333\" face=\"Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif\" size=\"2\" style=\"color: #333333; font-family: 'Amazon Ember', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":31698839371849,"sku":"YG_BODY_DVD","price":16.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Standard Blu-ray","offer_id":31698839404617,"sku":"YG_BODY_BR","price":20.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"DLX 2 Disc Blu-ray","offer_id":31698839437385,"sku":"YG_BODY_DLXBR","price":26.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/WDABE_FRONT_CVR_3000PX.jpg?v=1594676763"},{"product_id":"is-there-really-a-mind","title":"Is There Really A Mind? (Handmade CD) - (New Album Fundraiser \u0026 Pre-Order) - SOLD OUT","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eYGX9969\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans: Is There Really A Mind?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003eIs There Really A Mind? Starts shipping early Feb 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003eRecording of the new album starts April 2022.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cb style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003ePreorders for the new album ship \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\" color=\"#ff2a00\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eseparately\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e when released in 2023.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHandmade Limited Edition CD Fundraiser with more options\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSigned by M.Gira and numbered (1 – 2500)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScroll Down for Purchase\/Support Options\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePLEASE FIND THE LETTER AND COMMENTS AS WELL AS VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF THE PROJECT AND ITEMS AFTER PURCHASE OPTIONS BELOW.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYOUR SUPPORT WILL MAKE THE NEXT SWANS ALBUM POSSIBLE AND THE BEST IT CAN BE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND BELIEF IN THE MUSIC AND ITS POTENTIAL!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHERE’S WHAT YOU CAN GET \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff0000;\"\u003e(see various images below)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe CD: MG acoustic versions of songs for the new album, in handmade package with woodblock print, hand printed by Nicole Boitos, based on a design by M.Gira. Signed, doodled upon, and numbered. Comes with extensive lyric sheet and a separate sheet of an MG self portrait; A fine art screen print poster, black red and gold, image drawn by M.Gira; A dark grey t-shirt, printed with white and black image of the Is There Really a Mind? icon; Executive Producer option; Advance Purchase of upcoming album in whatever format you choose; A\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eccess to rehearsal \/ recording video diary filmed daily by MG; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e A\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e limited edition single sided 12\" of an original piece of music by Swans (approximate length of this piece will be 18 minutes) where your name and thanks to you will be vocalized during the song. Thanks to you by name will also be included in the album artwork, as well as etched into the blank B side of the vinyl itself; A vinyl test pressing of the new double album with one of a kind hand drawn artwork by M.Gira on a white sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 1\u003c\/strong\u003e - $40 : \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT) \u003c\/strong\u003e\"Is There Really A Mind?\" CD of MG acoustic versions of songs for new album, in handmade package with woodblock print, hand printed by Nicole Boitos, based on a design by M.Gira. Signed, doodled upon, and numbered. Comes with extensive lyric sheet and a separate sheet of \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMG self portrait\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 2\u003c\/strong\u003e - $55: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT) \u003c\/strong\u003eOption 1 + a CD copy of the upcoming Swans album \u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eupon its \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003erelease\u003c\/span\u003e in \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 3\u003c\/strong\u003e - $65: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT)\u003c\/strong\u003e Option 1 + a \u003cspan style=\"color: #f70b0b;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eLP copy of the upcoming Swans album\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e upon its \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003erelease\u003c\/span\u003e in \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e2023\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 4 \u003c\/strong\u003e- $100: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT)\u003c\/strong\u003e Option 1 + receive an \"Executive Producer” credit in the upcoming Swans studio album + your choice of an CD or LP copy of the upcoming Swans studio album \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eupon its \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003erelease\u003c\/span\u003e in \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e2023\u003c\/span\u003e. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 5 \u003c\/strong\u003e- $150: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT) \u003c\/strong\u003eEverything in Option 4 + \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_T_Is_There_Really_A_Mind_USE_THIS_ONE_480x480.jpg?v=1640804926\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eA dark grey t-shirt\u003c\/a\u003e, printed with white and black image of the Is There Really A Mind? icon. Unavailable anywhere else. (You will be contacted after you place your order regarding the size of shirt you would like)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 6 \u003c\/strong\u003e- $200: \u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(SOLD OUT) \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eEverything in Option 5 + A fine art screen print poster, black red and gold, image drawn by M.Gira printed by Visual Mechanics. (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/MindPosterUpload_480x480.jpg?v=1640805106\" target=\"_blank\"\u003esee image below\u003c\/a\u003e). It is 24\" x 18\" and it is screen printed on thick, archival paper. Each poster is signed by M.Gira and dedicated by name to you. Limited to 200 numbered copies unavailable anywhere else.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 7\u003c\/strong\u003e - $250: \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eEverything in Option 6 + access to rehearsal \/ recording video diary. Acting as a diary of the rehearsal and recording process, M. Gira will record on his phone daily short videos of each day’s proceedings, showing the interactions with the musicians and the progression of the arrangement and performance of the songs. Each video will be approximately 1 to 2 minutes in length and will be made available exclusively to you as they occur. The initial rehearsal and recording process is scheduled currently to take place over a six-week period. There will also be additional overdub and vocal sessions and these will also be documented. Taken as a whole, this will provide you with an extensive trove of intimate background material for the album, providing a unique insight into the genesis of the songs and their evolution into a final musical statement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 8a \u003c\/strong\u003e- \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e $500: \u003cstrong\u003e(SOLD OUT)\u003c\/strong\u003e Everything in Option 7 + CD and Vinyl copy of the new album \u003ca data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eupon its release in 2023. + A limited edition single sided 12\" of original music by Swans where\u003cspan class=\"gmail-Apple-converted-space\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eyour name and thanks to you will be included in the song, narrated\/sung by Gira,\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"gmail-Apple-converted-space\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eas well as on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SwansFundRaiser_10x10_v4_480x480.jpg?v=1640805631\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SwansFundRaiser_10x10_v4_480x480.jpg?v=1640805631\"\u003ethe 12\" artwork\u003cspan class=\"gmail-Apple-converted-space\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eand also \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Etched_Vinyl_480x480.jpg?v=1640805715\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Etched_Vinyl_480x480.jpg?v=1640805715\"\u003eetched into the blank B side of the vinyl itself\u003c\/a\u003e. This piece of music will be unique to the 80 copies and will never be rereleased or reproduced in any other format ever. It will be one long piece of music (approximately 18 minutes in length) that will develop and build over time.\u003cspan class=\"gmail-Apple-converted-space\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe 80 people that choose this option will be the only people to possess this piece of music.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan class=\"gmail-Apple-converted-space\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(see mock up photos below) (limited to 80 copies).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eOption 8b  - \u003c\/strong\u003e$500: \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e(SOLD OUT) \u003c\/strong\u003eEverything in Option 7 + CD and Vinyl copy of the new album \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #f70b0b;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"color: #f70b0b;\"\u003eupon its release in \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e2023\u003c\/span\u003e.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e+ a vinyl test pressing of the new album where\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6402_480x480.jpg?v=1640805790\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e each cover is individually drawn by Michael Gira\u003c\/a\u003e. He will sign the back of each cover, number it, and dedicate it to you. (limited to 50 copies)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks for your support!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you wish to donate separately from the above purchase options, please do so by clicking the Paypal button below. All donations, large or small, are sincerely appreciated! Again, any donations made by clicking the Paypal button below have no connection to your purchase (via the shopping cart) of any of the options above.  Thanks again! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cform action=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr\" method=\"post\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\n\u003cinput type=\"hidden\" value=\"_s-xclick\" name=\"cmd\"\u003e \u003cinput type=\"hidden\" value=\"B2KP5XBKB4FPJ\" name=\"hosted_button_id\"\u003e \u003cinput border=\"0\" type=\"image\" alt=\"PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif\"\u003e \u003cimg border=\"0\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\"\u003e\n\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/playlists\/1374738778%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-TVyrK3A0Qyo\u0026amp;color=%23ff5500\u0026amp;auto_play=false\u0026amp;hide_related=false\u0026amp;show_comments=true\u0026amp;show_user=true\u0026amp;show_reposts=false\u0026amp;show_teaser=true\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc; line-break: anywhere; word-break: normal; overflow: hidden; white-space: nowrap; text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif; font-weight: 100;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/swansofficial\" title=\"SWANS\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSWANS\u003c\/a\u003e · \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/swansofficial\/sets\/is-there-a-really-a-mind\/s-TVyrK3A0Qyo\" title=\"Is There A Really A Mind?\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eIs There A Really A Mind?\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/c395W43UoOQ\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHello There!