4.52am Issue: 029 13th April 2017 The PJ Harvey Issue

SWANS
The Great Annihilator
The Great Annihilator is a truly special
album and I have to say that I’m all kinds
of chuffed to see that it is getting a
remaster and a reissue, to be available on
the 5 th of May by the uber cool Mute
The album was originally released in 1995
and is one of the most hauntingly
beautiful albums ever. The reissue will be
released as a double vinyl album and as
a double CD. Both will also come with a
download code so that you can download
a copy of Michael Gira’s solo album
‘Drainland’ which was recorded at the
same time.
The album was only remastered because
original DAT and tape cassettes were
discovered which contained unmastered
mixes from the sessions.
Michael Gira describes the discovery as “a
revelation of great sonic effect”. Talking
about the recording, Gira said “I lived in
a tent in a mosquito infested studio right
next to Cabrini Green in Chicago for what
(?) something like 3 months, rarely
leaving. Band members and Jarboe and
Bill Rieflin etc came and went, and
somehow we crafted this thing into
what it became.”
The Swans are still touring for the final
time with this line-up, so check them
while you can:
18 May - UK Glasgow, Oran Mor
19 May - UK Aberdeen, The Lemon
Tree
20 May - UK Leeds, Stylus - Leeds
University Union
21 May - UK Sheffield – The Plug
24 May - UK Birmingham – The Asylum
25 May - BE, Zottegam, Drunk Festival
26 May - UK Bristol – Trinity
Community Arts
27 May - UK London, Roundhouse
28 May - UK Manchester, Victoria
Warehouse