{"title":"Swans","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSwans is a band from New York City, active from 1982 to 1997 and reformed in 2010. Founded and led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira, Swans was marginally associated with the no wave scene initially. Their original sound was slow and extremely heavy, showcased on the live album \"Public Castration Is a Good Idea.\" As time went on, their music evolved with faster tempos and increased use of drum machines and samples. The addition of vocalist Jarboe expanded their sonic range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter breaking up in 1997, Swans made a comeback in 2010 under Michael Gira's leadership. However, one notable change was that Jarboe did not join the post-reunion lineup. This resulted in tonal differences between their newer albums and their earlier works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDiscover the unique journey of Swans as they pushed boundaries within the music industry through their distinct sound and artistic vision. Explore their discography to experience the evolution of this influential band that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"soundtracks-for-the-blind","title":"Soundtracks for the Blind","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in 1996, and the band’s last studio album prior to their 2010 reformation. As dramatic excursions go, \u003ci\u003eSoundtracks for the Blind\u003c\/i\u003e equals the best. Running over two-and-a-half-hours, this would be a grueling enough listen even without the bejeweled brilliance of the ten actual songs nestled among the found-soundscapes, ambient decompositions and twisted electronic noises that constitute the album's remaining sixteen fragments. What is hard to convey in print however, is the flow of the album as a whole, the manner in which a vocal track alternates with an instrumental, the carefully crafted ordering which, ultimately, does so much to gloriously disorient the listener. soundtracks' sheer length and immensity are its own best explanation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x4","offer_id":50383265235275,"sku":"1036493","price":64.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP | x4","offer_id":50383251243339,"sku":"1145365","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD | x3","offer_id":50383262515531,"sku":"1036492","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9595d103-27eb-4131-a534-6c3b6422a914_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726266026"},{"product_id":"the-glowing-man","title":"The Glowing Man","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter 2014's epic \u003cem\u003eTo Be Kind\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e return with a new album, \u003cem\u003eThe Glowing Man\u003c\/em\u003e, announced as the last album release of Swans' current incarnation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Glowing Man\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded at Sonic Ranch, near El Paso, Texas, with John Congleton as recording engineer. Further recordings were made in Dallas, Seattle, and Berlin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e, led by Michael Gira, formed in 1982 and, after disbanding in 1997, returned with the critically acclaimed albums \u003cem\u003eMy Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky\u003c\/em\u003e (2010), 2012's \u003cem\u003eThe Seer\u003c\/em\u003e, and 2014's \u003cem\u003eTo Be Kind\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50416373268811,"sku":"400969","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD | x3","offer_id":50416374153547,"sku":"400970","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP | x3","offer_id":50416374612299,"sku":"400971","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/934d9d2f-11b1-4cd8-a059-1c71a938f694_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726702468"},{"product_id":"the-great-annihilator","title":"The Great Annihilator","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans release a remastered reissue of their ninth studio album, \u003ci\u003eThe Great Annihilator,\u003c\/i\u003e on Mute \/ Young God Records. \u003ci\u003eThe Great Annihilator\u003c\/i\u003e, originally released in 1995 and described at the time as “…a majestic symphony of haunting melodies and shifting moods” [SF Bay Guardian], is released on double vinyl and as a 2CD set. Both the vinyl (in the form of a download code) and CD feature \u003ci\u003eDrainland\u003c\/i\u003e, Michael Gira’s debut solo album recorded at the same time as \u003ci\u003eThe Great Annihilator\u003c\/i\u003e. The album was entirely remastered by Doug Henderson, but only after Bill Rieflin (“honorary Swan“ a revelation of great sonic effect”. Talking about the recording, Gira said “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.” \u003ci\u003eThe Great Annihilator\u003c\/i\u003e line up features: Michael Gira, Jarboe, Bill Rieflin, Algis.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50416742367563,"sku":"1008183","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50416741187915,"sku":"1008182","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/98b70a97-0c4d-4576-abbe-50107bc1295b_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1726709206"},{"product_id":"where-does-a-body-end","title":"Where Does A Body End?","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans has always been a collection of singular performers, but there’s been one constant since its formation in 1982 - singer and 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\u003ci\u003e. Where Does A Body End?\u003c\/i\u003e 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. 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 band mate Thor Harris notes, “Michael is not a fearless person, but he is a fearless artist.