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe songs for the new album were written over the last year or so in the midst of the seemingly endless pandemic, in which, at the time of this writing, we still somehow find ourselves. We had planned an extensive tour for the last album, \u003cem\u003eLeaving Meaning\u003c\/em\u003e, but it was cancelled, and then rescheduled again several times before we finally and abjectly conceded defeat and decided to wait it out. After a period of deep and dulled depression stemming primarily from the inability to move forward, I finally decided to abandon plans for that tour entirely and to instead write new songs for a new album. The result is the 10 songs now available here. As is usual in the process, these are simple versions of the songs performed at home with acoustic guitar and my voice. Though the performances here stand on their own these recordings will also act as a template for the coming work with other musicians. At my current station in the life cycle I’m increasingly aware that this (or any) effort might be my last. I believe these songs contain something of that sense of finality and the urgency of countering it… My gratitude for your support in funding the recordings and my outsized appetite for sound knows no bounds. At certain times the urge to just give up has been quite seductive, but I’m reminded that there’s a core group of people that care about the work and receive meaning from it, and that knowledge helps to propel me forward. Thank you! – \u003cem\u003eMichael Gira \/ Swans \/ Young God Records\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe core musicians slated to perform and act as the band \u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e in these recordings are listed below (numerous other people will be enlisted along the way as well). As usual, their sensibility and talent will greatly help in ushering the songs into a fully realized form. My hope is that result will surprise and delight us all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eKristof Hahn – Kristof will play electric guitar, lap steel and acoustic guitar.\u003cbr\u003eLarry Mullins – Larry will play drums, orchestral percussion and keyboards\u003cbr\u003ePhil Puleo – Phil will play drums, hammer dulcimer and other instruments\u003cbr\u003eDana Schechter – Dana will play bass guitar, lap steel guitar, keyboards and other instruments.\u003cbr\u003eChristopher Pravdica – Christopher will play bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards and electronic gizmos.\u003cbr\u003eBen Frost – Ben will play synthesizer, electric guitar, and generate sounds from various sources.\u003cbr\u003eMichael Gira – Michael will play acoustic and electric guitar and sing and will produce the recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD photos\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e1. Original cover concept sent to Nicole by M. Gira.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Original_Hand_Concept-_Superimpose_Knot_Over_Hand_as_Conveyed_to_Nicole_480x480.png?v=1640803631\" alt=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Original_Hand_Concept-_Superimpose_Knot_Over_Hand_as_Conveyed_to_Nicole_480x480.png?v=1640803631\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e2. Nicole printing the CD sleeves\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/20211101_164105_480x480.jpg?v=1640804069\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/20211103_211841_480x480.jpg?v=1640804088\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/20211114_232934_480x480.jpg?v=1640804136\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aGM_ZA9KCIk\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/20211114_154556_480x480.jpg?v=1640804102\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/20211114_154604_480x480.jpg?v=1640804113\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e5. M. Gira adding to artwork and signing each cover\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0o7cUh-P9hI\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6408_480x480.jpg?v=1640809951\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6409_480x480.jpg?v=1640809999\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6410_480x480.jpg?v=1640810078\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/hands_1_2_3_4_480x480.jpg?v=1640804476\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/hands_1_2_3_4_2_480x480.jpg?v=1640804506\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e6. The inserts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Insert1_118ac6e8-ce6d-4424-8f20-787eb76ea21c_480x480.jpg?v=1641427949\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePage 1 side 1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/insert2_05b748b4-958c-420f-a1a3-dceea25d081a_480x480.jpg?v=1641427977\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePage 1 side 2\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #ff2a00;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/X_MG_Self_Portrait_edited_keyline_480x480.jpg?v=1640804696\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePage 2 M. Gira self portrait \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_T_Is_There_Really_A_Mind_USE_THIS_ONE_480x480.jpg?v=1640804926\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Poster\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/MindPosterUpload_480x480.jpg?v=1640805106\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg height=\"659\" width=\"489\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/MindPosterUpload_2048x2048.jpg?v=1640805106\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(this is the scan of the original drawing - actual screen printed poster might be slightly different due to the screen printing process - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e24\" x 18\"\u003c\/span\u003e) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal 12\"\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eCover mock up\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SwansFundRaiser_10x10_v4_480x480.jpg?v=1640805631\" alt=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SwansFundRaiser_10x10_v4_480x480.jpg?v=1640805631\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eB-Side Etching Mock Up\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Etched_Vinyl_480x480.jpg?v=1640805715\" alt=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Etched_Vinyl_480x480.jpg?v=1640805715\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl test pressing of new album\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eExample of one of the individual hand drawn covers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6402_480x480.jpg?v=1640805790\" alt=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6402_480x480.jpg?v=1640805790\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFront cover - Each are \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eindividually hand drawn by M. Gira \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG-6420_480x480.jpg?v=1641394594\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBack Cover - Signed and dedicated to you by M. Gira\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"Opt 1","offer_id":39522829795401,"sku":"YG_MIND_CD","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 2 + New CD 2023 Pre-Order","offer_id":39522829828169,"sku":"YG_MIND_OPT2","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 3 + New 2LP 2023 Pre-Order","offer_id":39522829860937,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt3","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 4 + New CD 2023 Pre-Order","offer_id":39522829893705,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt4CD","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 4 + New 2LP 2023 Pre-Order","offer_id":39522829926473,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt4LP","price":100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 5 + New CD 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522829959241,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt5CD","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 5 + New 2LP 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522829992009,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt5LP","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 6 + New CD 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522830024777,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt6CD","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 6 + New 2LP 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522830057545,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt6LP","price":200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 7 + New CD 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522830090313,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt7CD","price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 7 + New 2LP 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522830123081,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt7LP","price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 8a + New CD \u0026 2LP 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522830155849,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt8_12inch","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 8b + New CD \u0026 2LP 2023 Pre-Order (sold out)","offer_id":39522842148937,"sku":"YG_MIND_Opt8_TestPress","price":500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/cover.png?v=1640806494"},{"product_id":"public-castration-is-a-good-idea","title":"Public Castration Is A Good Idea","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG66\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2xLP\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSigned by M. Gira•\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans’ live album \u003cem\u003ePublic Castration Is a Good Idea,\u003c\/em\u003e originally released as a limited edition “official” bootleg in 1986, is now available on vinyl for the first time since that original collectible release. \u003cem\u003ePublic Castration…\u003c\/em\u003e includes live recordings from UK shows at the ICA, London, The Garage, Nottingham and the University of London Union in support of the release of \u003cem\u003eHoly Money\u003c\/em\u003e in 1986, featuring tracks from that album along with \u003cem\u003eGreed\u003c\/em\u003e. Swans for these recordings were Michael Gira, Jarboe, Norman Westberg, Algis Kizys, Ronaldo Gonzalez and \u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTed Parsons\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “... there's no denying the intrinsic entertainment value of having a copy of Public Castration is a Good Idea around the house. The title alone is enough to freak out your parents and roommates; imagine what'll happen if you actually play it for them.” - Pitchfork\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnsigned copies also available though \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/collections\/swans\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/collections\/swans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"2LP","offer_id":44116534165806,"sku":"YG_PC_LP","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":51923109609774,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/SWANS_PublicCastrationisaGoodIdea_new.jpg?v=1669648552"},{"product_id":"the-beggar","title":"The Beggar","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG67\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--INSERT SIGNED BY M.GIRA--\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Beggar \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003eis Swans' 16th studio album and released as double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve with a download card for accessing an additional 44 minutes of music \u003c\/span\u003e(a 44 minute piece of music called The Beggar Lover (Three) that is included on the CD), and \u003cspan lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003eas a double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnsigned copies available via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/search?q=swans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eListen to the first track from the album, ‘Paradise is Mine: \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"width: 100%; aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9;\"\u003e\n  \u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HgtGHp2kfPQ\" title=\"YouTube video player\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0; display: block;\" loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen\u003e\n  \u003c\/iframe\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Beggar\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e was recorded and mixed at \u003cstrong\u003eCandy Bomber Studio, Berlin,\u003c\/strong\u003e engineered by \u003cstrong\u003eIngo Krauss \u003c\/strong\u003eand mastered by \u003cstrong\u003eDoug Henderson\u003c\/strong\u003e at \u003cstrong\u003eMicro-Moose\u003c\/strong\u003e, Berlin. The album was written and produced by Michael Gira and features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light, as well as Guest Swan Ben Frost. