An interview with michael gira of swans september 7, 2016 by staff with the release of their fourteenth fulllength album, swans are hardly surprising people each time they manage to blow peoples mind. An interview with michael gira of swans at their rehearsal space in palenville, ny. Shot at bbmix festival, paris, france interview by david pais. Michael gira s contribution to the 1985 compilation album a diamond hidden in the mouth of a corpse released under the giorno poetry systems label. Produced and written by michael gira, swans leaving meaning features several former members along with dozens of other handpicked musicians. Michael gira on dangling off the edge of a cliff for swans epic final album. Michael gira, the frontman of swans, has been accused of sexual assault by fellow musician larkin grimm. You journalist types often think that we arty types do things in a calculated manner for the ends of parsing, whereas actually, in my case, i just try to make the best music i possibly can at any given moment. With swans, gira has used a variety of instruments including ovation acoustic guitars and a westbury track ii bass guitar during early performances. In search of the real michael gira, from prison stays and madonna. Ideally this song would sound like a steady gale force wind of hydrochloric acid. Ive suffered from writers block for the last two or three years, which is why it took. During a swift 20 minutes we talked about the idea of darkness, spanish art and losing oneself in performance.
I guess pretty much everyone thats ever read an issue of qrd knows that michael gira is essentially the artist i admire most. If you have paid any attention to qrd you know who michael gira is. Jan 31, 2011 swans michael gira interview 2010 the drone le drone. Interview with michael gira of swans young god records. After the seer, gira and his band and several new collaborators return with the twohour record to be. Oct 19, 2010 swans michael gira on lyrical themes in swans latest album, my father will guide me up a rope to the sky. May 11, 2011 michael gira was the leader of the legendary experimental rock group swans for more than 15 years before announcing the end of the project in 1997, capping it off the following year with the release of the epic live album swans are dead. Michael gira on swans, religion and the hubris of matthew barney. What do you reckon the michael gira of the early 80s would think of your current output if you got a chance to listen to it. Get michael gira setlists view them, share them, discuss them with other michael gira fans for free on.
The quietus features a quietus interview this is my. Jarboe and michael gira, the founder of swans, were the two constant members of the group until it broke up in 1997. Michael gira on swans, religion and the hubris of matthew. Swans michael gira on lyrical themes in swans latest album, my father will guide me up a rope to the sky. Swans michael gira sounds off telekom electronic beats. Special mention is given to bill rieflin in the credits for to be kind and i ask gira why the former ministry, nine inch nails and r. Swans are an experimental rock band formed in 1982 by michael gira. Jun 14, 2016 swans michael gira on dissolving his bands current lineup.
In a new interview, gira has detailed how progress on the record is coming. It seems fitting an artist as exacting as michael gira should be so prepared, so organised, when it comes to an interview situation, and his insight into the evolution of the album, as individual tracks and as a whole, is more than welcome. Get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming movies tv shows news. Gira says this new group incarnation is more similar. Nearly every interview i conduct around swans ecstatic 2104 album, to be. Its unbearable to hear our new songs on youtube theres no bottom end, so its like looking at a. Now, a month after weve assimilated the aforementioned twohour opus, the cumulative result of thirty years of musicmaking according to gira, so quite a. Michael gira you see through me lyrics genius lyrics.
The angels of light, formed in 1998 by michael gira as he emerged from swans long dark tunnel, might not be skull crushing like a train coming the other way, but their songs are no less intense just because hes gone acoustic. Angels of light with michael gira and devendra banhart duration. Michael gira broke the news to albuquerque and san antonio, texas fans with a facebook status update noting a medical emergency in the family as explanation. May 07, 2014 it seems fitting an artist as exacting as michael gira should be so prepared, so organised, when it comes to an interview situation, and his insight into the evolution of the album, as individual tracks and as a whole, is more than welcome. In the 1980s they created brutal industrial rock, attracting fans ranging from heavy metal bros to friggin kurt cobain he listed 1984s young god ep as one of his alltime favorite albums. Loose lips sink ships sophie harris play some swans. Michael gira drainland by michael gira 19950609 music. I am proud to present the spectrum culture interview with michael gira. I think the intro to this song should have been longer. We wandered into the bar early and cold from the brisk winter air to find gira, which did take some doing in the catacomb like basement of the club. For swans leader michael gira the act of making music is the act of perpetual reinvention.
