Next month, Swans will be embarking on their first North American tour dates since 2017 (having cancelled a 2020 tour due to lockdown). They sold out all the dates on a European tour this Spring.

The band recently released their sixteenth studio album, “The Beggar”, on Mute / Young God Records (North America) on double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve (with a download card for accessing an additional 44 minutes of music, also included on the album’s CD version), as a double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack, and digitally.

Michael Gira gave some extra details: “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.”

“The Beggar” was recorded and mixed at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin, engineered by Ingo Krauss and mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, 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.

You can check out the album below.

Swans North American live dates

• 2 Sep – Dallas TX, Granada Theater
• 3 Sep – Austin TX, Paramount Theatre
• 7 Sep – Phoenix AZ, Crescent Ballroom
• 8 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room – SOLD OUT
• 9 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room – SOLD OUT
• 12 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 13 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 15 Sep – Portland OR, Revolution Hall
• 16 Sep – Seattle WA, The Crocodile Showroom
• 19 Sep – Omaha NE, Waiting Room Showroom
• 20 Sep – Minneapolis MN, Fine Line Music Cafe
• 21 Sep – Chicago IL, Cabaret Metro
• 23 Sep – Detroit MI, Magic Bag
• 24 Sep – Cleveland OH, Beachland Ballroom
• 26 Sep – Toronto ON, Phoenix Concert Theater
• 27 Sep – Montreal QC, Theatre National
• 29 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg – SOLD OUT
• 30 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg – SOLD OUT
• 1 Oct – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg – NEW DATE

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Swans have shared a new track from their sixteenth studio album, “The Beggar”, due for release on Mute / Young God Records (N America) on 23 June 2023. “The Beggar” will be released on double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve (with a download card for accessing an additional 44 minutes of music, also included on the album’s CD version), as a double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack, and digitally.

Listen to “Los Angeles: City of Death” below.

The band’s extensive touring for 2023 started last week and continues through spring and summer with UK dates in August, and North American dates in September. In addition, Swans have confirmed a string of new dates across Europe in October and November – full details below.

“The Beggar” was recorded and mixed at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin, engineered by Ingo Krauss and mastered by Doug Henderson at Micro-Moose, 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.

Michael Gira adds: “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.”

Primary contributors to “The Beggar” were Michael Gita, Kristof Hahn, Larry Mullins, Dana Schechter, Christopher Pravdica, Phil Puleo and Ben Frost. Backing vocals are provided by Jennifer Gira, Lucy Kruger and Laura Carbone.

Swans, an experimental rock band from America, was established in 1982 by Michael Gira, a multi-talented artist serving as singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. This band is one of the rare survivors from the no wave scene of New York City, successfully transitioning into the subsequent decade. They are renowned for their dynamic musical style, shifting and exploring across various genres including noise rock, post-punk, industrial, and post-rock.