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“After numerous pandemic-induced cancellations of tours for the previous Swans album \u003cstrong\u003eleaving meaning\u003c\/strong\u003e, and an apparent bottomless pit of waiting, waiting, waiting, and the strange disorientation that came with this sudden but interminable forced isolation I decided it was time to write songs for a new Swans album and forget about everything else. They came relatively easily, always informed by the suspicion that these could be my last. When I finally was able to travel, songs in hand, to Berlin to work with my friends recording this record, the feeling was akin to the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the film changes from Black and White to Color. Now I’m feeling quite optimistic. My favourite color is pink. I hope you enjoy the album.”\u003c\/em\u003e – \u003cem\u003eMichael Gira\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePrimary contributors to \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cu\u003eThe Beggar\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Gira \u003c\/strong\u003e– Vocals, words, acoustic guitar, production. Gira started Swans in NYC in 1982 and has been the primary songwriter, singer and producer throughout the years. During the Swans hiatus (1999 – 2010), he released several albums by and toured with a group called Angels of Light. Gira recently published a book of his short stories, journals, and words for music, called \u003cu\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/products\/the-knot\"\u003eThe Knot\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e. He lives in New Mexico.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKristof Hahn \u003c\/strong\u003e– Lap steel, various guitars, vocals. Kristof first joined Swans in 1989 and was a principal contributor to Angels of Light, and a core Swans member 2010 – 2017. Kristof’s other musical ventures have included the Rock ‘n’ Roll Noir band Les Hommes Sauvages and Kool Kings (with Alex Chilton). When not making music Kristof translates books. He lives in Berlin, Germany.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLarry Mullins \u003c\/strong\u003e- Drums, vibes, orchestral percussion, Mellotron, various keyboards, backing vocals. Larry is a trained symphonic percussionist. He played through the ‘90s with Iggy Pop and later with The Stooges. He played with Swans in the late ‘90s and was a main contributor to Angels of Light. His current main job is playing drums with The Bad Seeds. Larry lives in Berlin, Germany.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDana Schechter \u003c\/strong\u003e– Bass guitar, lap steel, keyboards, vocals, piano. Dana played bass in and was a core member of Angels of Light. She subsequently released music and toured as Bee and Flower. Her current band is the power-duo, Insect Ark. Dana is also an animator and designer in the film industry and currently lives in Berlin, Germany.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChristopher Pravdica \u003c\/strong\u003e- \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBass guitar, sounds, keyboards, vocals. Chris played bass as a core Swans member in 2010 – 2017. Chris has played with the bands, The Gunga Din, Flux Information Sciences, Xiu Xiu, Yonatan Gat and  Medicine Singers and has a project of his own called We Owe. Chris is a sound designer and lives in Brooklyn, NY.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhil Puleo \u003c\/strong\u003e– Drums, percussion, vocals, piano, exotic wind instruments. Phil played drums with Swans in the late ‘90s and was a core member in Swans 2010 – 2017 and contributed to Angels of Light. Phil’s early NYC musical venture was Cop Shoot Cop and has since played with Human Impact, among others. Phil is an extremely talented illustrator and lives in Chicago, IL.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBen Frost \u003c\/strong\u003e- Guitar, synthesizers, sound manipulations. In his own work, Ben’s adventurous sound-craftings are sometimes harrowing and sometimes delicate and quite musical. His numerous albums and his powerful live shows have afforded him much recognition. He is also an accomplished composer and arranger of music for film and television. Ben lives in Reykjavik, Iceland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBacking vocals are provided by\u003cstrong\u003e Jennifer Gira, Lucy Kruger and Laura Carbone.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOrgan illustrations by Nicole Boitos\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Beggar 2CD tracklisting\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD1:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Parasite (8:27)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/HgtGHp2kfPQ\"\u003eParadise is Mine\u003c\/a\u003e (9:23)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLos Angeles: City of Death (3:29)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMichael is Done (6:08)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnforming (5:55)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Beggar (10:15)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo More of This (6:55)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEbbing (11:04)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy Can't I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want? (7:38)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD2:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Beggar Lover (Three) (43:51)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Memorious (8:38)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Beggar 2LP tracklisting \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e+ The Beggar Lover (Three) included on download card\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eParadise is Mine (9:23)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe Beggar (10:15)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eLos Angeles: City of Death (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e3:29)\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe Parasite (8:27)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe Memorious (7:53)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide C\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eMichael is Done (6:08)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy Can't I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want? (7:41)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eUnforming (6:10)\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide D\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eEbbing (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e11:25)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eNo More of This (6:55)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCurrent Swans Line-Up\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Swans_2023_TourPoster_Venue_v2copy_50ac29fc-beab-4c77-831c-a725de264052_480x480.jpg?v=1679347064\" alt=\"\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIllustrations by Phil Puleo\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"2CD","offer_id":44767020581166,"sku":"YG_Beggar_CD","price":17.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"2LP","offer_id":44767020613934,"sku":"YG_Beggar_LP","price":37.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":51924684505390,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/products\/BeggarCoverDigital2.jpg?v=1679411859"},{"product_id":"feel-good-now","title":"Feel Good Now","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYG65\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2xLP\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith Insert Signed by M. Gira•\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInfamous \"bootleg\" double live album from the Swans 1987 Children of God tour of primarily former \"Iron Curtain\" countries. Personnel during this period was Jarboe, Gira, Kizys, Parsons, Westberg. Recorded by sound man Jack Balchin and lovingly remastered by Doug Henderson @ Micro-Moose Berlin in 2022. One time only repress includes sumptuous 24” x 36” poster. Not seen on vinyl in decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Swanscirca1987photobyLeeRanaldo_480x480.png?v=1694009146\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSwans circa 1987 photo by Lee Ranaldo\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003ctr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003ctd data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSide A:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eNew Mind\u003cbr\u003eBlood and Honey\u003cbr\u003eTrust Me \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSide B:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eSex God Sex\u003cbr\u003eLike A Drug (Sha La La La) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSide C:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBeautiful Child\u003cbr\u003eBlackmail\u003cbr\u003eChildren of God\u003cbr\u003eBeautiful Child Reprise \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSide D:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBlind Love\u003cbr\u003eThank You, Goodbye\u003cbr\u003eGood Luck \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe reviews below summarize the aural experience of this release:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/feel-good-now-mw0000218840\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cu data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e All\u003c\/u\u003eMusic.com\u003c\/a\u003e: At the time, being the first of the many semi-official bootlegs and live releases that Swans put out over the years, Feel Good Now documents the 1987 European tour for Children of God , recorded quite well on a professional walkman by the band's sound engineer. The track list exclusively focuses on Children of God material, so the album has much of the same general variety as its parent release, though all of the edges are a little rougher. \"Blood and Honey,\" for example, maintains the synth-string arrangements from the album as well as Jarboe's low, haunting vocals, but the louder instrumental breaks have a stronger power here. In the meantime, already overpowering songs like \"New Mind '' and \"Beautiful Child\" rage all that much harder in a live arena, with Gira holding little back, if at all. At the same time, a tune like \"Trust Me '' maintains  Gira's commanding-yet-controlled croon amidst the more textured, elegant arrangement, though he definitely starts to let himself go more towards the end. Naming every highlight would take nearly forever, but special mention has to be made of \"Children of God,\" featuring a fantastic call-and-response vocal tradeoff between Jarboe and Gira  while the band brilliantly backs them up, and versions of \"Sex God Sex\" and especially \"Blind Love,\" which make the album versions seem like gentle walks in the park by comparison.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/Spectrumculture.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSpectrumculture.com\u003c\/a\u003e: ...Countless bands would consider the stage where their music takes truest flight, but even factoring the immense quality of Swans’ catalog, their studio albums have always felt like ways to coalesce their legendary and terrifying live act onto something of permanent record. Swans live albums abound, and by this point the group already had a certifiable classic in the form of the deafening squall of Public Castration Is a Good Idea. Feel Good Now, like all of the band’s live LPs prior to the startling sonic clarity of the group’s first kiss-off, Swans Are Dead, is muddled by the sheer limits of recording technology; recorded on a professional-standard Walkman, the double-LP makes even official soundboard recordings sound tinny and lacking the reverberating bass weight of their low roar.