Swans offer CD to support ‘final’ album

Swans have made a limited-edition double CD entitled The Gate available to buy.

It contains demos, work-in-progress material and is packaged in handmade cardboard sleeves created by artist Nicole Boitos. Each of the 2500 copies feature a unique design and are individually numbered.

Money raised from sales will go towards recording the follow-up to last year’s To Be Kind.

Mainman Michael Gira said earlier this year their next album and tour would be the last with the current lineup featuring bassist Christopher Pravdica, drummer and percussionists Thor Harris and Phil Puleo, and guitarists Christoph Hahn and Norman Westberg.

He says: “I intend to keep the name and ongoing project of Swans active in a different form, drawing sporadically on the myriad list of musical cohorts I’ve met along the way over the last 30 plus years.

“But the creature, the beast, the monster, the liberating vortex of light and sound that is the six of us working in close quarters together over extended periods of time, will cease to exist.”

Gira indicates live performances will be “more sporadic” in the foreseeable future, and adds: “Maybe I’ll just give up music and try to write fiction. In any event, we’ll see.”

A range of packages are available for The Gate, including one with a DVD featuring a documentary of their recent tours.

The Gate tracklist

CD1

  1. Frankie M
  2. A Little God In My Hands
  3. Apos/Cloud Of Unforming

CD2

  1. Just A Little Boy
  2. Cloud Of Forgetting
  3. Bring The Sun Back/Black-Eyed Man
  4. When Will I Return (Demo)
  5. New Rhythm Thing (Demo)
  6. People Like Us (Demo)
  7. Red Rhythm Thing (Demo)
  8. Finally, Peace (Demo)

Swans punish London's ears with exquisite noise

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.

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