Swans live dates

• 25 May – Zilina SK, New Synagogue
• 26 May – Ljubljana SL, Kino Siska
• 27 May – Innsbruck, AT, Heart of Noise Festival, Treibhaus
• 29 May – Bologna IT, Teatro Duse
• 31 May – Lyon FR, Transbordeur
• 2 June – Barcelona ES, Primavera Sound Festival
• 4 June – Lisbon PT, Culturgest – SOLD OUT
• 5 June – Lisbon PT, Culturgest
• 6 June – Faro PT, Teatro Das Figuras
• 9 June – Madrid ES, Primavera Sound Festival
• 11 June – Athens GR, Vraxon Theatre
• 13 June – Thessaloniki GR, Moni Lazariston
• 15 June – Antwerp BE, Bourlaschouwburg – SOLD OUT
• 16 June – Utrecht NL, Hertz Theatre – SOLD OUT
• 11 Aug – Brighton UK, St George’s
• 12 Aug – Manchester UK, Albert Hall
• 15 Aug – Newcastle UK, Boiler Shop
• 16 Aug – Glasgow UK, St Luke’s
• 18 Aug – Bristol UK, Arc Tangent Festival
• 19 Aug – Leeds UK, Belgrave Music Hall – SOLD OUT
• 21 Aug – Dublin IE, The Academy
• 23 Aug – Norwich UK, Waterfront
• 24 Aug – London UK, Troxy
• 26 Aug – La Tour-De-Peilz CH, Nox Orae Festival
• 2 Sep – Dallas TX, Granada Theater
• 3 Sep – Austin TX, Paramount Theatre
• 7 Sep – Phoenix AZ, Crescent Ballroom
• 8 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room
• 9 Sep – Los Angeles CA, Lodge Room
• 12 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 13 Sep – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
• 15 Sep – Portland OR, Revolution Hall
• 16 Sep – Seattle WA, The Crocodile Showroom
• 19 Sep – Omaha NE, Waiting Room Showroom
• 20 Sep – Minneapolis MN, Fine Line Music Cafe
• 21 Sep – Chicago IL, Cabaret Metro
• 23 Sep – Detroit MI, Magic Bag
• 24 Sep – Cleveland OH, Beachland Ballroom
• 26 Sep – Toronto ON, Phoenix Concert Theater
• 27 Sep – Montreal QC, Theatre National
• 29 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg
• 30 Sep – Brooklyn NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg
• 16 Oct – Hamburg DE, Kampnagel – NEW DATE
• 17 Oct – Copenhagen DK, Vega Store – NEW DATE
• 19 Oct – Oslo NO, Blå Residency – NEW DATE
• 20 Oct – Oslo NO, Blå Residency – NEW DATE
• 22 Oct – Stockholm SE, Slaktkyrkan – NEW DATE
• 24 Oct – Helsinki FI, Tavastia – NEW DATE
• 25 Oct – Tallinn EE, HALL – NEW DATE
• 27 Oct – Riga LV, Mežaparks Great Bandstand – NEW DATE
• 28 Oct – Vilnius LI, St John’s Church – NEW DATE
• 31 Oct – Warsaw PL, Progresja – NEW DATE
• 1 Nov – Praha CZ, Divadlo Hybernia – NEW DATE
• 3 Nov – Wien AT, Arena Wien – NEW DATE
• 4 Nov – Budapest HU, Akvarium – NEW DATE
• 7 Nov – Belgrade RS, Dom Omladine – NEW DATE
• 8 Nov – Zagreb HR, Kino Sc – NEW DATE
• 10 Nov – Foligno IT, Auditorium San Domenico – NEW DATE
• 11 Nov – Milano IT, Conservatorio di Milano – NEW DATE
• 13 Nov – Paris FR, Élysée Montmartre – NEW DATE
• 14 Nov – Metz FR, Les Trinitaires – NEW DATE
• 16 Nov – Brussels BE, Botanique – NEW DATE
• 18 Nov – Bochum DE, Christuskirche – NEW DATE
• 19 Nov – Den Haag NL, Amare – NEW DATE
• 21 Nov – Berlin DE, Admiralspalast – NEW DATE

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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As new addition to its list of programs, The Pit VOD platform presents “Where Does a Body End?”, a 2019 Canadian documentary directed by Marco Porsia about the American experimental act Swans. The film had its premiere on May 3, 2019, at the IndieLisboa Film Festival in Portugal and was released worldwide on September 11, 2020 before to land on the plaform in a two-parts version.

You can watch the official trailer of “Where Does a Body End?” right below.

“Where 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 other acts. The biopic also includes the breakups and chaos (on and offstage), in short you get the full monty.

Swans was formed in 1982 by singer / songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans had an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band’s only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.

In 2010, Gira re-formed the band without Jarboe, establishing a stable lineup of musicians which has toured worldwide and released four albums. This iteration of the group performed its last shows in November 2017, ending the tour in support of its final album “The Glowing Man”. Since 2019, Gira has been touring and recording with Swans as “a revolving cast of contributors”. The band’s latest album, “The Beggar”, will be released on June 23, 2023.

Since 1990, all Swans records have been released through Gira’s own label, Young God Records.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Swans announce their sixteenth studio album, “The Beggar”, set for release on 23 June 2023 via Mute / Young God Records. The band also reveals an extensive 2023 tour across the UK, Europe, and North America.

“The Beggar” will be available on double vinyl in a brown chipboard sleeve, double CD in a brown chipboard digi-pack, and digitally. A download card offers access to an additional 44 minutes of music, also included on the album’s CD version.

Recorded and mixed at Candy Bomber Studio in Berlin, “The Beggar” was engineered by Ingo Krauss, mastered by Doug Henderson, and written and produced by Michael Gira. It features contributions from current and former Swans members, members of Angels of Light, and guest artist Ben Frost.

Michael Gira shares his experience of writing the album during the pandemic and forced isolation, expressing optimism and hope for the future: “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.”