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNonetheless, anyone who might feel that Children of God marked a diversion into a more placid, pretty Swans will have that notion brutally checked by the live renditions documented on this record. The title track, for example, is transformed into a demented call-and-response between Jarboe and Gira, whose yells shatter the studio version’s soaring irony and foreground the self-annihilating, Hellraiser-like rapture of blood that was buried beneath the surface. “Sex, God, Sex” and “Trust Me” rage so hard that reserved songs like “Blackmail” take on even more unsettling eye-of-the storm calm than they did on the record. A strung-out version of “Blind Love” hints at the epic, grueling, cathartic performances that the band would not master until Soundtracks for the Blind and their post-reunion albums and shows, while “Beautiful Child,” already the studio album’s most ferocious track, is transformed further into the sound of the sky tearing open as God demands sacrifice. Westerberg and bassist Algis Kizys create metallic sheets of sound that somehow sound quieter than Gira’s deranged barks. We get a full rendition here, as well as a “reprise” in the form of an excerpt of a London show in which the venue operator (not unreasonably) feared the impact of this music on the place’s PA system so much that he pulled the cord on the instruments, which has the truly nightmarish side effect of leaving on Gira’s mic live as he continues to scream into a sudden vacuum of silence... \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom \u003ca data-mce-fragment=\"1\" href=\"http:\/\/Auralaggravation.com\" data-mce-href=\"http:\/\/Auralaggravation.com\"\u003eAuralaggravation.com\u003c\/a\u003e: Recorded on the European tour supporting Children of God, it packs some storming live renditions of songs culled from Children of God performed during a quite specific peak of the band’s live career.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSwans have always pushed the limits live, and taken the songs to new and different levels of intensity and duration, and the eighteen-minute rendition of ‘Blind Love’ on offer here is a prime example. It’s barely recognisable, and despite being led by a simple acoustic guitar, it’s absolutely fucking punishing – and not necessarily in a good way: Gira’s elongated notes and wordless, formless yells are uncomfortable, a raging beast tortured and pained, while the guitar and rhythm section batter away without mercy. The drums are brutal. Having witnessed Swans live post-millennium, I have come to appreciate that nothing short of nuclear annihilation can convey the sheer force and volume of Swans live. However, Feel Good Now definitely goes a long way to capture the intensity of that volume... The sawing churn of ‘Like a Drug’ is pulverising, brutal, nauseating, and while ‘Children of God’ may only run for five and a half minutes, the effect is something else, the drumming thumping relentlessly in rolls of pure assault. Gira hollers impenetrably into the void as Jarboe ‘s voice floats effortlessly and with grace and true beauty over the ugly, pounding mess.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e‘Beautiful Child Reprise’ is so savage as to be almost unlistenable long before it gets to the ‘Kill, kill, kill’ chant. It will come as no surprise for anyone who’s encountered Swans’ pre-85 live material, but fuck me. If one band could be considered to define excruciating sonic brutality, it’s Swans...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCopies also available though \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/collections\/swans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK\u003c\/a\u003e but do not include the signed insert. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"2LP","offer_id":46879962300718,"sku":"YG_FGN_LP","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":51923343868206,"sku":null,"price":11.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/9ebaf37f8f5c53d3123ae558738068e9.jpg?v=1694006827"},{"product_id":"swans-live-rope-2024-fundraiser","title":"SWANS LIVE ROPE 2024 FUNDRAISER","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS • LIVE ROPE 2024 •\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eYGX2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll Options Sold Out\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e EXCEPT 2XCD, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ewhich will remain in print in perpetuity!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecorded Live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (2024) and Den Haag, Netherlands (2023).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“With soul-lacerating commitment and relentless pursuit of our own truth through sound we Swans Schechter, Gira, Hahn, Mullins, Puleo, and Pravdica managed over the course of a year of rehearsing and improvisation and revision and reiteration and failure and resuscitation and endless touring to forge a set of music that was in the end inexplicable, especially to us. I'm not being mystical when I say that the sound we ultimately generated in our live performances became a living autonomous entity that played us like marionettes. I felt it, so I know it happened. So even though our physical and psychic dedication to the effort was crucial we can't in good faith take credit for the experience. We threw ourselves into the wind and the hand of God moved us forward. (I have no idea, for instance, how the 1st piece Rope\/The Beggar eventually grew into a continuous 82-minute performance). I remain astonished that music that often began with me sitting alone in my office strumming a battered and barely workable acoustic guitar, over time and through countless hours of communal sweat and blood and exhaustion and no small measure of ecstasy eventually rose full-bodied from the quotidian mud of existence and screamed its name to heaven. My hope now, with the music captured as faithfully as possible in these recordings, is that you will experience something of the joy we experienced while making it. God bless you! “ - \u003cem\u003eMichael Gira \/ Swans  2024\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e• The proceeds generated from these recordings go towards the recording of the new Swans studio album, in progress. Thank you for your support! •\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e• INSERT TO CD AND LP VERSIONS SIGNED BY M.GIRA • \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 1 = 2XCD Deluxe Digipack - $25 : Web site exclusive. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 2 =  2XCD Deluxe Digipack + USB Credit Card - $40: Limited to 200 units unavailable anywhere else.  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 3 = 2XCD Deluxe Digipack + USB Credit Card + T-shirt - $60: Limited to 100 units unavailable anywhere else. \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eTultex brand t-shirt is 100% pre-shrunk, ring-spun cotton.\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eYou will be contacted after you place your order regarding the size of shirt you would like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 4 = 4XVinyl Box Set + USB Credit Card + 18\"x 24\" Poster - $140: Limited to 200 units unavailable anywhere else. \u003c\/strong\u003e LPs inserted into chipboard Euro Sleeves, with full color poster and printed insert, packaged in a heavyweight 120-point box with printed lid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 5 = 4XVinyl Box Set + USB Credit Card + 2XCD Deluxe Digipack + T-shirt + 18\"x 24\" Poster - $200: Limited to 600 units unavailable anywhere else.\u003c\/strong\u003e LPs inserted into chipboard Euro Sleeves, with full color poster and printed insert, packaged in a heavyweight 120-point box with printed lid. Tultex brand t-shirt is 100% pre-shrunk, ring-spun cotton. You will be contacted after you place your order regarding the size of shirt you would like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOption 6 =  4XVinyl Box Set (Executive Producer level) + USB Credit Card + 2XCD Deluxe Digipack + T-shirt + 18\"x 24\" Poster + Limited Edition 12”x 12” Signed Screen Print WITH YOUR NAME ON IT! + Name Listed in Credits on Upcoming Studio Album - $300:   Limited to 200 units unavailable anywhere else. \u003c\/strong\u003eLPs inserted into chipboard Euro Sleeves, with full color poster and printed insert, packaged in a heavyweight 120-point box with printed lid. Screenprint on fine art paper. Tultex brand t-shirt is 100% pre-shrunk, ring-spun cotton. You will be contacted after you place your order regarding the size of shirt you would like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*LIMIT 2 BOXSET ORDERS PER CUSTOMER*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTRACK LISTINGS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePlease note that the final track on the Vinyl Box set and CD differ.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2X DELUXE Digipack CD: Entire Williamsburg show, plus \"Cathedrals of Heaven\" from Den Haag show\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eCD1:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eRope, The Beggar (78:24) \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD2:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The Hanging Man, Away, Birthing, Cathedrals of Heaven (69:28)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4XLP: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eEntire Williamsburg show plus \"The Memorious\" from Den Haag show\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eSIDE ONE:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eRope \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE TWO:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Rope (cont.), The Beggar \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE THREE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The Beggar (cont.) \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE FOUR:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The Beggar (cont.) \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE FIVE: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eThe Hanging Man, Away \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE SIX:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Birthing \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE SEVEN:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e Birthing (cont.) \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSIDE EIGHT:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The Memorious…  (total time approx. 2Hrs 30 Mins)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSB Credit Card: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eEntire unedited* Williamsburg show plus \"Cathedrals of Heaven\", \"The Memorious\" and \"Leaving Meaning\" from Den Haag show\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRope, The Beggar, The Hanging Man, Away, Birthing, The Memorious, Cathedrals of Heaven, Leaving Meaning…  (total time approx. 3Hrs, 3 mins)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e* The CD and LP versions of this album have been lightly edited to fit within their format restrictions. The USB Credit Card is entirely unedited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you wish to donate separately from the above purchase options, please do so by clicking the Paypal button below. All donations, large or small, are sincerely appreciated! Again, any donations made by clicking the Paypal button below have no connection to your purchase (via the shopping cart) of any of the options above.  Thanks again! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cform method=\"post\" action=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/cgi-bin\/webscr\" target=\"_top\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cinput name=\"cmd\" value=\"_s-xclick\" type=\"hidden\"\u003e \u003cinput name=\"hosted_button_id\" value=\"B2KP5XBKB4FPJ\" type=\"hidden\"\u003e \u003cinput src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/btn\/btn_donateCC_LG.gif\" alt=\"PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!