Leaving Meaning Explained
Leaving Meaning |
Type: | studio |
Artist: | Swans |
Cover: | Leaving Meaning (Front Cover).jpg |
Alt: | The text "leaving meaning" in red, on a yellow square with a thin red outline on a cardstock background. |
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) |
Producer: | Michael Gira |
Prev Title: | What Is This? |
Prev Year: | 2019 |
Next Title: | Is There Really a Mind? |
Next Year: | 2022 |
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 Meanings 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". 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."
Accolades
Track listing
Vinyl version
Personnel
Adapted from the official Young God Records website[2] and album liner notes:[4]
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[5]
- 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
Notes and References
- Web site: Swans' Leaving Meaning is a customarily monolithic work of experimental rock . 2023-04-30 . The Line of Best Fit . en-US.
- Web site: leaving meaning.. YOUNG GOD RECORDS.
- Web site: Swans - leaving meaning. - Double Vinyl. Mute Bank.
- Web site: Swans – Leaving Meaning. (2019, CD) . Discogs . 8 July 2023.
- https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0397/1609/products/Various_Personnel_Swans_Leaving_Meaning_grande.jpg?v=1567525545
- Web site: Top 100 Albumes – Semana 44: del 25.10.2019 al 31.10.2019. Productores de Música de España. Spanish. November 6, 2019.