Where swans michael gira got his caustic intensity. Get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming movies. Its not often i get nervous interviewing bands anymore, but from the first email offering a chance to speak to michael gira i could feel my stomach churn. Interview with michael gira from swans the upcoming. Their first album, 1982s filth, lived up to its title, lurching along at what seemed like halfspeed, crude guitar chords clanging and drums beating like construction equipment as gira roared lyrics that were like mantras of nihilism and. Gira formed swans in 1982 and has been an influential figure in modern music throughout his career as solo artist, author, and founder of young god records, home to devandra banhart and james blackshaw among others. Swans interview 1989 talks about love will tear us apart. Find michael gira similar, influenced by and follower information on allmusic. Swans 1995 97, interview with michael gira youtube. From the outset, the swans show i witnessed in february 2011 at the rickshaw theatre in vancouver was unlike any concert i have been to. Youd have a tough time finding anyone who plays heavy music that hasnt listened to or learned something from swans. Mar 12, 20 swans founder michael gira isnt afraid to let songs wander around the halfhour mark.
I dont think it means that the music itself is strange. Yet, as becomes clear throughout our interview, this is no normal bashoutthetracks approach as you might encounter from lesser bands in. Michael gira on dangling off the edge of a cliff for. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available. I didnt know michael gira or swans prior reaching the existence of the book actually, it all came in a single package must say i got really impressed by swans, especially with most recent works.
We grabbed legendary musician michael gira aka swans for a chat about his new album leaving meaning, the bands direction and more. A in this new york interview, gira explains how his more melodic new material is still shaped by his formative. He discussed with us some of his earliest and most influential records, including a rare. Get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music. May 14, 2014 special mention is given to bill rieflin in the credits for to be kind and i ask gira why the former ministry, nine inch nails and r. Michael gira swans swans are an evergreen, diverse band. Swans michael gira issues statement on rape accusations, larkin grimm responds. In 2009 when i made the decision to restart my musical group, swans, i had no idea where it would lead.
He is the main force behind the new york city musical group swans and fronts angels of light. The above lyrics start and end the thirteenth studio album by swans, the band that michael gira first brought to us in 1983, terrorising audiences with his confrontational brand of minimal blues, rock and noise, coupled with lyrics that could often be ugly and violent and visceral. Michael gira biography, albums, streaming links allmusic. Its an arduous process, but in the end, great, says michael gira of swans rehearsals for their forthcoming tour of monumental new album, the seer. Martina dechevska speaks with michael gira before he hits new york city with shows supporting the bands highly. He retired the name in 1997, only to return in 2010 reenergised and bringing with him two records that were. My father will guide me up a rope to the sky special edition. Since reforming in 2010, new york noiserockers swans have experienced something of a renaissance. Where swans michael gira got his caustic intensity mtv. We rose from your bed with the sun in our head handmade live 2cd sold out. Gira remained busy for the next 12 years, touring and recording with his new band angels of light, running his own young god imprint, and mentoring the. Riml met with michael gira, founding member of the band swans when they performed in vancouver last month. Mortality and god with michael gira of swans september 2, 2016 by vandala in daily blog, interviews, matt bacon, music videos, new releases, news, recent posts, streaming.
Swans michael gira on dissolving his bands current. Swans founder michael gira talks bands 15th album, leaving. Its unbearable to hear our new songs on youtube theres no bottom end, so its like looking at a landscape painting as a microdot or something. In conversation, on the other hand, he is relentlessly punctual. Led by sole founding member michael gira, the band has put out new work every two years. Oct 25, 2019 produced and written by michael gira, swans leaving meaning features several former members along with dozens of other handpicked musicians. Now some of us are weak and some endure and some people live their life in violence thats pure and clean but i saw a man cry once down on his knees in the corner of a. Audio only of michael gira aborting a rendition of blind to confront a rather unmannered audience at a solo show supporting wovenhand at the oriental. May 09, 2014 s itting outside a west london pub in a widebrimmed hat, scarf and wellcut jacket, 60yearold swans singer and bandleader michael gira resembles an oldtime man of the cloth, though abstinent. Michael gira interview swans leaving meaning youtube. Michael gira s body is barely able to contain his energy. Henry rollins mentioned cop in one of his earliest spoken word bits.
