Swans | “Filth” Remastered on vinyl | Pre-order for Oct. 28th release

Michael Gira is reissuing through his label Young God Records the 1st full length album from his legendary Post-Punk/No-Wave band SWANS, 1983’s “FILTH”. This version is being released as a special Re-mastered ivnyl, including a 2 sided poster, and will be released October 28th.

“This is all slabs of sound, rhythm and  screaming/testifying. What more do you need? In a way, it was a reaction against Punk (and just about any other music you can think of), and the conservative notion that 3 chords were somehow necessary. I used to deny it  vehemently at the time, but No Wave (I “hated” that scene too, for some  reason I can’t remember now) played a big role as the germ from which this  music grew, along with The Stooges and Throbbing Gristle, of course.  I wanted Swans to be “heavier” though – I wanted the music to obliterate –  why, I don’t remember! I think it just felt good.  Live, we used two basses (playing utterly unmusical chords that were stabbed and left to  sustain or sometimes hit in staccato or opposing rhythms), drums, a  “percussionist” that slammed down on a metal table with a metal strap, crude  cassette loops of various sounds/noises (usually some kind of undefined  ROAR), and Norman Westberg’s glorious sustained and screaming guitar chords.  It was pretty elating to play live – for us. If 100 people showed up (which  would have been a huge audience at the time – 20 was more the average), 80  were guaranteed to leave by the second song. Somehow that tension – contempt  or indifference from the audience – was nourishing, so we kept going.

Here’s some music I was listening to at the time:  Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, The Stooges, Brian Eno, Teenage Jesus And The Jerks, DNA, The Contortions, Glenn Branca, Black Flag, early Pink Floyd,  This Heat, Kraftwerk, The Germs, Cabaret Voltaire, Can, Public Image LTD.,  SPK… ”
– Michael Gira / Swans/Young God Records

Pre-order here: