Swans
Images are sometimes not shown due to bandwidth/network limitations. Refreshing the page usually helps.
You are currently reading a thread in /mu/ - Music
You are currently reading a thread in /mu/ - Music
What is the best swans record and why is it this?
>>65223394
Sorry OP here meant to post this
Accessible and focused, has some legit bangers, perfect entrypoint, your normie friends could potentially get into it too.
>>65223418
Ur dumb
>>65223424
No ur dumb
>>65223442
No u
>>65223532
No u
>>65223394
1. The Seer
2. To Be Kind
3. The Glowing Man
4. Soundtracks For The Blind
5. My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
>>65223965
Still haven't listened to The Seer yet. Saving it for offline play on Spotify rn so I cam listen to it on my really long car ride later
>>65223965
lol no
1. SftB
2. The Seer / To Be Kind
3. the one not picked above
3. Public Castration
4. Children of God
5. White Light
>>65223965
>>65224015
>no Swans are Dead
>mfw
>>65223965
>3. The Glowing Man
It's not even out yet, anon.
>>65224012
You're in for a treat, but be prepared to be freaked out. It has some of the most disturbing stuff they've done.
Protip: Listen to it while walking through a forest at night
>>65224124
Based on the stuff I've heard it's already top 3 for me
>>65224153
agreed the album is like some primitive blood magic ritual or something, very tribal at times... woods are perfect place... do this anon
>>65224153
>Protip: Listen to it while walking through a forest at night
stop
>>65224195
>stop
no
>>65224153
Alright, anon. I'll save it for when I get to where I'm going.
>>65224184
I know what you guys are talking about. I kinda missed this "tribal vibe" on To Be Kind, but oh well, it's s great album on it's own.
>>65224287
Yeah, but To Be Kind has this religious, desert kinda feel which is neat.
>>65223965
>everything post-reformation and STFB because it's well-known
This is the most P4K, /mu/drone, last.fm internet teenager opinion I've ever fucking seen.
Fucking reconsider whether you actually like music or not.
>>65224465
Not a /mu/drone by far, and I hate p4k.
I just think the music they make now is more intense and evokes more feelings than the stuff from the 80's. I still like their 80's output though.
>>65223423
>legit bangers
stop
>>65223965
>>65224537
i agree, you have bad taste
>>65223394
before i knew experimental music, i thought they were like the best thing in music. after i listened to more experimental music, i found out that their music isn't that good. gira is like trying so hard to really be artsy and stuffs. but i can't deny i really enjoyed Filth and The Seer. and fuck Sonic Youth they're trash except Confusion is Sex.
>>65224837
>before I became an avant teen /mu/ drone I liked swans
ftfy
1. Soundtracks For The Blind
2. Love of Life
3. Swans Are Dead
4. The seer
5. To Be Kind
why are you still listening to music made my a rapist dude
>>65224465
>someone likes something popular it must because he's a p4k/fantanodrone and a shit taste pleb
reconsider why you're listening to music and also end your fucking shitty life you turbo fucking plebeian
>>65224465
If you think even for a second that pre- reformation Swans is better than The Seer or To Be Kind, then you sir are the plebeian.
>>65225157
>you sir
Found the redditor.
>>65224975
thanks. pretty accurate, except i'm not a teen and i was honest, not exaggerating or being pretentious.
>>65225223
19 is a teen, anon
1) Soundtracks For The Blind
2) To Be Kind
3) The Seer
>>65225241
you're right. but i'm 23
>>65225567
then that's even more embarrassing
but you're probably lying about your age anyway so don't worry, you'll grow out of it
cuz Scaruffi is never wrong
>>65228024
How do I into this album?
I love Swans, almost all of their albums, but I can't seem to get into this one
>>65226560
Give him a break, he probably still lives with his mom.
>>65228164
>I can't seem to get into this one
Then don't. What's with this trend of forcing yourself into liking something?
Do you get an extra blowjob at the local whorehouse for each album you pretend to like?
>>65228164
I don't really know what to tell you. I got into this album instantly. Other than, I didn't like the seer, but I loved to Be Kind (which was my entry). The rest of the stuff I've listened took me a bit.
I would suggest listening to Jarboe if you haven't I think this is the album where she joins the band. Her voice and music is stunning. Check out her discography, I'm unfortunately not totally familiar with it, so I can't make any recs. I do know She made an album with neurosis, that I haven't had the chance to check out yet.
>>65228024
Is this christian rock?
>>65224153
>It has some of the most disturbing stuff they've done.
So you haven't listened to SFTB I take it?
>>65225031
Is it acually confirmed?
>>65224153
Everytime I hear "The Seer Returns", I just imagined that fuckin weird beast on the front cover coming behind a tree at slo-mo putting his light inside my mouth.
if this CD could have been a fuckin movie, it would be amazing. And it would be filmed in the wood obviously.