Led by sole founding member michael gira, the band has put out new work every two years since their restart in 2010, with lots of eps and. Michael gira concert setlists sign in to get statistics for your attended concerts. Martina dechevska speaks with michael gira before he hits new york city with shows supporting the bands highly acclaimed 2012 album the seer, which features vocals from yeah yeah yeahs karen o, alan sparhawk and mimi parker of low, members of akronfamily, ben frost, grasshopper from mercury rev and former swans member jarboe. You see through me features a surreptitious recording by jarboe of a drunken rant by me. Brandon stosuy talks with 60yearold artrock legend michael gira about how swans managed to return without losing any potency, and how a haitian revolutionary. He has a good point about this generation having attention span issues so the young people that go to swans shows are quite the anomaly. An interview with michael gira by hr october 2012 i spoke to experimental rock veteran michael gira a short time before the release of his band, swans much celebrated last album, the seer. But take heartgira is a touring machine, and he never skips burque on these tours. He is a tremendous drummer, and also right now hes got a great gig playing with king crimson reveals gira. M gira of swans speaks to john doran john doran, may 6th. I would be so intimidated to talk to michael gira over skype haha. When they first emerged in the early 1980s, michael giras group swans made music of overwhelming power. Swans thursday, april 9, concert at sunshine theater is canceled. Interview with michael gira of swans m ichael gira tells me hes just a little braindead.
Michael gira has promised that the next album from. Screenshot was performed at times, but in an entirely different musical venue. Swans michael gira on dissolving his bands current lineup. Filth lp and deluxe 3cd remastered 2015 not herenot now handmade 2cd sold out. It always leads to a sort of ecstasy that gira himself has stated hes always striving for. Hes having a rare day off tour with swans at his home in upstate new york, ears ringing as he tries to recharge for the short final leg of the bands world tour, including three shows in ireland. But i do think some swans music certainly not all is an experience where you have to let yourself physically be taken in and go where it leads. Just this time, i will judge a cult by its price, i thought. Michael rolfe gira is an american musician, author, and artist. In person, he is all amiability, his voice sweet, his. Interview with michael gira from swans flowers in a gun.
Swans frontman michael gira accused of sexual assault. Everything about the band michael gira has been leading since 1982 centers on the idea of unbearably powerful experience. It could be a manifesto of sorts for gira s own mission hes always cut out the waste and moved on, refining the elements of his music still of interest to. Youtube s news destination featuring comprehensive uptodate coverage on the latest top stories, sports, business, entertainment, politics, and more. Swans michael gira interview 2010 the drone youtube. An interview with michael gira of the angels of light. This is a perfect example of why we need to have education about consent. Initially part of the no wave scene, swans have, through. Although gira is one of the most intense musicians making music today, he was amiable and goodnatured.
Michael gira of swans interview episode 93 youtube. Michael gira is known for using a guild antique burst electro acoustic guitar, and a roland jc120 jazz chorus guitar amplifier during his solo concerts. Gira s selfsufficiency is inspired as much by bluesmen like howlin wolf as by his roots in punk. Riml met with michael gira, a founding member of the band swans when they performed in vancouver last month. Swans frontman michael gira sounds off on electronic musics inherent flaws, spending time in israeli jail, and his violent past in an interview with a. Nov 03, 2018 michael giras contribution to the 1985 compilation album a diamond hidden in the mouth of a corpse released under the giorno poetry systems label. Founded by michael gira in 1982, swans developed a reputation for punishing live shows, an avantnoise assault that shifted over the next 15 years to. Michael gira talks about the track on the press release to the album at the young god records website. Swans founder michael gira isnt afraid to let songs wander around the halfhour mark. The other half of the michael gira interview below appears, once again, in big. Its been almost a decade since michael gira dissolved the fearsome swans and embarked on a figuratively and literally quiet tenure as the leader of. Grimm collaborated with gira on her 2008 album parplar.
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