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wienerworld","offers":[{"title":"Blu-ray","offer_id":50421852537163,"sku":"1102049","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"DVD","offer_id":50421854830923,"sku":"1102048","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/27e76dc4-0961-4f46-af7a-d63a811dfdc9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726761040"},{"product_id":"to-be-kind","title":"To Be Kind","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans sign to Mute and release a new album 'To Be Kind'. 'To Be Kind' contains 10 new Swans songs that - like their Homeric last album, 2012's 'The Seer' - will punish and reward listeners for more than two hours. Some songs are quite melodic and the emotions are not so severe. The shortest song lasts eight minutes, the longest, whilst 'Bring the Sun,' is a full 35 minutes. Special Guests for this record include (among many others): Little Annie (Annie sang a duet with Gira 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 too many instruments to list here, 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).Double CD - ​10 Tracks.CD \/ DVD - 10 Track Double CD plus a DVD of Swans live 2013 Primavera.Triple Vinyl - 10 Tracks plus Download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50424641814859,"sku":"374696","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP | x3","offer_id":50424642109771,"sku":"374698","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50424642994507,"sku":"374697","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/e3be3c44-b159-4a7e-afa5-ff3ee2a20801_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726780988"},{"product_id":"leaving-meaning","title":"leaving meaning.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeaving Meaning\u003c\/i\u003e is the band’s fifteenth studio album, the follow up to 2016’s \u003ci\u003eThe Glowing Man\u003c\/i\u003e. Written and produced by Michael Gira, the album features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light as well as Anna and Maria von Hausswolff, Ben Frost, The Necks, Baby Dee and Jennifer Gira. Michael Gira explains, “Leaving Meaning is the first Swans album to be released since I dissolved the lineup 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. They’re all people whose work I admire and whose company I personally enjoy.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP | x2","offer_id":50441200632139,"sku":"1074820","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50441201254731,"sku":"1074819","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/48746e70-a547-4470-a39e-9ffc17f26c10_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726974823"},{"product_id":"filth","title":"Filth","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans' debut album re-mastered and reissued on vinyl, including two reproduction live posters and download. The first in a series of re-mastered catalogue reissues. 'Filth' was originally released in 1983 and is an exhausting exercise in the art of noise terrorism and gruesome, destructive, hate-filled bashing of humanity. Still sounds as immense as the day it was originally released on Neutral Records.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50447186100555,"sku":"381617","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a910e5c5-2c61-4561-8066-c14523d02cd2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727073211"},{"product_id":"the-seer","title":"The Seer","description":"\u003cp\u003eReissue of this 2012 release. An unfolding, cosmic heave of bliss, love, blood and light for true seekers of oblivion through sound. Special guests include Jarboe, Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker (Low), Karen O, Akron \/ Family, Big Blood, many more. '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. The 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. Despite 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!' - Michael Gira.Double CDDouble CD with bonus 40 minute DVDTriple LP set.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"CD | x3","offer_id":50467382198603,"sku":"372664","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50467386622283,"sku":"372663","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LPx3","offer_id":50467387900235,"sku":"372665","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/90baf362-2254-404c-a7fe-60a5a8b40ff2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727337574"},{"product_id":"white-light-from-the-mouth-of-infinity-love-of-life","title":"White Light From the Mouth of Infinity \/ Love of Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans continue their remastered reissues series on Mute \/ Young God Records with the release of 'White Light from the Mouth of Infinity' and 'Love of Life'. 'White Light from the Mouth of Infinity', Swans' seventh studio album originally released in 1991, is considered the starting point for the second section of Swans' inimitable history. 'Love of Life', the band's eighth studio album, followed soon after in 1992. 3CD - Featuring 'White Light From the Mouth of Infinity' and 'Love of Life' plus 18 track Bonus CD.3LP - Limited edition 2500 micron black lined box - with original logo in silver foil block in black paper - will also includes 2 rare posters, a CD of outtakes, rarities, contemporaneous live recordings and a download code for both albums.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"CD | x3","offer_id":50482483724619,"sku":"395289","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP | x3","offer_id":50482484576587,"sku":"395290","price":41.