>>65228947
It's a feminist version of rape
>>65228959
Op here. This is cringe ladies n gents
>>65228904
Yu have listened to PCIAGI I take it?
>>65223394
album for plebs
>>65229058
Public Castration isn't disturbing, it's just incredibly """violent"""" and has an oppressive atmosphere, but it lasts only for the duration of the album itself, and didn't leave any impressions on me like SFTB did
This is the correct ranking.
>>65229109
Fair enough, I see where you're coming from
>>65229156
why does he underrate new Swans so much
also no way TBK is better than The Seer
>>65229437
His rankings for Swans is pretty much the only thin I agree with him on. New Swans is really good, but the early stuff is just that much better
>>65229599
Old Swans is okay but it seemed to me like every time they got a cool idea they took it and made 2-3 same-y albums based on it (notable exception being SFTB ofc).
I am not saying they are constantly reinventing themselves with each post-reunion release but each post-reunion album feels like it takes all the good things from the last one and uses it to go in a new direction, also they have little to no filler and I like that they finally have good production quality. You can find a lot of subtle stuff happening in the background which makes the new albums very relistenable.
>>65229599
Agree to disagree on that one. Jarboe doesn't do a whole lot for me personally. I try COG every once in a while but it still doesn't exactly click with me. Annihilator holds up way better in my books, and I did recently have a great listen with Love of Life.
But as far as this iteration of Swans is concerned, Glowing Man > Seer ≥ To Be Kind > Father. Usually I'd argue that Seer edges out TBK but they honestly have such unique strengths.
>>65229847
have you listened to Glowing Man yet or is it just a prediction?
I ask because there was anon who actually had the album on him but wouldn't leak it except for two snippets
I heard the glowing man leaked, anyone have the file?
>>65229820
>(notable exception being SFTB ofc)
Not really, though. We had Die Tür ist zu and Swans are Dead from the same family, also Body to Body, Job to Job is basically a precursor while Love of Life has the interludes and samples.
Soundtracks for the Blind doesn't exist in a vacuum.
>>65229156
Add 1.5 to each score and these are correct
>>65229890
About 8 times now, very thoroughly. I try to avoid hyperbole but there's no way it isn't my favorite Swans album at this point.
>>65230027
shieeet
are you a music reviewer?
>>65223965
1. Cop
2. SFTB
3. Holy Money
4. Filth
5. The Seer
>>65230035
Not professionally but I could probably write you a better review than you'll get from Pitchfork. :)
>>65230123
Could you share some info on the Cloud and World Looks Red/Black songs? The Clouds were pretty strange live - one of them with the wailing lap steel which just grows and grows is pretty straightforward but the other one is all over the place, really structureless and I just didn't get it. And I have literally no idea about what kind of song World Looks Red/Black is going to be.
>>65229972
Are you a retarded butthole? Die Tür ist zu is a limited release from studio outtakes from SFtB and Swans are Dead is their live stuff from that same time period.
>>65230438
What are you on about? Calling me retarded and then confirming my post.
>>65230214
Yeah, no problem. I'll keep this formal and try to avoid cheesy metaphors or an introductory essay on the band and their history for you. I'm sure you'll get those in a few weeks if you care to read them.
You're basically wanting to know how disc 1 flows, because on top of those 3 tracks there's the 4.5 minute "People Like Us" tacked on the end, and that's it.
The first Cloud (Forgetting) is obviously the shorter of the two. It isn't anywhere near as infectious as Lunacy or Screen Shot out of the gates, but it sets the album's tone pretty well. It's got a slow, driving rhythm and incorporates some fluttery keys throughout. It's a slow burner that feels like it's constantly growing and sprawling forward. Gira's wailing is immediately gratifying, like seeing a really good friend after a few years. At around the 9 minute mark, things get pretty messy. The piano becomes super dissonant with haphazard keys spiraling in every direction, and the guitars create some pretty monstrous walls of noise. It never meanders or gets too droney in my opinion. It ends with some ambience, piano, and emphasis on Gira's vocals, singing "I am blind".
The second Cloud (Unknowing) is a whole different animal. It starts off with some crazy lap steel that wouldn't be out of place in a slasher film. It doesn't go on for too long nor is it tedious in the least. I actually really dig it. Before you know it, you're trapped inside of a jet turbine in a way that only Swans can trap you inside of a jet turbine. It shifts into an absolutely hypnotic bass & guitar groove, which is what they used for that Gate trailer a while back, if you've seen that. There's a moment or two where Gira makes it sound like the world is ending with the use of a choir, frantic drums, screeching guitars, and god knows what else... and that eventually gives way into a super fucking dirty stretch of a riff that I can't get enough of. [Cont.]