Primary contributors to “The Beggar” include Michael Gira (vocals, words, acoustic guitar, production), Kristof Hahn (lap steel, various guitars, vocals), Larry Mullins (drums, vibes, orchestral percussion, Mellotron, various keyboards, backing vocals), Dana Schechter (bass guitar, lap steel, keyboards, vocals, piano), Christopher Pravdica (bass guitar, sounds, keyboards, vocals), Phil Puleo (drums, percussion, vocals, piano, exotic wind instruments), and Ben Frost (guitar, synthesizers, sound manipulations). Jennifer Gira, Lucy Kruger, and Laura Carbone provide backing vocals.

Listen to “Paradise Is Mine”.

About Swans

Michael Gira founded Swans in NYC in 1982 and underwent multiple transformations over the years. The band ventured into various styles and genres, culminating in “Soundtracks For The Blind” (1996) before disbanding. Gira then worked on Angels Of Light and his label Young God Records, discovering and producing acts like Devendra Banhart and Akron/Family.

Swans was reactivated in 2010, releasing the album “My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky” and touring worldwide. That album was followed by “The Seer” (2012), “To Be Kind” (2014) and “The Glowing Man” (2017).

Swans’ music style can be described as experimental, encompassing a wide range of genres over their career. Their early work was characterized by brutal, high-volume onslaughts of sound, often described as no wave or noise rock. Over the years, they have ventured into harshly mechanical proto-industrial rock, atmospheric idylls, martial stomps, acoustic-based meditations, grand melody-dense sonic whirlwinds, and dissonant sharp-edged compositions. This eclectic approach has led to their music being associated with post-rock, experimental rock, and avant-garde genres.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by J. Williams) The Greek label, The Circle Music, has announced the first-ever reissue of one of the most iconic releases of Jarboe, the album “Sacrificial Cake” on double vinyl.

The 16-track strong album was originally released in 1995 and came out four years after the solo album “Thirteen Masks”. Jarboe who was at the same time working in Swans, recorded the album “Sacrificial Cake” in New York’s East Village at the analog home-studio of multi-instrumentalist Lary Seven. Swans founder, Michael Gira simultaneously releases his album, “Drainland”.

The Circle Music label says this about the re-release: “We are proud to release this legendary album for the first time on vinyl – on its own – and with new mastering, new lay out, luxurious packaging and of course in the color of lavender dedicated to the ‘Lavender Girl’.”

Commenting on the upcoming release, Jarboe says: “‘Sacrificial Cake’ is one of my most popular albums. The song, ‘Lavender Girl’ on this album, is the song fans tell me is one of their favorite songs, ever. As this album was never available on its own, I am thrilled for The Circle Music to have it be available and especially on lavender vinyl in homage to the beloved song.”

The double vinyl reissue is coming out on November 18th and is limited to just 500 copies. Note that the material was newly mastering by George Emmanuel (Pentagram Studio) with all new lay out by Riccardo Isolabella.

You can pre-order the record here.

About Jarboe

Jarboe La Salle Devereaux, known as Jarboe, is an American singer and musician who came to prominence as a member of the New York City experimental rock band Swans in 1985. Jarboe and Michael Gira, the founder of Swans, were the two constant members of the group until it broke up in 1997.

Although absent from the group’s lineup when the band reformed in 2010, Jarboe contributed background vocals and voice collage for the band’s 2012 album, “The Seer”. She has released numerous solo albums and collaborations, many of which have been self-published. She also co-composed the soundtrack of the 2009 psychological horror game “The Path”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Out in September is “Where Does a Body End?”, 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. You’ll also get a glimpse of the breakups and chaos (on and offstage), in short the whole package.

For this concert film the editor waded through hundreds of hours of Swans (and singer-songwriter Michael Gira’s) archives of never-seen-before recordings, videos, and photographs. “Where Does A Body End?” has enjoyed festival success around the world from Chicago Underground Film Festival, Doc N Roll Festival (London and several other UK cities), Cinemateket Music Film Festival (Copenhagen), In: Edit Festival (Barcelona), Taoyuan Film Festival (Taiwan), Pop Kultur (Berlin), Sydney Underground Film Festival, Dok Station Film Festival (Bucharest), LUFF Lausanne Underground Film Festival (Switzerland) and many others.

The cast for this concert film includes: Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Jehnny Beth (Savages), JG Thirlwell (Foetus), Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten), Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Kid Congo Powers (The Cramps / The Gun Club), Jim Sclavunos (The Bad Seeds), Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Steve Von Till (Neurosis), Dana Schechter (Angels Of Light), Devendra Banhart, Anna Von Hausswolff, Amanda Palmer, Ben Frost and Martin Bisi.

Below is a preview.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Jennifer Gira) Swans have announced a Summer tour to promote their new album “Leaving meaning” which is out now on Mute / Young God (N America). It’s the band’s 15th album.

The new album, “Leaving meaning”, was written and produced by Michael Gira and features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light, as well as Guest Artists Anna and Maria von Hausswolff, Ben Frost, The Necks, Baby Dee, and a Hawk and a Hacksaw.

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.”

Listen to “It’s Coming It’s Real”

Listen to “The Hanging Man”

The band will be performing a series of festivals and dates from April on in Europe and North America before returning to the UK for a tour that will include Brighton, Bristol, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool.

Swans live will be: Michael Gira (acoustic and electric guitar and voice); Kristof Hahn (lap steel guitar, electric guitar, loops); Phil Puleo (drums, percussion, gizmos); Dana Schechter (bass guitar, lap steel guitar, keys); Christopher Pravdica (bass guitar, loops, keys); Ben Frost (synthesizer, Mellotron, electric guitar).

The tourdates

EU tour

• 25 April – Nürnberg DE, Z-Bau – SOLD OUT
• 26 April – Krems an der Donau AT, Donau Festival at Stadtsaal Krems
• 28 April – Berlin DE, Festsaal Kreuzberg – SOLD OUT
• 29 April – Prague CZ, Divaldo ARCHA Theatre
• 30 April – Warsaw PL, Progresia
• 3 May – Stockholm SE, Nalen
• 4 May – Copenhagen DK, Vega Main Hall
• 5 May – Hamburg DE, Übel & Gefährlich
• 8 May – Barcelona ES, Razzmatazz
• 9 May – Madrid ES, KristonFest at Sala la Riviera
• 10 May – Porto PT, Hard Club
• 13 May – Zürich CH, Rote Fabrik
• 14 May – Milan IT, Santeria Social Club
• 15 May – Belfort FR, La Poudriere
• 18 May – Wiesbaden DE, Kulturzentrum Schlachthof
• 19 May – Paris FR, Le Trabendo
• 20 May – Amsterdam NL, Paradiso Music Hall
• 22 May – Brussels BE, AB
• 23 May – Cologne DE, Gebäude 9 – SOLD OUT
• 25 May – London UK, EartH – SOLD OUT
• 26 May – London UK, EartH – SOLD OUT
• 27 May – London UK, EartH – SOLD OUT

North American tour

• 5 June – Dallas TX, Granada Theater
• 6 June – Austin TX, Empire Garage
• 9 June – Los Angeles CA, Regent Theatre
• 10 June – San Francisco CA, The Fillmore
• 12 June – Portland OR, Revolution Hall
• 13 June – Seattle WA, The Neptune
• 16 June – Minneapolis MN, Varsity Theater
• 17 June – Chicago IL, Thalia Hall
• 19 June – Detroit MI, El Club
• 20 June – Toronto ON, Lee’s Palace
• 21 June – Montreal QC, Theatre National
• 24 June – Allston MA, Brighton Music Hall
• 25 June – Philadelphia PA, Underground Arts
• 26 June – Brooklyn NY, Warsaw
• 27 June – Brooklyn NY, Warsaw
• ** with very special guest Anna von Hausswolff

EU tour

• 2 Aug – Trondheim NO, Olavesfestival, Nidaros Cathedral Stage
• 5 Aug – Oslo NO, Parkteatret
• 6 Aug – Malmo SE, Plan B
• 7 Aug – Arhus DK, Voxhalle
• 8 Aug – Rees Haldern DE, Haldern Festival
• 12 Aug – Berlin DE, Festsaal Kreuzberg
• 13 Aug – Tilburg NL, 013
• 16 Aug – Budapest HU, A38 Ship
• 17 Aug – Dresden DE, Beatpol
• 19 Aug – Saint Malo FR, Route de Rock Festival, La Nouvelle Vogue
• 21 Aug – Brighton UK, Chalk
• 22 Aug – Bristol UK, ArcTanGent Festival
• 24 Aug – Newcastle UK, Boiler Room
• 25 Aug – Edinburgh UK, Summerhall Series
• 28 Aug – London UK, Islington Assembly Hall
• 29 Aug – Manchester UK, Stoller Hall
• 31 Aug – Liverpool UK, Invisible Wand Factory
• 1 Sep – Nottingham UK, Albert Hall
• 3 Sep – St Petersburg RU, Aurora
• 5 Sep – Moscow RU, Theatre

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Earlier this year, in January to be precise, we posted this article “When an April Fools prank becomes reality: ‘STUMM433’ (feat. Laibach, Depeche Mode, …)” describing how Mute would release a box set featuring 50 Mute artists giving their interpretation of John Cage’s silent track “4’33”.

Today, The Normal aka Daniel Miller, has shared his tribute to John Cage’s “4’33””. It will be the first ‘music’ released by The Normal on Mute since the debut 7”. On Mute that is indeed because “Live at West Runton Pavilion”, The Normal’s second release, done with another Mute Records act Robert Rental, was released on Marat Records in Germany as Daniel Miller Robert Rental Live, with a black and white picture sleeve.

But back to 2019. Miller recorded his piece at a site in North London that will be familiar to fans of the label as the site of its foundation: 16 Decoy Avenue. Listen to The Normal’s take on “4’33”” right below.

Daniel Miller: “John Cage’s 4’33” has been present in my musical life for as long as I can remember as an important and inspiring composition. When the idea of every Mute artist doing their own interpretation of the piece came up during a conversation with Simon Fisher Turner, I immediately thought this was the perfect way to mark the label’s MUTE 4.0 (1978 > TOMORROW) series.”

Ironically, last year we had the idea to create an April Fools prank with a fake compilation with a lot of famous musicians covering John Cage 4’33 silent track. We decided not to do it, not sure if most of you would grab the irony.

Which Mute artists are featured in the boxset?

The boxset will feature over 50 Mute artists including A Certain Ratio, A.C. Marias, ADULT., The Afghan Whigs, Alexander Balanescu, Barry Adamson, Ben Frost, Bruce Gilbert, Cabaret Voltaire, Carter Tutti Void, Chris Carter, Chris Liebing, Cold Specks, Daniel Blumberg, Danny Briottet, Depeche Mode, Duet Emmo, Echoboy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Erasure, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, He Said, Irmin Schmidt, Josh T. Pearson, K Á R Y Y N, Komputer, Laibach, Land Observations, Lee Ranaldo, Liars, Looper, Lost Under Heaven, Maps, Mark Stewart / Sonskrif / The New Banalist Orchestra, Michael Gira, Mick Harvey, Miranda Sex Garden, Moby, Modey Lemon, Mountaineers, New Order, Nitzer Ebb, NON / Boyd Rice, Nonpareils, The Normal, onDeadWaves, Phew, Pink Grease, Pole, Polly Scattergood, Richard Hawley, ShadowParty, Silicon Teens, Simon Fisher Turner and Edmund de Waal, The Warlocks, Wire, Yann Tiersen and Gareth Jones.

The designers behind the visuals

Contributing designers include Simone Grant who worked with Miller on a lot of the early Mute artwork (The Normal, Fad Gadget and Depeche Mode); Steve Claydon, a member of Add N To (X) who designed for Goldfrapp; Slim Smith, who worked with Mute through the 1980s and 1990s; Malcolm Garrett, who designed the “House of Illustrious” box set for Vince Clarke and Martyn Ware; Tom Hingston, who has worked with Erasure and created the majority of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Grinderman artwork since the early 2000s; and Anton Corbjin, who has worked closely with Mute on many campaigns since the early 1980s, including those of Depeche Mode, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Fad Gadget.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Last year we had the idea to create an April Fools prank with a fake compilation with a lot of famous musicians covering John Cage 4’33 silent track. We decided not to do it, not sure if most of you would grab the irony. You can imagine our surprise when Mute announced a box set this morning featuring 50 Mute artists giving their interpretation of… yes, 4’33.

From the artist that started Mute, The Normal, to the label’s newest signing, K Á R Y Y N, “STUMM433” will feature over 50 Mute artists – including Depeche Mode, Yann Tiersen, Liars, Silicon Teens, Irmin Schmidt – presenting their own interpretation of one piece of music: John Cage’s 4’33”.

Fortunately you’ll get a visual to accompany each ‘performance’ of 4’33”. The box set launches with a video from Laibach which you can see below.

Net profits from the release of STUMM433 will be split between the British Tinnitus Association and Music Minds Matter. These charities were chosen to honor Inspiral Carpets’ founding member Craig Gill who suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of his tinnitus in the years up to his untimely death. The box set will be released in May 2019.