\" type=\"image\" border=\"0\"\u003e \u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypalobjects.com\/en_US\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/form\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Front Cover:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"695\" width=\"747\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_2024_LIVEROPE_CD_Front.jpg?v=1725376030\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Back Cover:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"695\" width=\"747\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_2024_LIVEROPE_CD_Back.jpg?v=1725044982\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Artwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"526\" width=\"927\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Screen_Shot_2024-09-03_at_1.02.38_PM.jpg?v=1725406207\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Insert Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"743\" width=\"748\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_CD_ROPE_Insert_v2.jpg?v=1725376143\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Insert Back (Signed by M. Gira):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"742\" width=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_CD_ROPE_Insert_v22.jpg?v=1725376143\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSB Credit Card:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"1124\" width=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/USB.jpg?v=1725558830\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eT-shirt (Tultex brand, 100% pre-shrunk, ring-spun cotton):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/live_rope_shirt_proof.jpg?v=1725903077\" width=\"748\" height=\"633\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset Cover:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_ROPELIVE_BoxLid_reference-small_cropped.jpg?v=1725561568\" width=\"748\" height=\"753\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset Executive Producer 12\"x12\" Screenprint (signed by M. Gira):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg height=\"743\" width=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Live_Rope_Screen_Print_Final2.jpg?v=1725388445\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset Poster:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"989\" width=\"742\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Poster.jpg?v=1725376736\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset Insert Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"745\" width=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Insert_v2.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset Insert Back (signed by M. Gira):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"751\" width=\"751\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Insert_v22.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 1:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"754\" width=\"754\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_1_2.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 2:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"751\" width=\"751\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_1_22.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 3:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"751\" width=\"751\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_3_4.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 4:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"751\" width=\"751\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_3_42.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 5:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"753\" width=\"753\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_5_6.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 6:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"750\" width=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_5_62.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 7:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"756\" width=\"756\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_7_8.jpg?v=1725376144\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eVinyl Boxset LP Sleeve 8:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_LIVE_2024_Vinyl_Sleeve_7_82.jpg?v=1725376144\" width=\"756\" height=\"756\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"Opt 1: 2xCD","offer_id":49256229929262,"sku":"YG_LR_2CD","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Opt 2: CD + USB Credit Card PREORDER","offer_id":49256229962030,"sku":"YG_LR_CD_USB","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 3: CD + USB Credit Card + T-shirt PREORDER","offer_id":49256229994798,"sku":"YG_LR_CD_USB_TS","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 4: Vinyl Boxset","offer_id":49256230027566,"sku":"YG_LR_LPBXSET","price":140.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 5: Vinyl Boxset + CD + USB Credit Card + T-shirt PREORDER","offer_id":49256230093102,"sku":"YG_LR_LPBXSET_CD_TS","price":212.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Opt 6: Vinyl Boxset (Executive Producer) + CD + USB Credit Card + T-shirt PREORDER","offer_id":49256230158638,"sku":"YG_LR_LPBXSET_EP","price":325.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_2024_LIVEROPE_CD_Front.jpg?v=1725376030"},{"product_id":"birthing-preorder","title":"Birthing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS • BIRTHING •\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eYG68\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--INSERT SIGNED BY M.GIRA--\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(113, 18, 18);\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e***INITIAL PRESSING COMES WITH BONUS DVD***\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnsigned copies available via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/collections\/swans\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eListen to \"I Am a Tower\": \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SYkjVGrO5Ug?si=ao7JvnrfwKUUMEfE\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eListen to \"The Healers\":\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Yq_oxCj4gM8?si=FvUSub7aw0OyPzs8\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eSWANS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003e announce their seventeenth studio album, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eBirthing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e, due for release  o\u003c\/strong\u003en \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eMay 30, 2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eBirthing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\" lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003e will be released on triple vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve, double CD (in a brown chipboard digi-pack), and digitally. Initial pressings of the 3LP and 2CD editions will come with a bonus DVD featuring ‘Swans Live 2024 (Rope) The Beggar’, a live concert film directed by Marco Porsia from the last Swans US tour, plus Christopher Nicholson’s documentary from Michael Gira’s solo tour in 2022 entitled ‘I Wonder If I’m Singing What You’re Thinking Me To Sing’.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003e“The material contained in this album was largely developed over the course a yearlong Swans tour, during 2023 – 2024 (‘The Healers’, ‘I Am a Tower’, ‘Birthing’, ‘Guardian Spirit’, ‘Rope’, and ‘Away’), then recorded and further orchestrated and rearranged in the studio. Two pieces were created and performed in the studio (‘Red Yellow’, ‘The Merge’).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003e \u003cspan lang=\"EN-GB\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003eIn all cases the material began with me sitting in my office with an acoustic guitar, singing and dreaming about what would become of these skeletal songs. I’m blessed to have such a stellar group of musicians to work with live (listed below), and through improvisation, endless revisions and an intensity of focus in performance (not to mention endurance), over the course of time the music morphed into what you generally hear on this collection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eThis album, coupled with the recent live release, Live Rope, constitutes my final foray (as producer \/ impresario) into the all-consuming sound worlds that have been my obsession for years. We’ll do a final tour in this mode towards the end of 2025, then that’s it. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eAfter that, Swans will continue, so long as I’m able, but in a significantly pared down form. Hints of that direction can be found in a few moments on the current album. In the meantime, my hope is that the music provides a positive and fertile atmosphere in which to dream.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e – Michael Gira \/ Swans\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif; color: black;\"\u003eSWANS BIRTHING ALBUM CONTRIBUTORS: \u003cb\u003eMichael Gira \u003c\/b\u003e– acoustic guitar, voice, producer; \u003cb\u003ePhil Puleo \u003c\/b\u003e– drums, hammer dulcimer, flute, melodica, percussion; \u003cb\u003eKristof Hahn \u003c\/b\u003e– lap steel guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, loops, backing vocals; \u003cb\u003eDana Schechter \u003c\/b\u003e– lap steel guitar, bass guitar, loops; \u003cb\u003eChristopher Pravdica \u003c\/b\u003e– bass guitar, Taishogoto, loops, sounds, keyboards; \u003cb\u003eLarry Mullins \u003c\/b\u003e– Mellotron, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, drums, vibraphone, percussion, backing vocals; \u003cb\u003eNorman Westberg \u003c\/b\u003e– electric guitar, loops... \u003cb\u003eGuest Musicians\u003c\/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003eJennifer Gira \u003c\/b\u003e– backing vocals, cameo vocals; \u003cb\u003eLaura Carbone \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003eLucy Kruger \u003c\/b\u003e– backing vocals; \u003cb\u003eAndreas Dormann \u003c\/b\u003e– soprano saxophone; \u003cb\u003eTimothy Wyskida \u003c\/b\u003e– drums on The Merge; \u003cb\u003eLittle Mikey \u003c\/b\u003e– cameo vocals.\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003eBirthing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Arial',sans-serif;\"\u003e was \u003cspan style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;\"\u003eproduced by\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003e Michael Gira\u003c\/b\u003e. Recorded at \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eSoundfabrik Berlin\u003c\/b\u003e, recording engineer \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eIngo Krauss\u003c\/b\u003e, assisted by \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eKiron Gaudi, \u003c\/b\u003eand mixed at \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eCandy Bomber Studio, Berlin\u003c\/b\u003e by \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eIngo Krauss. \u003c\/b\u003eMastered by \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eDoug Henderson\u003c\/b\u003e at \u003cb style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"\u003eMicro-Moose\u003c\/b\u003e, Berlin.