>>65230797
During that stretch, there's also a backing choir that makes it sound like it's the most epic thing Swans have hit you with in years. (I detest the word "epic" as an adjective but it's applicable here.) That eventually births a bass groove that is both tonally and stylistically plucked right off The Apostate. Gira goes on to sing about being a monster eater, a Jesus feeder, and a zombie healer, if my memory serves me correct.
The World Looks Red / The World Looks Black is pretty incredible. The first half of the track is a steady rhythm with your typical instruments - guitar, drums, bass, piano, whatever - and Gira doing his thing, but they start to layer in some different sounds, including some kind of flute[?] that makes me think snake charming or Pink Panther or some shit. That doesn't last long before the entire song breaks into a complete different, upbeat tempo, with Gira singing "follow the sleeper man / follow the naked man / follow the believer man"; rough interpretation of lyrics, I'm probably way off. He eventually injects some weird Seer-esque muttering while Thor and the rest of the group shift into Swans: Big Band mode. There's all sorts of punchy brass that'll appeal to anyone who particularly enjoyed A Little God In My Hands and Oxygen off TBK. That transition gets me every time and is honestly one of the coolest moments on disc 1. It's all surprisingly catchy while also being pretty dark.
>>65230797
>>65230939
holy shit thanks for taking the time, I was a bit wary of the album (surely they can't do a hattrick right?) but my hype is going through the roof as we speak...
I have two additional general questions if I may:
1) is there some kind of overarching (lyrical) theme in the album? The Seer was focused a lot on nature and earth in some sense, along with the decadent ritualistic lunacy/bliss theme. TBK felt like Gira was channeling his "id" or some Freudian shit in general, a lot of lowly and bodily urges and child-like feels, clear obsession with things people do and living in the moment. The Glowing Man seems to me the most spiritual/religion-y of the three so far based on the little bits I know.
2) Do you think its going to be well received by music reviewers? This ones a bit subjective but I am interested in your opinion.
Thanks again my man.
>>65223424
>>>65223418
>Ur dumb
>>65223442
>>>65223424
>No ur dumb
>>65223532
>>>65223442
>No u
>>65223925
>>>65223532
>No u
MODS
>>65231128
Considering my affinity for both The Seer and TBK, my expectations were pretty unrealistic for another 2-hour album that could stack up to them, but I still think it tops both. Which is far and away from an easy feat at this point, I feel.
I wish I could answer more on the lyrical front, but I'd need to sit down and read the actual lyrics as a whole. You may be onto something with the spiritual vibes, though. That's what's jumping out to me at the moment but it also seems like a pretty low grasp, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm missing something. A few minutes into the title track, there's a gritty guitar rhythm with a very satisfying drum beat, and a Zen mantra woven in the background while Gira proceeds to lose his mind. That same track refers to Joseph a few times, including a reference / explanation of the album art.
I think the album will be pretty well received. I said it in yesterday's thread, but for better or worse, there aren't any truly "challenging" moments on the album. As much as I love The Seer, sometimes I know I'm not in the mood to listen to the second half of the title track, so I'll opt for a different album of theirs. There are definitely punishing segments but I think they're done so sparingly and in such a manner that you're able to groove to them if you so choose.
That, and the interlude / breather tracks are a lot better than TBK. I actually really enjoy all of the shorter songs in the full context of the album. There's none that are as throwaway as something like Some Things We Do. I get why that song is necessary in the flow of TBK, but damn if it doesn't do a lot for me.
>>65229156
>Greed better than The Great Annihilator, The Seer and To Be Kind
disgusting opinion
Two more things I wanted to chime in. As many good moments as there are on the record, Frankie M. has probably got to be near the very top for me. That thing is a 20+ minute masterpiece. With a good sound setup or respectable headphones, the beginning of the track does this swell-and-release approach with cymbals and eerie drone that completely washes over you. I've never felt so transported when listening to a Swans track. There's a point where members of the band are howling like wolves in a sea of noise, and it's just visceral in the absolute best way. It also has two extended builds that channel the kind of rhythm and energy you'd find on Mladic, if there are any Godspeed fans reading this. Just incredible, start to finish. That's one snippet I refuse to upload just because I'd love for everyone to be as blown away as I was on my first play.
The other thing is that there's so many nods to Seer and To Be Kind. (And even a quick second in Frankie M. that takes me back to SFTB, without fail.) There's bass lines that sound like they're siblings to The Apostate. Bells straight out of Avatar. The mallet / hammer from Toussaint L'Ouverture. The soft, rhythmic lapsteel from The Seer. It really feels like it's an album that comes full circle, if that's something you're into.