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c5bfd043-ebd6-462e-b6c5-1f3ff731ae75_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727552761"},{"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\u003eReissue on Mute of the 2010 album. After a 13-year hiatus Swans prove they've still got it Michael Gira's decision to revive Swans after a 13-year hiatus pays dividends with this striking, often startling, album that marries the brutalism of 'Greed', the lyricism of 'Love Of Life' and 'Soundtracks Of The Blind''s bold experimentation. The charmingly-titled 'You Fucking People Make Me Sick' features a creepy turn by Gira protege Devendra Banhart, 'Jim', a tribute song to musical maverick Foetus, has a wonderfully unexpected 'na-na-na-na' chorus, while the cacophonous opening of 'No Words \/ No Thoughts' and the pulverising guitar barrage of 'Eden Prison' is beauty at its very bleakest. Make no mistake, Gira has his mojo back and Swans are very much alive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50491481915723,"sku":"372601","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50491482964299,"sku":"372602","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/629231ba-636c-43c9-b651-80d93c828525_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727686931"},{"product_id":"love-of-life","title":"Love of Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans' classic album 'Love of Life' (1992) now re-mastered and reissued as a deluxe vinyl edition with an exclusive poster and digital download code. The download includes 18 bonus tracks. 'Love of Life', the band's eighth studio album, followed soon after in 1992. 'Love of Life' continues the astounding creative roll Swans found themselves on. The title track has a quick, rushed pace and pulse, with stabs of further percussion and keyboards to provide underscoring energy to Gira's excellent singing, while 'The Golden Boy That Was Swallowed by the Sea' captures Swans at their most self-consciously mythic, with a subtly descending chord defining the sweeping, string-heavy song as Gira invokes near Blakean images of crowds, shorelines, and the titular boy, laden with deceptively simple power. Jarboe's own vocals, as ever, are exquisite, investing 'The Other Side of the World' and her own lyric 'She Crys (For Spider)' with her beautiful, rich singing. With such further successes as the first gentle then pounding love song 'Her' (combined with a poignant interview clip) and the snarling kick of 'Amnesia' to its overall credit as well, 'Love of Life' unsurprisingly proves to be yet another Swans masterpiece.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50493506453835,"sku":"397330","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/d5f7cc45-e37d-47d9-a510-721f14a7789d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727698478"},{"product_id":"feel-good-now","title":"Feel Good Now","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans’ second live album \u003ci\u003eFeel Good Now\u003c\/i\u003e is available on vinyl for the first time since its original limited edition release in 1988, via Mute \/ Young God Records.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eFeel Good Now\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of live recordings from their 1987 European tour, recorded by the band's sound engineer on a Sony Professional Walkman, with many of the tracks being from their album Children of God, which was released the same year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis follows the re-release of their first live album \u003ci\u003ePublic Castration Is a Good Idea\u003c\/i\u003e and their brand new album \u003ci\u003eThe Beggar\u003c\/i\u003e, released in June 2023. Led by Michael Gira, Swans formed in 1982 and have produced a series of diverse albums both before their disbandment in 1997 and after their reformation in 2010. During this time Swans have made their mark as masters of their craft and are an  influential band for countless experimental and post-rock acts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50507314397515,"sku":"2053782","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Feel_Good_Now_2020_Remaster_ed3c28d5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727846928"},{"product_id":"the-beggar","title":"The Beggar","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans present their sixteenth studio album \u003ci\u003eThe Beggar\u003c\/i\u003e.  \u003ci\u003eThe Beggar\u003c\/i\u003e was written and produced by founding member Michael Gira and features contributions from recent and former Swans members, members of Angels Of Light, as well as guest Swan Ben Frost. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Following 2019’s\u003ci\u003e  leaving meaning\u003c\/i\u003e, the album emerged from the 2020 lockdown with Micheal explaining, “after numerous pandemic-induced cancellations of tours for the previous Swans album leaving meaning, 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\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"CD | x2","offer_id":50518584885579,"sku":"2019019","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP | x2","offer_id":50518585213259,"sku":"2019070","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Swans_BeggarCoverDigital_57d0cd22_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727962233"},{"product_id":"children-of-god","title":"Children of God","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in October 1987 on the Mute subsidiary Product Inc and reissued first in 1997, \u003ci\u003eChildren of God\u003c\/i\u003e is a brand new remaster of the album and is packaged with a bonus live album, \u003ci\u003eFeel Good Now\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50521218842955,"sku":"1102478","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CDx2","offer_id":50521219170635,"sku":"1102477","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/5a7da9e8-9050-47f9-9bd9-70eddfe2e20d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727989442"},{"product_id":"public-castration-is-a-good-idea","title":"Public Castration is a Good Idea","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans’ live album, \u003ci\u003ePublic Castration Is A Good Idea,\u003c\/i\u003e originally released as a bootleg in 1986, is now available officially for the first time ever, via Young God Records. Led by Michael Gira, Swans formed in 1982 and produced a series of diverse albums before their dispersion in 1997 and after their reformation in 2010. During this time Swans have made their mark as masters of their craft and have since become an influential band for countless experimental and post rock acts. The record includes a number of live recordings from shows across multiple venues in the UK in support of the release of \u003ci\u003eHoly Money \u003c\/i\u003ein 1986, featuring tracks from that album along with ‘Greed’.