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBirthing 2CD+Bonus DVD tracklisting:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD1:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe Healers\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eI Am a Tower\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eBirthing\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD2:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eRed Yellow\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eGuardian Spirit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe Merge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eRope: \u003cem\u003eInstrumental\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eAway\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBONUS DVD included with initial pressing:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eM. Gira\/I Wonder if I’m Singing What You’re Thinking Me to Sing (Live Solo 2022)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSwans\/(Rope) The Beggar (Live 2024)\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBirthing 3LP+ Bonus DVD tracklisting:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe Healers\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eI Am a Tower\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide C\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eBirthing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide D\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eRed Yellow\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGuardian Spirit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide E\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Merge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSide F\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRope: \u003cem\u003eInstrumental\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAway\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBONUS DVD included with initial pressing:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eM. Gira\/I Wonder if I’m Singing What You’re Thinking Me to Sing (Live Solo 2022)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSwans\/(Rope) The Beggar (Live 2024)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDVD Trailer for M. Gira\/\"I Wonder if I'm Singing What You're Thinking Me to Sing (Live Solo 2022)\":\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mRc01-Xdb9I?si=ROhkuH37Iqzrrn8D\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDVD Trailer for Swans\/\"(Rope) The Beggar(Live 2024)\":\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XVpPaCbEaVM?si=CzjtDCbVyVDOCaiZ\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCover Artwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS-BIRTHING.jpg?v=1739669083\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Digipack:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_9859.jpg?v=1748969038\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_BIRTHING_CD_v2_a17cb536-7589-4ede-b125-309e5c85993d.jpg?v=1739903551\" alt=\"CD Digipack\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Booklet Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Screenshot_2025-02-17_at_5.03.28_PM.png?v=1739829837\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Booklet Back:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Screenshot_2025-02-17_at_5.03.41_PM.png?v=1739829836\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Packaging:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_9874.jpg?v=1748970634\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_BIRTHING_3TP_v5_38757f2d-8438-49b8-9659-0e43e8435b12.jpg?v=1739903551\" alt=\"Vinyl Packaging\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18\"x24\" Vinyl Poster:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_18x24_poster_BIRTHING_beige.jpg?v=1739903551\" alt='18\"x24\" Vinyl Poster'\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Insert Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Screenshot_2025-02-17_at_4.47.30_PM.png?v=1739829378\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Insert Back:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Screenshot_2025-02-17_at_4.47.16_PM.png?v=1739829425\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDVD:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_9860.jpg?v=1748970716\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwans 2025: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSchechter, Puleo, Hahn, Westberg, Pravdica, Mullins, Gira:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Swans_photo_for_website.png?v=1739891008\" alt='\"Swans 2025:\nSchechter, Puleo, Hahn, Westberg, Pravdica, Mullins, Gira.'\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"2CD + DVD","offer_id":49821292265774,"sku":"YGR_Birth_CD","price":19.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3LP + DVD","offer_id":49821292298542,"sku":"YGR_Birth_LP","price":47.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":52005892292910,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS-BIRTHING.jpg?v=1739669083"},{"product_id":"swans-live-rope-2xlive-cd","title":"SWANS LIVE ROPE 2xLIVE CD + Digital WAV","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e***CD ORDERS PLACED ON\/AFTER APRIL 22 WILL SHIP OUT AROUND JUNE 12***\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS • LIVE ROPE 2024 •\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eYGX2024\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e• INSERT TO CD SIGNED BY M.GIRA • \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecorded Live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (2024) and Den Haag, Netherlands (2023).\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLink to the archival LIVE ROPE 2024 FUNDRAISER PAGE \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/m-gira-special-projects\/products\/swans-live-rope-2024-fundraiser\" title=\"here.\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“With soul-lacerating commitment and relentless pursuit of our own truth through sound we Swans Schechter, Gira, Hahn, Mullins, Puleo, and Pravdica managed over the course of a year of rehearsing and improvisation and revision and reiteration and failure and resuscitation and endless touring to forge a set of music that was in the end inexplicable, especially to us. I'm not being mystical when I say that the sound we ultimately generated in our live performances became a living autonomous entity that played us like marionettes. I felt it, so I know it happened. So even though our physical and psychic dedication to the effort was crucial we can't in good faith take credit for the experience. We threw ourselves into the wind and the hand of God moved us forward. (I have no idea, for instance, how the 1st piece Rope\/The Beggar eventually grew into a continuous 82-minute performance). I remain astonished that music that often began with me sitting alone in my office strumming a battered and barely workable acoustic guitar, over time and through countless hours of communal sweat and blood and exhaustion and no small measure of ecstasy eventually rose full-bodied from the quotidian mud of existence and screamed its name to heaven. My hope now, with the music captured as faithfully as possible in these recordings, is that you will experience something of the joy we experienced while making it. God bless you! “ - \u003cem\u003eMichael Gira \/ Swans  2024\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2X DELUXE Digipack CD: Entire Williamsburg show, plus \"Cathedrals of Heaven\" from Den Haag show\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eCD1:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eRope, The Beggar (78:24) \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD2:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e The Hanging Man, Away, Birthing, Cathedrals of Heaven (69:28)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWAV FILE: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eEntire unedited* Williamsburg show plus \"Cathedrals of Heaven\", \"The Memorious\" and \"Leaving Meaning\" from Den Haag show\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRope, The Beggar, The Hanging Man, Away, Birthing, The Memorious, Cathedrals of Heaven, Leaving Meaning…  (total time approx. 3Hrs, 3 mins)\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Front Cover:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"695\" width=\"747\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_2024_LIVEROPE_CD_Front.jpg?v=1725376030\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Back Cover:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"695\" width=\"747\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_2024_LIVEROPE_CD_Back.jpg?v=1725044982\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Artwork:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"526\" width=\"927\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Screen_Shot_2024-09-03_at_1.02.38_PM.jpg?v=1725406207\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Insert Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"743\" width=\"748\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_CD_ROPE_Insert_v2.jpg?v=1725376143\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Insert Back (Signed by M. Gira):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg height=\"742\" width=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_CD_ROPE_Insert_v22.jpg?v=1725376143\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e\u003c\/center\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"2xLIVE CD","offer_id":51680123420974,"sku":"YG_LR_CD2","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"UNEDITED WAV FILE","offer_id":51680136364334,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_2024_LIVEROPE_CD_Front.jpg?v=1725376030"},{"product_id":"newly-sentient-being","title":"Newly Sentient Being","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS • NEWLY SENTIENT BEING •\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYG69\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDUE TO UNFORESEEN PRODUCTION DELAYS, GATEFOLD VINYL ORDERS WILL BEGIN SHIPPING MID-OCTOBER.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e--INSERT SIGNED BY M.GIRA--\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnsigned copies available via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mutebank.co.uk\/collections\/swans\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMute in the UK\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eGoodbye to this stellar version of Swans. Newly Sentient Being features superb recordings of Swans’ final concert of the “Big Sound” era, the apotheosis of 15 years of cosmic sonic expressionism, alternately heavenly and debased, visceral and transcendent. Recorded November 28, 2025, in Berlin. Over 2 ½ hours of music, includes a wealth of new material never recorded elsewhere and a DVD of the performance. Up there with the best of Swans’ legendary live records, they close this chapter with love and unbridled passion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\" class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“In 2010 I made the decision to reconvene my band, Swans, which I had, years earlier, killed out of frustration, disappointment and exhaustion. Now, I saw a light, a way forward for the music, and I decided to pursue it. Neither I, nor my collaborators in sound had any idea how things would eventually unfold, but it felt necessary and right, so we followed the music where it led. Turns out there was and is an audience for our music, which is often less than accessible in the popular sense of the term, but proved to be nevertheless compelling to a growing cadre of folks seeking the kind of unique experience we have offered. I believe we reached some pretty tremendous highs along the way, where the music became a raging, sentient autonomous beast that played us (and the audience\/listener), rather than the reverse. That was the goal all along, to lose ourselves in the swirl. It took a lot out of us, physically and psychically to reach the highest plateaus, but once there, there was nothing on earth like it, and I’m glad we did it. Now this phase is finished. There’s nowhere else to take it, but we seem to have ended on a particularly high note with our final tour of this (now passing) Swans era, and I believe these current recordings convey the sensations and experience of the unique world we forged. For the next phase, I’m moving Swans into something with a decidedly more humble and intimate musical palette, but here now I offer my praise to the righteous group of humans, the musicians that made our final foray into the sonic ether a reality: Norman Westberg, Dana Schechter, Phil Puleo, Larry Mullins, Kristof Hahn, Christopher Pravdica...and I was in there flailing somewhere too. “ - Michael Gira \/ Swans  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNewly Sentient Being \u003c\/em\u003esongs (Approximately 2 1\/2 hours of music):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe End of Forgetting\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eThe Merge\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eParadise is Mine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNewly Sentient 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Components:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_6331.jpg?v=1790885712\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_6332.jpg?v=1790885747\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Insert Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Berlin_Live_Vinyl_Insert-1.jpg?v=1784240290\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Insert Back:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Berlin_Live_Vinyl_Insert-back_copy.jpg?v=1784239970\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVinyl Sleeve Art Example:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Swans_Live_Berlin_Vinyl_Sleeve_7_8-1_copy.jpg?v=1784239996\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18\"x24\" Vinyl