"The Helpless Child," the epic-length Gira-sung piece previewed on Die Tür ist Zu, amazingly gets an even more brilliant revision here, while another similarly lengthy track, "The Sound," at once roars and whispers over its length in a way that early Swans -- much less many other bands -- could never have done. Soundtracks For The Blind was intended to be the final studio album by Swans, released as a double disc epic in 1996. Interestingly, the double-disc, two-and-a-half-hour long Soundtracks makes no pretensions at being a uniform creation like The White Album or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness; Gira's own notes indicate the song sources as being from "hand-held cassette recordings to found sounds, to samples, to loops, to finished multitrack recordings," recorded with ten different musicians. In that regard, the recent remastered vinyl release of Soundtracks for the Blind, originally released in 1996, gives recent converts (since the band’s 2010 … Soundtracks For The Blind by SWANS, released 25 July 2014 1. river0606, An empty bliss beyond this Worldby The Caretaker, supported by 69 fans who also own “Soundtracks For The Blind”, I've fallen in love with The Caretakers music over the past months. Animus 13. The making of Swans‘ Soundtracks For The Blind By A.D. Amorosi Born from the jolting, speedy clutter that was New York City’s no-wave movement of the early, dirty ’80s, Michael Gira’s Swans were cuttingly abrasive in their sonic locution and lyrical force. But in the end, after centuries of picking at this huge iceberg of material with a toothpick, my trusty engineer Chris Griffin and I managed to sculpt something out of it. It was just overwhelming. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 23, 2020, Atmospheric, folk-derived songs from Good Good Blood that feel like a phantom back-porch sing-along. Red Velvet Corridor 2. Its so worth buying. Atmospheric, folk-derived songs from Good Good Blood that feel like a phantom back-porch sing-along. Soundtracks for the Blind is the best album by Swans, and the last released until 1997's Swans are Dead. Swans are an experimental rock band formed in 1982 by Michael Gira. with the experience of making this thing. Helpless Child 4. Other tracks continue Swans' then-recent practice of mixing random taped conversations with exquisitely arranged performances: "I Was a Prisoner in Your Skull" is especially noteworthy as the clear forerunner of Godspeed you Black Emperor! and ties them up into the most beautifully-frayed bow I've ever heard. Released on October 22nd, 1996, this is the last record of the gloomy post rock incarnation of Michael Gira’s Swans. Initially part of the no wave scene, Swans have, through various iterations, contributed to the development of noise rock, post-punk, industrial, post-rock and more. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Soundtracks for the Blind - Swans on AllMusic - 1996 - Choosing to extinguish the band name under which… Featured peformers: Michael Gira (vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, aka_text samples role_id 1088.aka_text, electronics, loops, producer, design), Jarboe (vocals, keyboards, electronics, loops), Billy Anderson … Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | Review * * * * * stars With the issue of Soundtracks For The Blind, their 15th album in as many years (along 12"s and side projects), Swans are calling it quits. It brings me back to a time where I never existed. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Soundtracks for the Blind - Swans on AllMusic - 1996 - Choosing to extinguish the band name under which… Everything from raging electric music in extreme to the gentlest of acoustic strums can be found here, ultimately being a perfect encapsulation of Swans' sound -- as much as any greatest-hits anthology could ever have been. of Discs: 3 Item Condition: Shrinkwrap was renewed, no visible damage on disc or booklet. Really like climbing up a mountain of sand. Ending on the unexpected yet appropriate "Surrogate Drone," Soundtracks lets Swans bow out from recording on the highest note possible. As dramatic excursions go, Soundtracks for the Blind equals the best. Live Through Me 5. El Perro del Mar returns! Everywhere at the end of timeby The Caretaker, supported by 75 fans who also own “Soundtracks For The Blind”, This album just blew me away. I stayed for the absolutely mind-blowing listening experience. It was released as a double CD in 1996, through Young God Records. Anyway, in the end, I was elated with this music, both because I liked it and because finishing it meant I could finally lay Swans to rest after 15 years. YG01 / ALP59CD; CD). powell420, supported by 67 fans who also own “Soundtracks For The Blind”, Met At The River ft Xenia Manassehby Mara TK, El Perro del Mar returns! Yum-Yab Killers 6. Being the “artist” in this case, it’s hard for me to talk about this one, because the memory is so laden (or burdened!) Soundtracks for the Blind 1996 was Swans last studio album prior to their 2010 reformation. It's changed me a ton. "I Was a Prisoner in Your Skull": 3:04 3. HaNL somehow manages to take all the threads I love most from groups like Mogwai, Russian Circles, GY!BE, A Silver Mt Zion, etc. It was released as a double CD in 1996, through K Records. How They Suffer 12. Soundtracks for the Blind was intended, as suggested by the title, to function as a sort of "soundtrack for a non-existent film", and is Swans' most varied studio effort. Released on October 22nd, 1996, this is the last record of the gloomy post rock incarnation of Michael Gira’s Swans. Its so worth buying. "Red Velvet Corridor": 0:00 2. Soundtracks for the Blind has the misfortune of being the last album Swans ever released, so this newfound style could never actually be perfected. "Live Through Me": 25:30 5. Soundtracks for the Blind was intended, as suggested by the title, to function as a sort of "album", and is Swans' last released until 1997's Swans are Dead. I don’t remember why I set this goal for myself, to somehow incorporate such a ridiculously disparate amount of material. 's entire musical approach. Released 22 October 1996 on Young God (catalog no. – Michael Gira/Young God Records 2008. There’s a press release below written by Kurt at Atavistic (Swans label at the time), and some reviews too, which might give you a better idea of how this sounds. Favorite track: I Was A Prisoner In Your Skull. Soundtracks for the Blind is the best album by Swans, and the last released until 1997's Swans are Dead. I think maybe it was so I could justify throwing all that crap into the local dump, which is what I did when I finished the album. and ties them up into the most beautifully-frayed bow I've ever heard. Pushing even further into abstraction, these seven songs are defined by heavy atmospherics and ghostly vocals. Pushing even further into abstraction, these seven songs are defined by heavy atmospherics and ghostly vocals. This album just blew me away. It was released as a double CD in 1996, through K Records. This set features a repackage of the original digipak for the 1996 Atavistic release plus a bonus disc of the contemporaneous Die Tr Ist Zu EP a German language version o Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Swans - Soundtracks For The Blind (CD Used Very Good) Label: Young God Records Format: CD Release Date: 27 Jul 2018 No. Jewel case may have cosmetic damage, online codes for possible online (Ultraviolet) or bonus content may be expired or missing. of Discs: 3 Item Condition: Shrinkwrap was renewed, no visible damage on disc or booklet. The Sound 15. "Helpless Child": 9:43 4. Genres: Experimental Rock, Post-Rock, Experimental. Thanks Leyland for making this. There’s some contemporary recordings of the band as it existed in ‘96/7, with Larry Mullins on drums/percussion, Jarboe singing and playing keyboards, Vudi playing electric guitar, and Joe Goldring playing bass and electric guitar, and me singing and playing electric and acoustic guitar, but there’s also a huge amount of sounds and recordings that I (and a few by Jarboe here too) collected over the years.