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2019 studio album by Swans
Leaving Meaning
Released October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25 ) Recorded March 11 - July 23, 2019 Studio Candy Bomber, Berlin, Germany; Ben Frost studio, Reykjavik, Iceland; Sonido del Norte, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Seizure's Palace, Brooklyn, NY, USA
Genre
Experimental rock
[1] Length 93 :10 (CD version) 82:34 (vinyl version)
Label
Producer
Michael Gira
"It's Coming It's Real" Released: September 5, 2019
"The Hanging Man" Released: October 10, 2019
Leaving Meaning (stylized as leaving meaning. ) is the fifteenth studio album by American
experimental band
Swans . It was released October 25, 2019 on
Young God and
Mute .
[2] A double album, Leaving Meaning' s songs have been mixed separately for vinyl and CD releases, with the CD version of the album containing the original (and extended) mixes of the songs, as well as an additional track, "Some New Things".
[3] As with all Swans' releases of the
2010s , Leaving Meaning was financed by a fundraiser album – in this case,
What Is This? in March 2019.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Leaving Meaning received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At
Metacritic , which assigns a
normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Leaving Meaning received an
average score of 75, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
[5] Andrew Perry of
Mojo gave the album a favorable review, comparing it partly to
The Burning World and writing, "Whatever the sonic weather, Gira's spiritual austerity remains unimpaired."
[9]
Accolades
Publication
Accolade
Rank
Ref.
Far Out Magazine
Top 50 Albums of 2019
47
Les Inrocks
Top 100 Albums of 2019
98
Magnet
Top 25 Albums of 2019
23
Mondo Sonoro
Top 40 Albums of 2019
18
Rough Trade
Top 100 Albums of 2019
19
Track listing
CD & digital version
All tracks are written by Michael Gira, except "Hums" by Gira,
Kristof Hahn ,
Christopher Pravdica ,
Norman Westberg
[21]
Disc one Title 1. "Hums" 2:00 2. "Annaline" 5:17 3. "The Hanging Man" 10:48 4. "Amnesia" 5:49 5. "Leaving Meaning" 11:21 6. "Sunfucker" 10:43 Total length: 45:58
Disc two Title 7. "Cathedrals of Heaven" 7:49 8. "The Nub" 12:01 9. "It's Coming It's Real" 7:42 10. "Some New Things" 7:09 11. "What Is This?" 6:05 12. "My Phantom Limb" 6:26 Total length: 47:12
Vinyl version
All tracks are written by Michael Gira, except "Hums" by Gira, Kristof Hahn, Christopher Pravdica, Norman Westberg
[22]
Vinyl version (Side A) Title 1. "Annaline" 5:17 2. "The Hanging Man" (shortened mix) 9:55 3. "Amnesia" 5:49 Total length: 21:01
Vinyl version (Side B) Title 1. "Leaving Meaning" (shortened mix) 10:37 2. "Sunfucker" (shortened mix) 10:22 Total length: 20:59
Vinyl version (Side C) Title 1. "Hums" (shortened mix) 1:46 2. "Cathedrals of Heaven" 7:49 3. "The Nub" (shortened mix) 10:59 Total length: 20:34
Vinyl version (Side D) Title 1. "It's Coming It's Real" (shortened mix) 7:29 2. "What Is This?" 6:05 3. "My Phantom Limb" 6:26 Total length: 20:00
Personnel
Adapted from the official Young God Records website
[2] and album liner notes:
[23]
Swans
Michael Gira – vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar, production, art design
Kristof Hahn –
lap steel guitar , electric guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Larry Mullins – drums, percussion,
vibes ,
Mellotron , keyboards, synth, backing vocals
Yoyo Röhm – electric bass guitar, double bass, keyboards, piano, synth, backing vocals
Previous Swans
Guests
Chris Abrahams (
The Necks ) – piano, organ ("The Nub", "Leaving Meaning")
Tony Buck (The Necks) – drums, percussion ("The Nub", "Leaving Meaning", "Some New Things")
Lloyd Swanton (The Necks) – double bass ("The Nub", "Leaving Meaning")
Baby Dee – lead vocal ("The Nub")
Fay Christen – backing vocals ("The Nub")
Ida Albertje Michels – backing vocals ("The Nub")
Cassis Staudt – accordion,
harmonium (on various songs)
Anna von Hausswolff – choral/backing vocals ("Sunfucker", "Amnesia", "It's Coming Real")
Maria von Hausswolff – choral/backing vocals ("Sunfucker", "Amnesia", "It's Coming Real")
Ben Frost – guitar, synths, sound manipulations (throughout) , engineer
Jennifer Gira – various backing vocals (throughout) , cameo vocal ("Sunfucker")
Jeremy Barnes (
A Hawk and a Hacksaw ) –
santur ,
hi-hat ,
fiddlesticks , accordion, engineering
Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw) –
Stroh violin , violin, viola, fiddlesticks, engineering
Dana Schechter – bass ("Some New Things") , sounds
Mika Bajinksi – additional backing vocals
Marie-Claire Schlameus – additional backing vocals
Swan Gira – laughter
Saoirse Gira – laughter
Tatiana Hahn – host
Other contributors
[24]
Ingo Krauss – engineer on basic tracks at Candy Bomber Studio, Berlin; mixing
Jason LaFarge – engineer at Seizure's Palace, Brooklyn, NY
Francesco Fabris – assistant engineer at Ben Frost studio, Reykjavik
Sander Stuer – assistant engineer at Ben Frost studio, Reykjavik
Doug Henderson – mastering
Paul A. Taylor – art layout and execution
Peter Wright – label admin and artist management
John Allen – artist management
Brandon Perry – artist management
Miguel Gallego – artist management
Daniel Miller – artist management
Howard Wuelfing – publicity in USA, Canada
Zoë Miller – publicity in the UK
Todd Cole – booking
Charts
References
^
"Swans' Leaving Meaning is a customarily monolithic work of experimental rock" . The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved April 30, 2023 .
^
a
b
"leaving meaning" . YOUNG GOD RECORDS .
^
"Swans - leaving meaning. - Double Vinyl" . Mute Bank .
^
"Leaving Meaning. by Swans reviews" .
AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
^
a
b
"Leaving Meaning. by Swans Reviews and Tracks" .
Metacritic . Retrieved October 25, 2019 .
^ Simpson, Paul.
"leaving meaning. – Swans" .
AllMusic . Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
^ Morin, Max (October 30, 2019).
"Swans: Leaving Meaning" .
Exclaim! . Retrieved October 30, 2019 .
^ Lilly, Evan (October 31, 2019).
"Swans' Leaving Meaning is a customarily monolithic work of experimental rock" .
The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved February 1, 2020 .
^
a
b Perry, Andrew (November 2019). "Swans: Leaving Meaning".
Mojo . No. 312. p. 89.
^ Shepherd, Sam (October 25, 2019).
"Swans – Leaving Meaning" .
MusicOMH . Retrieved February 1, 2020 .
^
Sherburne, Philip (November 13, 2019).
"Swans: Leaving Meaning" .
Pitchfork . Retrieved November 14, 2019 .
^ Mongredien, Phil (January 2020). "Swans: Leaving Meaning".
Q . No. 406. p. 114.
^ Hamnett, Alun (December 2019).
"Swans – Leaving Meaning" .
Record Collector . No. 499. Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
^ Wilson, Seth (October 20, 2019).
"Review: Swans's Leaving Meaning Depicts a Grim and Unrelenting Hellscape" .
Slant Magazine . Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
^ Wallace, Wyndham (December 2019). "Swans: Leaving Meaning".
Uncut . No. 271. p. 32.
^
"The 50 Best Albums of 2019" . Far Out Magazine . December 24, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
^
"Notre Top 100 des meilleurs albums de 2019" (in French). December 11, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
^
"Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 2019" .
Magnet . December 23, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
^
"Los mejores discos internacionales de 2019 para Mondo Sonoro" (in Spanish). MondoSonoro. December 3, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
^
"Albums of the Year" . Rough Trade . Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
^
"ACE Repertory" . ASCAP . Retrieved July 7, 2023 .
^
"ACE Repertory" . ASCAP . Retrieved July 7, 2023 .
^
"Swans – Leaving Meaning. (2019, CD)" . Discogs . Retrieved July 8, 2023 .
^
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0397/1609/products/Various_Personnel_Swans_Leaving_Meaning_grande.jpg?v=1567525545 [
bare URL image file ]
^
"Austriancharts.at – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
^
"Ultratop.be – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
^
"Ultratop.be – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
^
"Offiziellecharts.de – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in German).
GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved October 31, 2019.
^
"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100" .
Official Charts Company . Retrieved November 2, 2019.
^
"Top 100 Albumes – Semana 44: del 25.10.2019 al 31.10.2019" (in Spanish).
Productores de Música de España . Retrieved November 6, 2019 .
^
"Swisscharts.com – Swans – Leaving Meaning" . Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
External links
Studio albums Fundraiser albums Live albums Compilation albums EPs Singles Related articles