Poster:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Berlin_Vinyl_Postercopy.jpg?v=1784240435\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Digipack:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_6329.jpg?v=1790885796\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_6326.jpg?v=1790885796\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Live_Berlin_2025_3xCD.jpg?v=1784240140\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eCD Booklet Front:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_6328.jpg?v=1790885865\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Berlin_Live_CD_14panel_v2-1.jpg?v=1784240072\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCD Booklet Back:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/IMG_6327.jpg?v=1790885865\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/SWANS_Berlin_Live_CD_14panel_v2-2.jpg?v=1784240111\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwans 2025: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSchechter, Puleo, Hahn, Westberg, Pravdica, Mullins, Gira:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Dana_Schechter-Edit.jpg?v=1784240509\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Phil_Puleo.jpg?v=1784240529\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Kristof_Hahn-Edit.jpg?v=1784240553\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Norman_Westberg-Edit.jpg?v=1784240623\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Christopher_Pravdica-Edit.jpg?v=1784240652\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Larry_Mullins.jpg?v=1784240694\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/Michael_Gira-Edit_copy.jpg?v=1784240767\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/smellslikeinfinitesadness.com\/swans-newly-sentient-being-review\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNewly Sentient Being Review: Smells Like Infinite Sadness\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/smellslikeinfinitesadness.com\/swans-newly-sentient-being-review\/\"\u003ehttps:\/\/smellslikeinfinitesadness.com\/swans-newly-sentient-being-review\/\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSWANS\u003c\/strong\u003e’ new live album, \u003cem\u003eNewly Sentient Being\u003c\/em\u003e (Oct. 2, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/\"\u003eYoung God Records\u003c\/a\u003e), is the monumental final document of the band’s “Big Sound” era, capturing a group at the apotheosis of 15 years of extreme sonic expressionism, where beauty and brutality, transcendence and debasement have maintained an uneasy alliance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith only five songs stretched across more than two and a half hours, \u003cem\u003eNewly Sentient Being\u003c\/em\u003e is hardly a casual listen, but that is to be expected for a band as uncompromising as SWANS. It is a demanding but deeply rewarding immersion into the world \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/smellslikeinfinitesadness.com\/michael-gira-talks-new-swans-album-the-beggar\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMichael Gira\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e and his collaborators have spent the last decade and a half constructing. Recorded November 28, 2025, at Berlin’s Festsaal Kreuzberg, it feels like the closing chapter to one of the most affecting musical journeys of recent memory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince Gira resurrected SWANS in 2010, the band has produced an extraordinary sequence of albums and performances that have, remarkably, come to rival and in some respects eclipse the group’s already legendary earlier work. That is a remarkable statement considering the singular ferocity of Swans’ original output. Yet the “Big Sound” era developed its own language: colossal repetition, glacial builds, orchestral volume and hypnotic rhythms, in which songs ceased to behave like conventional compositions and became environments to inhabit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNewly Sentient Being\u003c\/em\u003e is the final and most definitive document of that approach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree of the five pieces are new compositions, while “The Merge” and “Paradise Is Mine” originated on 2025’s \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/smellslikeinfinitesadness.com\/swans-birthing-review\/\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBirthing\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003eand 2023’s \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/smellslikeinfinitesadness.com\/swans-the-beggar-review\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Beggar\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, respectively. As is SWANS’ modus operandi, these live renditions are not simply recreations of their studio counterparts. They mutate considerably, becoming longer, stranger and more volatile. The songs are less performed than subjected to the particular alchemy of the stage, where Gira’s band has rearranged the song’s innards while keeping the exoskeleton intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“The End of Forgetting” opens the album with a disorienting synthesizer introduction and a throbbing, heartbeat-like bass pulse. There is an almost dreamy atmosphere initially, conjuring strange wintry images as glacial lap steel gradually draws the listener into a trance. At around the 16-minute mark, however, the serenity begins to rot. Gira starts wailing as though speaking in tongues while ragged guitar distortion creeps into the mix and the drums become increasingly martial.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the 18-minute mark, the tension erupts into a violent orgasm of clattering percussion and screaming sonics, at one point resembling the sustained shriek of a dental drill. The assault continues for several minutes before suddenly collapsing back into something more serene, though Gira’s bleating vocals prevent the calm from ever becoming entirely comforting. The song drifts into something resembling a sea shanty before dissolving into waves of volume swells and a seasick shoegaze dirge. It gradually builds again, only to finally disappear into a hush.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf “The End of Forgetting” establishes the album’s aquatic and elemental character, “The Merge” throws the listener directly into the undertow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeginning with a sinister bassline, clattering drums and a frenzied guitar riff that sounds like a bee buzzing angrily before delivering its inevitable sting, the song is an exercise in sustained distress. Another guitar seems to approximate the outcry that follows the sting. It is a patience tester, certainly, but that patience is precisely the point. Swans have always understood that anticipation can be as powerful as release, and the music reaches such urgent, escalating waves of angst that you can practically feel your blood pressure rising simply by listening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter more than 13 minutes, the initial intensity finally subsides, giving way to a comparatively jazzy groove beneath Gira’s intimidating delivery. “BLACK WATER!” he bellows as scything guitars cut through the proceedings like razor blades before the entire performance erupts into a full-blown noise-rock seizure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen, almost perversely, it evaporates into a queasy sideways melody as Gira sings of a broken body being tied into a knot, thrown into water and drowned, continuing the aquatic lyrical imagery that permeates the album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat theme isn’t incidental. Water, drowning, birth, death and transformation recur throughout the album, creating the sensation that the listener is being pulled to enormous subterranean depths. There is rarely solid ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Paradise Is Mine,” is comparatively brief at under 15 minutes. It begins with strange, almost nonsensical vocalizations before slowly building an atmosphere of terror.  The performance is transfixing and knowing this is effectively the final live rendition of the song adds another layer of finality to the proceedings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen comes the album’s centerpiece and longest track. “Newly Sentient Being”, clocking in at almost an hour, is one of the most labyrinthine and harrowing compositions the band has ever performed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeginning with dulcimer, the song slowly develops into a swirling whirlpool of sound. The instrumentation creates an oceanic soundscape that seems to approximate a growing tidal wave, with ghostly choral voices hovering somewhere above the storm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround the midpoint, a relatively conventional, at least by SWANS standards, guitar riff and drum pattern emerges. It is lurching and sinister, but its comparatively recognizable structure only makes the surrounding chaos feel more unstable. The tension never relents. Instead, the song coils and uncoils like a snake enveloping its prey, gradually increasing in tempo and intensity until it resembles a frenzied occult ritual approaching its sacrificial stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA manic drum solo provides the violent climax before the music finally begins to ebb, evaporating into an aural vapor trail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final track, “The End of Regretting,” provides something resembling tranquility, although SWANS’ definition of tranquility remains considerably more ominous and fragile than most bands. Whispered vocals gradually become tauter as sounds resembling scurrying spider legs emerge from the mix. Near the end, a guitar lumbers into the picture like a chainsaw while another unidentified sound, one of many exotic instrumental textures scattered throughout the record, buzzes like an unrepentant mosquito. An Ennio Morricone-esque burst of harmonica eventually signals the song’s (and album’s) seismic conclusion. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGira’s goal for this incarnation was not simply to perform, but to allow the band (and the listener) to lose themselves inside the music, to inhabit its heady atmosphere, allowing volume, repetition, physical endurance and collective improvisational force to create something larger than the sum of its parts. And that intent is delivered tenfold on this release. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere have been plenty of great live SWANS records, but \u003cem\u003eNewly Sentient Being\u003c\/em\u003e ranks alongside the band’s most essential. It captures the final performance of a particular group of musicians who spent 15 years developing one of the most overwhelming live experiences in contemporary music. Norman Westberg, Dana Schechter, Phil Puleo, Larry Mullins, Kristof Hahn, Christopher Pravdica and Gira himself didn’t simply provide accompaniment to these songs. They constructed the enormous musical organism Gira envisioned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four-vinyl set, accompanied by a DVD of the Berlin performance, gives this final concert the physical scale it deserves, and encapsulates what made this era so extraordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGira has said that there is nowhere else to take this particular incarnation of the group, and that the next phase will employ a “decidedly more humble and intimate musical palette.” The mind reels at the possibilities inherent in SWANS’ switching gears, but whatever that future brings, \u003cem\u003eNewly Sentient Being\u003c\/em\u003e stands as the ultimate monument to what came before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/beatsperminute.com\/live-review-swans-at-festaal-kreuzberg-berlin-27-november-2025\/\"\u003eLive Review: Swans at Festaal Kreuzberg, Berlin – 27 November 2025\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/beatsperminute.com\/\"\u003ehttp:\/\/beatsperminute.com\/\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Wohlmacher · December 11, 2025\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSwans are dead, again – at least in what could be their most renowned iteration. The multi-generational, legendary group that Michael Gira has led for over four decades as always prone to transformation, both in their member configuration and aesthetic expression. But the chapter Gira himself has deemed their “big sound era”, starting soon after their comeback in 2010 and finding their footing on 2012’s The Seer seems irreversibly closed. Gira himself has attributed this to the spiritual and physical limits introduced by the roughly 15 years of enveloping the project in deafening sound. That, and Gira is now 71, by all accounts has an infant son and a teenage daughter and, likely, deserves a breather from the ceaseless touring and recording schedule of that dominated his life and was only cut short by the lockdown and a painful accident thereafter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo this is it: one last tour to send off this iteration of Swans, and then – something gentler and calmer, assumedly. For the occasion of the group’s swan song, Gira has chosen Berlin for a two-night farewell. The city is not only home to lap-steel guitar player Kristof Hahn, but also where most of the group’s recent output was recorded – and where the band found a massive, cross-generational fanbase. So it makes sense to finish things here, in the intimate, leisure Festsaal Kreuzberg (or its second iteration, after the original, legendary ballroom burned down many years ago). I was lucky to witness the first of the two nights.