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Young God Records","offers":[{"title":"LP | x2","offer_id":50531137683787,"sku":"2003463","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Public_Castration_Is_a_Good_Idea_Live_cdbb20cc_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728096330"},{"product_id":"birthing","title":"Birthing","description":"\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.roughtrade.com\/browse\/albums-of-the-year-2025\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlbums of the Year 2025: #53\n\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e return with \u003cem\u003eBirthing\u003c\/em\u003e, the latest album developed over the course of a yearlong 2023–2024 tour. \u003cem\u003eBirthing\u003c\/em\u003e is released via Mute and Young God Records.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe initial pressings of the deluxe vinyl and CD include a bonus DVD featuring \u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e Live 2024 (Rope) The Beggar, a concert film by Marco Porsia documenting the band's most recent US tour. The DVD also includes \u003cem\u003eI Wonder If I’m Singing What You’re Thinking Me To Sing\u003c\/em\u003e, a documentary by Christopher Nicholson following \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Gira’s\u003c\/strong\u003e 2022 solo tour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRefined through relentless improvisation and live performance, as well as newly composed studio pieces, \u003cem\u003eBirthing\u003c\/em\u003e is a testament to \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Gira’s\u003c\/strong\u003e uncompromising sonic vision. Beginning as skeletal acoustic compositions, the songs were gradually expanded and transformed in the studio with longtime live members and collaborators.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“This album, coupled with the recent live release, \u003cem\u003eLive Rope\u003c\/em\u003e, 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. After that, \u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.” – \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Gira\u003c\/strong\u003e \/ \u003cstrong\u003eSwans\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eProduced by \u003cstrong\u003eGira\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBirthing\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded at Soundfabrik Berlin, mixed at Candy Bomber Studio by Ingo Krauss, and mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"2CD \/ DVD","offer_id":51324769304907,"sku":"R1446-2673","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"3LP \/ DVD","offer_id":51324769337675,"sku":"R1446-2674","price":54.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2CD","offer_id":55881744122187,"sku":"R1446-2767","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/SWANS_Birthing_44570c33-1700-4fd2-b1f6-fbddedd58616.jpg?v=1752286974"},{"product_id":"live-rope","title":"Live Rope","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in November 2024 as a physical only, limited edition physical boxset, Swans’ \u003ci\u003eLive Rope\u003c\/i\u003e is now being made on CD at retail. A document of the band’s US\/EU 2023-24 live tours, this material laid the blueprint for the band’s most recent studio album, \u003ci\u003eBirthing,\u003c\/i\u003e released May 2025. Spanning almost 3 hours of trance-inducing melodies that morph into dense walls of sound, the album is anchored by Gira’s unmistakable vocals and crafted with longtime collaborators on lap steel, bass, Mellotron and dynamic percussion. Gira proclaims the album was forged” with soul-lacerating commitment and relentless pursuit of our own truth through sound…”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"2CD","offer_id":57085992141131,"sku":"R2609-5755","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/LiveRope.jpg?v=1776791493"},{"product_id":"newly-sentient-being","title":"Newly Sentient Being","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwans bow out from the “Big Sound” era with a live document that feels like both farewell and peak statement. Capturing the final concert of this phase, it brings together fifteen years of cosmic sonic expressionism at its most heavenly, debased, visceral and transcendent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross more than two and a half hours of music, this set includes a wealth of new material never recorded elsewhere, plus a DVD of the performance. It stands proudly alongside Swans’ legendary live records, closing this chapter with love and unbridled passion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fitting goodbye to this stellar line-up: Norman Westberg, Michael Gira, Dana Schechter, Phil Puleo, Pravdica, Larry Mullins and Kristof Hahn.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mute","offers":[{"title":"4LP \/ DVD","offer_id":57904963748171,"sku":"R3197-8574","price":94.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2CD \/ DVD","offer_id":57904963780939,"sku":"R3197-0830","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Swans-NewlySentientBeing_1080.jpg?v=1784549103"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_bc55195a_thumbnail_4096_e35d3bea-987e-4d98-8aad-b9201572a510.jpg?v=1726265987","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/swans.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}