Not Here/Not Now (Handmade 2CD) Sold Out!

Swans

YG6969

SWANS • NOT HERE / NOT NOW 2XCD 
Hand Made and Assembled

SOLD OUT

The 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. 

OPTIONS TO BUY THE LIVE 2XCD AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE RECORDING OF THE NEW SWANS ALBUM (AS YET UNTITLED) AND IN PROGRESS :

1. 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 

2.  as above AND RECEIVE 2xcd deluxe digi-pack signed version of (untitled) new Swans album immediately upon release: $55 

3. 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

4. as in OPTION 3 AND RECEIVE “executive producer” credit in upcoming swans studio album - $100

5. 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 

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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. 

Thanks for your support!
If 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!

 

FOR 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.  

CD1: 1.To Be Kind  2. Just a Little Boy  3. Coward  4. She Loves Us!  5. Oxygen… 
CD2: 1. The Seer / Bring the Sun / Toussaint L’ouverture  2. Nathalie Neal  3. Kirsten Supine (demo)  4. Screen Shot (demo)…

SWANS: 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.

    

    

These 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.

At 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. 

As 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!

Not 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 

HERE ARE SOME IMAGES THAT SHOW THE PROCESS OF MAKING THIS SPECIAL EDITION:

1. MG original drawing and concept sent to nicole 

2. MG showing the hammer type that should be used

3. Nicole’s original sketch

4. Nicole’s first print, and woodblock

5. Each one gets a wash of white ink, then it’s printed upon

6. Nicole, in the process of printing 2000, a movie...,

7.  a pile of white ink-prepped envelopes

8.  in the midst of printing...

9. Nicole has sent them to MG, now he is personalizing and signing

10. MG signing etc. it goes on forever. things could get ugly

11. 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...

12. MG steams each one open. again. again. again....

Random 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.