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaving seen Gira perform a few times solo and with Swans at the end of the Glowing Man tour, I am well aware that their reputation of being the loudest thing in live music is well earned and – given my own limitations thanks to constant front row placement – am seeking an overlook position right at the very top in the back – in a place so small all the more pleasant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the group took the stage, Gira quickly thanked the audience, and revealed his one request to the crowd: to not film the stage. As the group started to slowly sink into droning ambience, I took a deep breath and let the music carry me…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat followed were over two and a half hours of music, in total just five songs with an intensity and euphoric density that eclipsed that of the previous Gira-led shows I witnessed! In emotional intensity, the concert was often closer to a tribal ritual than musical expression usually allows. Had you been there, you would have likely watched me wildly dance and shake about – to me, it seemed impossible to take the music without such wild movements (a large number of audience members on the back platforms seemed to agree). I had seen Swans before, this time was different. There was no sudden break in the music to allow Gira to berate audience members, no annoying drunks, just pure concentration on and off stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The End of Forgetting” opened the concert with a slow, steady drone that built itself up into a slow groove of sleigh-bell infused Americana, over which Gira’s voice towered like a Western character. Then, introducing a snare-led marching rhythm that continued to become faster and faster, the section finally climaxed in a maelstrom of guitar noise and ceaseless, crushing staccato drumming, which pulsed in itself. Drummer Phil Puleo immediately introduced himself as invaluable with this track, his drumming of an unimaginable precision and dynamic. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe onslaught continued for about five minutes, at some point so intense it seemed impossible to take, but constantly pushed the audience further into its spiralling madness, before it suddenly broke down, allowing Gira to sing a solemn folk section, to lead to the main movement of the song, where the band joined him. Gira over and over repeated: “Begin again, begin again…”, finally sinking into an Ennio Morricone-type composition. A beautiful, immense beast, “The End of Forgetting” is one of two new compositions Gira brought to the tour – hard to imagine it could possibly be contained in a studio. After roughly 35 minutes, the journey ended in a euphoric climactic expression of power, and moved to the only track off Birthing the band picked: “The Merge”.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCutting the introductory noise collage, the band immediately dived into the crushing rhythm part of Puleo and twin bass-parts of Chris Pravdica and Dana Schechter. Their riff is nothing short of evil, with a tone that is outright diabolical. While both sunk into the groove, Gira got up from his usual sitting position to conduct Puleo and percussionist Larry Mullins with his arms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eQuickly, the frontman caught an audience member filming, and – without the band breaking off – ordered him inaudibly to put it away, sliding his finger across his throat. \u003cbr\u003eAs intensity built, Gira transformed into a shaman, swinging his arms about, ordering Hahn to enter with the lap steel, then signaling to formative guitarist Norman Westberg to enter with his crushing, swirling, industrial guitar tone. “The Merge” interrupted into the blind joy of repetition, as the audience went along, dancing wildly, as Gira stared into the upper lights, shaking. For a long time, I lost myself in the dance, as the guitar tones started swirling and jabbing over the incessant, complex rhythm – when I next looked at the stage, Gira had picked up his acoustic guitar, swinging it like a weapon over the heads of the front rows, pointing and seemingly swearing at the dancers over the almost unbearably intense noise: a mad, wild god! And of the two and a half hours, we just crossed the 45 minute mark!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe jazzy, second section that followed dived into the territory of early Pink Floyd, ca. “Set the Controls to the Heart of the Sun”, with Mullins providing synthesiser layers to the charismatic drumming, while Westberg, Hahn and Schechter’s additional lap steel indulged in psychedelia. If anything, the track proved the immense value of Gira as storyteller, as the band crafted a basis for his teutonic vocals. The closing section moved even closer to the late 60s, returning the dual bass as central focus and adding occasional echo to the drums, allowing once more for the same deep, mystical feeling of early Floyd shows. All the while, Gira hunkered down, gesticulating forward, as if controlling the tides of a massive ocean. When, after the spoken word section, Hahn and Westberg finally joined in, the proximity to Velvet Underground seemed impossible to miss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSeventy minutes into the show, The Beggar track “Paradise is Mine” felt almost short at about 12 minutes in length. If there was such a thing as a “breather” moment at this concert: this was likely it. Harbouring the gloomy, ghost-town atmosphere of an early Godspeed track, the song allowed the band a classic post-rock dynamic of slow build-up to a heavy finish. It was a brief moment of relaxation, as the song could be followed from point A to B with no further complexities or complications, and after finishing, Gira allowed himself a brief yodel to the audience… \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e…It’s hard to describe this (final) new track, deemed “Newly Sentient Being”, fully – the song created a world and dynamic all of its own, at times feeling more like a conceptual narrative work, a short story or film. Here, the band fully immersed themselves into a multitude of atmospheric and sonic effects right off the gate, once more returning to what is likely Gira’s formative influences of psychedelic 60s rock music. The crushing buildup that followed had Gira drive Puelo to full free jazz territory, as his drumming was as precise as it was seemingly unstable, skidding purposefully and finding sudden flaws in the structure, just to close them again. \u003cbr\u003eOnce this part was finished, the band broke into a haunting, electronic backdrop, embodying cosmic or oceanic depths. From there, Gira started a wave-like movement with his body, which had the band ebb and rise, again and again, over and over, until he turned and extended this movement to the audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Gira returned to the role of storyteller – reflecting on the cosmos creation itself – the band added strange, incidental wooden sounds and hovering guitar notes. Pink Floyd’s never-studio recorded live-show “The Massed Gadgets of Anaximenes” came to mind, where the group explored the human routine in contrast to spiritual powers and the elemental nature of the cosmos. Then, the guitars and drums cut in, almost reminding of certain gothic post-punk bands like Fields of the Nephilim or Bauhaus. \u003cbr\u003eAll the while the band continued the swirling backdrop, before diverting into a sharp punk section, somewhere between Pink Floyd and Public Image Ltd. It is inescapably brilliant, like a perfection of what Syd Barrett was thriving for with “Astronomy Domine”, or a more brutalist “The National Anthem” off Kid A. Becoming louder and louder, this section is like nothing in Swans’ canon so far and – while being in its presence – truly feels as if the band has found a moment where their entire body of work folds in on itself. When it finally ended, with Puelo and Mullens drumming a marching rhythm on their snares, the song seemed to have reached its conclusion – but Gira drove it on still, shifting the track into solemn, cosmic Americana. Aided by swirling guitar tones and Pravda’s expressive bass, the song almost drifted into full-on ambient, expressing a forlorn, longing sadness. As Gira returned to vocals, the image of great plains and blood-soaked sand seemed inevitable. “There is light”, he sand, then lifted a harmonica and started playing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was a moment of immense grace. At this point, it seemed as if time itself only existed to mark the inevitability of this concert ending, yet Gira continued, started whistling the lead melody, a lone man in the shadow of eternity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is in these final moments of the song that it became inevitable to argue that this final tour might be Swans’ best yet, as Gira lifted himself and, almost drunkenly, mouthed quietly along to the track, “Bah bah bah… thereeeeeeeeeee…” At 71, he seemed all the more conscious of his age for a second, and then, suddenly, the track drifted into echoing dub. Quietly, strangely, Swans ended the show. In one final ironic twist, Gira asked for the lights to be turned on – and immediately regretted it: “Argh… not on me, the audience”, he grumbled, as he tried to shield himself from the brightness. A man that, for all his career, has asked for this moment of discomfort and shock, to strangle and bludgeon the rooms he inhabits during his shows to – at the finale – be blinded into submission by the stage lights, is almost poetic. As the crowd erupted, Gira gave it one deep, long bow, waving goodbye.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis might not be the end of Swans – in fact, Gira has already confirmed that, after a year-long break, the band will return, albeit in a new, “stripped down” form, which needs to still determine itself. But it is a farewell to this entity of unbelievable, violent grace. And honestly, judging from this show, it might be a goodbye at their very best – the closest many in the room will ever come to an experience of seeing early Velvet Underground or Pink Floyd or Miles Davis: pure elysium! Uncaringly, the night rolled in, as Swans exited the stage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-right: -67.5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; margin-left: -1.0in;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWANS","offers":[{"title":"Ltd Ed. 4LP + 2CD + DVD Boxset","offer_id":52307220463918,"sku":"YGR_NSB_Box","price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"4LP Gatefold + DVD","offer_id":52307211387182,"sku":"YGR_NSB_4LP","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2CD + DVD","offer_id":52307211354414,"sku":"YGR_NSB_CD","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"WAVs","offer_id":52307211419950,"sku":null,"price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0397\/1609\/files\/YG69_front_cover.jpg?v=1784238855"}],"url":"https:\/\/younggodrecords.com\/collections\/swans.oembed?page=2","provider":"YOUNG GOD RECORDS","version":"1.0","type":"link"}