Artists featured include: A Certain Ratio, A.C. Marias, ADULT., The Afghan Whigs, Alexander Balanescu, Barry Adamson, Ben Frost, Bruce Gilbert, Cabaret Voltaire, Carter Tutti Void, Chris Carter, Chris Liebing, Cold Specks, Daniel Blumberg, Depeche Mode, Duet Emmo, Echoboy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Erasure, Fad Gadget (tribute), Goldfrapp, He Said, Irmin Schmidt, Josh T. Pearson, K Á R Y Y N, Komputer, Laibach, Land Observations, Lee Ranaldo, Liars, Looper, Lost Under Heaven, Maps, Mark Stewart, Michael Gira, Mick Harvey, Miranda Sex Garden, Moby, Modey Lemon, Mountaineers, New Order, Nitzer Ebb, NON, Nonpareils, The Normal, onDeadWaves, Phew, Pink Grease, Pole, Polly Scattergood, Renegade Soundwave, Richard Hawley, ShadowParty, Silicon Teens, Simon Fisher Turner, The Warlocks, Wire, Yann Tiersen.

Side-Line also covered Laibach’s ‘Click Interview’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Deep Six only released one album, but their “Brave New Waves” session turned out to be legendary. And finally this material gets a well deserved release on smashing green vinyl after all these years.

First some background info on the founders of Deep Six, namely the Braun Brothers. In the early 80s, the Braun Brothers played in Circus Mort with future Swans singer Michael Gira on vocals. Dan Braun laer on became one of the earliest member of Swans. A year later the 2 brothers joined The Del-Byzanteens with Jim Jarmusch and Dan Braun joined a band with the future Madonna (yes THE Madonna), toured and recorded with the late Glenn Branca, and performed with T-Venus (Julia Heyward and Pat Irwin).

In the mid-80s the Braun brothers formed Deep Six, a short-lived garage rock band that produced one album and a 7”. The duo also performed a radio session which ended up on “Brave New Waves”, curated by the team of Heather Wallace, Kevin Komoda, and Brent Bambury. Shortly after the session’s broadcast, Deep Six disbanded.

Out now is the full “Brave New Waves” radio session which the duo recorded in Montreal Canada (at least that is where the band thinks it took place). You can order this 11-track release right here on green vinyl.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, experimental, minimal EBM.

Background/Info: Detroit based duo  Nicola Kuperus – Adam Lee Miller are back on track unleashing their sixth studio album. The title refers to the ‘concept’ of the work, which features numerous guests artists such as Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb), Michael Gira (Swans), Shannon Funchess (Light Asylum), Robert Lowe, Lun*na Menoh and Dorit Chrysler.

Content: The sound of Adult. always has been something apart. I remember to have heard songs from their early work played in electroclash clubs, which back in time symbolized a revival of electro-underground music. This work has a strong retro-inspiration as well. The sound treatments remain vintage-like and sometimes accentuated by the contribution of the guest artists. That’s probably the reason why some of the tracks evoke good-old souvenirs bringing me back to Psychic TV and Chris & Cosey.

Next to the experimental exposure “Detroit House Guests” also features more EBM-driven cuts. The songs are pretty minimal, but more danceable and heavy-like. Douglas McCarthy and Shannon Funchess both will bring you harder parts to dance to.

+ + + : Adult. brings you a creative exposure of modern electronics inspired and made with ‘old’ recipes and sound formulas. It creates a refreshing and diversified work, which is only accentuated by the input of all guests. There are several attention grabbers featured, but my preference clearly goes to the minimal-EBM driven “We Chase The Sound” featuring Shannon Funchess and “They’re Just Words” featuring the Nitzer Ebb front man. The other song featuring Douglas McCarthy is a funny cut for the lyrical content clearly evoking songs of Nitzer Ebb.

– – – : Some of the most experimental cuts aren’t the most convincing ones and clearly totally different from the ‘harder’ passages.

Conclusion: “Detroit House Guests” is a non-conventional electronic production, which sounds a bit like a modern version of Psychic TV, Chris & Cosey, Crash Course In Science and related names.

Best songs: “We Chase The Sound feat. Shannon Funchess”, “They’re Just Words feat. Douglas McCarthy”, “We Are A Mirror feat. Douglas McCarthy”, “Breathe On feat. Michael Gira”, “As You Dream feat. Michael Gira”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.adultperiod.com / www.facebook.com/adultperiod

Label:  www.mute.com / www.facebook.com/muterecords 

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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