Sorry for gushing about the record so much. I don't frequent /mu/ all that often but felt compelled to speak up after some of the lukewarm reception from yesterday's single. It definitely delivers and is worth your money, however you may choose to purchase it.
I'm just curious to see what they'll do with the vinyl track list.
>>65231568
>>65231815
Thanks again, you're the man
I actually know what Gira means by Joseph (its not only a biblical reference). Maybe you do as well but just in case someone else is interested:
Gira always said he does music because he likes to reach a certain trance-like state of mind, where the music just hypnotizes him and he locks into a groove and keeps it going and going and loses his sense of self. The infamous loudness helps him to do that. I think many Swans fans and music fans in general know what he means by this. He even said that even though he doesn't like people recording the shows he sometimes looks them up because he wants to know what he did at certain parts because he doesn't remember much. I remember an interview where he said that he played a solo show and during some heavy groovy song he got into that state again and just started doing some weird ass screeches and started crying at the end like a baby afterwards (Just a Little Boy was inspired by experiences like this) and was wondering if someone recorded it. Well, Joseph is a name for the person Gira becomes when he enters the state. First usage is in We Are Him album by Angels of Light , but its in The Glowing Man title track as well ("Joseph is standing behind my back...").
>>65232040
Damn, Gira is even more fucked up than I thought.
>>65232040
I actually did not know all of that, so thanks a ton for sharing. Makes a lot of sense, especially since I initially tied Joseph into a few of the other religious lyrics on the record. I know exactly what you mean about Gira losing himself in the music, though, and the band's sounding being a very suitable platform to do so.
>>65231815
do you mind me asking how you got access to the record? thank you for sharing your thoughts on it, i'm looking forward to hearing it.
yall got any must-listen songs for swans? getting into them and i really enjoy it but some guidance would be cool
>>65233037
Honestly, only mid period (Children of God to the Great Annihilator) are singles friendly. The no wave and post-rock stuff is more about the complete package.
>>65232362
It was sent my way from someone in the music-review business, with an explicit request to not pass it along. It's not the first hookup I've received so I really feel like I owe it to the individual who keeps me in the loop.
I wonder if Gira will ever collab with any of the electronic artists he endorses like Ben Frost, Pharmakon or Mika Vainio.
I mean he makes really good dark ambient, though with tape-loops, wonder what an all-electronic album by him would sound like.
>>65225021
Brother
>>65228783
I highly recommend checking out that album with Neurosis. Different from Swans obviously, but soooo good
>>65233037
Well I would really suggest you to listen to the albums in full, but if you for some reason don't want to/can't get into Soundtracks for the Blind, you should at least listen to Helpless Child.
IMO it's the greatest thing they have ever done.
>>65228828
It's Gira voicing his disgust at the Catholic Curch.
I think he is actually Christian to some degree.
>>65233233
The Sound and Final Sacrifice are way better.
>>65233149
sounds pretty cool! enjoy it, your description of the music makes it sound awesome.
>>65233037
failure from white light and swans are dead version of i am the sun are my personal favorite single songs from swans.
>>65233873
It most definitely is. Just want to share the hype for this record because it genuinely deserves it. I'm hoping most folks are just as happy as I am with the note they chose to end this iteration of Swans on.
>>65223965
b8
>Swans Are Dead
>Body to Body Job to Job
>Soundtracks for the Blind
>Cop
>To Be Kind
>>65223965
>>65224015
>>65225021
>>65225288
>Nobody likes Filth
o-ok
>go on road trip with gira
>he's tense and can't sit still
>have to tell him to be still
>put on soundtracks for the blind to keep him calm
>he says he has to pee
>has to pull over and let him out
>he stands in the bush several minutes
>after a while he comes back and tells me nothing came
>sigh and continue the drive
>he keeps looking at his feet
>know exactly where this is heading
>five minutes later he's complaining about motion sickness
>tell him to focus his vision far away
>hope to fuck he doesn't throw up all over the seat like last time
>half an hour later the nausea seems to be gone
>now he's complaining about being hungry, though
>i'm hungry too, but it's a long drive, so we can't stop for long
>get in-n-out burger
>gira orders a kids meal
>i tell him he's a grown man and will need more food than that
>he ignores my words, he wants the bunny toy with the burning head
>we get the burgers and continue driving
>half an hour later, gira complains about still being hungry
>tell him I fucking warned about this and that i'm not stopping for more food
>he starts complaining loudly now
>screaming even
>IN-N-OUT AND IN-N-OUT
>AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN
>>65223394
Public Castration, everything else is wrong
>>65235149
this one snuck up on me
not half bad
>>65223394
this is the best swans album
>>65233100
>>65233233
>>65233896
thanks yall
>>65235874
i don't get this meme
>>65230053
>cop at the top
My nigger
