The World of Skin

Last updated
Michael Gira Michael Gira-8.jpg
Michael Gira
Jarboe Jarboe 2009.jpg
Jarboe
Norman Westberg Norman Westberg with Swans 2014.jpg
Norman Westberg

The World of Skin was a music project springing out of the American group Swans, which was a collaboration between the core Swans members Michael Gira and Jarboe. The project was initially called Skin, [1] with the first two albums being released under that name, the last one being released under the name the World of Skin. In the UK, the first two albums were released by Product Inc., an imprint of Mute Records, while the last was released on Gira's own Young God label.

Contents

History

Swans' album Greed began a trend toward greater use of melody, and this trend continued with the later Children of God . The work performed as Skin was initially in marked contrast with the less overtly melodic but contemporaneous Swans work, but later Swans work integrated the two aspects.

Blood, Women, Roses (1987) was the project's first release and featured vocals entirely by Jarboe, who had previously mainly been performing backing vocals. Many of the tracks on this album were covers of show tunes and other popular songs (for example "Cry Me a River" and "The Man I Love"). Many of the tracks still featured the monumental use of percussion that was common in earlier Swans work, but combined this with a greater use of melody ("Red Rose" is typical of this).

Blood, Women, Roses was followed in 1988 by Shame, Humility, Revenge , which featured vocals by Michael Gira (although Jarboe did perform some backing vocals). The first two albums were released only in Europe, but most of the albums’ tracks were combined in the US release World of Skin (released under the band name World of Skin), which was followed by the final World of Skin release, Ten Songs for Another World . This album featured vocals from both performers, including a cover of Nick Drake's "Black-Eyed Dog" that was performed by Jarboe.

Group members

Discography

Studio releases

Compilations

Singles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swans (band)</span> American experimental rock band

Swans are an American experimental rock band formed in 1982 by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. One of the few acts to emerge from the New York City-based no wave scene and stay intact into the next decade, Swans have become recognized for an ever-changing sound, exploring genres such as noise rock, post-punk, industrial and post-rock. Initially, their music was known for its sonic brutality and misanthropic lyrics. Following the addition of singer, songwriter and keyboardist Jarboe in 1986, Swans began to incorporate melody and intricacy into their music. Jarboe remained the band's only constant member except Gira and semi-constant guitarist Norman Westberg until their dissolution in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Gira</span> American singer and musician

Michael Rolfe Gira is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, author and artist. Now based in New Mexico, he founded the band Swans, in which he sings and plays guitar, in New York City in the 1980s at the height of the no wave movement. He is also the founder of Young God Records and previously fronted Angels of Light.

<i>Greed</i> (Swans album) 1986 album by Swans

Greed is the third studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1986, through record label K.422. Greed marks the slow turning point for Swans away from the harsh, brutal noise rock of prior releases, and is also the first Swans album to contain contributions from Jarboe.

<i>Children of God</i> (Swans album) 1987 album by Swans

Children of God is the fifth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released on October 19, 1987, through record label Caroline and on K.422 in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Great Annihilator</i> 1995 studio album by Swans

The Great Annihilator is the ninth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released on January 23, 1995, through frontman Michael Gira's own record label, Young God. The album has been described by Gira as a companion album to his solo album Drainland (1995); the two were remastered and re-released together in April 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Lords (band)</span> American rock band

House of Lords is an American rock band based in Connecticut, with members in New Jersey and Florida.

<i>The Burning World</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Swans

The Burning World is the sixth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1989, through record label Uni Records, the band's only major-label release. Co-produced by Bill Laswell and band leader Michael Gira, the album features a major stylistic shift from their past releases, being very tuneful and accessible compared to the bleak, industrialized sound from their past records. It received a mixed reception and was a commercial disappointment; the band was dropped from the record label following its poor performance.

<i>White Light from the Mouth of Infinity</i> 1991 studio album by Swans

White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is the seventh album by the American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1991, through the record label Young God. The band supported the album with a North American tour.

<i>Swans Are Dead</i> 1998 album

Swans Are Dead is the fifth double and seventh overall live album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1998 and was recorded in 1995 and 1997 on the band's final tours, before reuniting in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Screw</span> 1986 EP

A Screw is a single by the New York City experimental rock group Swans. The single's three songs were later appended as bonus tracks to the CD release of Holy Money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mind (song)</span> 1987 single by Swans

New Mind is a single by the New York City band Swans. The title track appears in a one-minute-longer version on the band's next studio album, Children of God. "Damn You to Hell" and "I'll Swallow You" are included simply as "I'll Swallow You" on the CD re-release Children of God/World of Skin, but not on the initial release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saved (Swans song)</span> 1989 single by Swans

Saved is a song by American experimental rock band Swans. The track was released as a single for The Burning World (1989) and reached No. 28 on Billboard's Alternative chart.

<i>Love of Life</i> (album) 1992 album by Swans

Love of Life is the eighth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1992 on Young God Records.

The Party Boys was an Australian rock supergroup with a floating membership commencing in 1982. Created by Mondo Rock's bass guitarist, Paul Christie, with founding member Kevin Borich as a part-time venture for professional musicians with downtime from their other projects; the group had temporary members from Status Quo, the Angels, Sherbet, Skyhooks, Rose Tattoo, the Choirboys, Australian Crawl, Divinyls, Models, Dragon and Swanee, plus international stars such as Joe Walsh, Eric Burdon, Alan Lancaster, and Graham Bonnet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarboe</span> American musician

Jarboe Devereaux, known mononymously as Jarboe, is an American singer and musician who came to prominence as a member of the New York City experimental rock band Swans in 1985. Jarboe and Michael Gira, the founder of Swans, were the two constant members of the group until it broke up in 1997.

<i>The Seer</i> (Swans album) 2012 studio album by Swans

The Seer is the twelfth studio album by the American experimental rock band Swans. It was released by Young God Records on August 28, 2012. Producer and front man Michael Gira funded the recording of the album with the sales of the live double album We Rose from Your Bed with the Sun in Our Head (2012).

<i>Sacrificial Cake</i> 1995 album

Sacrificial Cake is the second studio album by Jarboe. It was released in 1995 through Alternative Tentacles, and is an accompaniment to Drainland by fellow Swans member Michael Gira.

<i>Drainland</i> 1995 studio album by M. Gira

Drainland is the debut solo studio album by American musician Michael Gira. It was released on June 9, 1995, through Alternative Tentacles. Using spare arrangements recorded in August 1994 at musician Bill Rieflin's Seattle home, the album features contributions from Rieflin and Gira's Swans bandmate Jarboe.

<i>Shame, Humility, Revenge</i> 1988 studio album by Skin

Shame, Humility, Revenge is the second studio album by Skin, released in 1988 by Product Inc.

<i>Leaving Meaning</i> 2019 studio album by Swans

Leaving Meaning is the fifteenth studio album by American experimental band Swans. It was released October 25, 2019 on Young God and Mute. 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 mixes of the songs, as well as an additional track, "Some New Things". 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.

References

  1. "Interview with Michael Gira 1996 - DurjeSpace". web.archive.org. October 11, 2020.