Swans (EP)

Swans is an EP by the experimental rock band Swans. Their first album, it was released in 1982 on Labor.

Background

Although rooted in the no wave scene and different from Swans' forthcoming releases in its prominent use of the saxophone and relative absence of brutality, the EP remains an intense listen, demonstrating the early stages in the evolution of the violent, repetitious and noisy style that Swans' earlier releases would become known for.

The EP was re-EQ'd by M. Gira and S. McAllister, remastered, and appended to the 1990 reissue of the follow-up album Filth LP on Gira's own Young God label. On the reissue CD the tracks are in a different order; the tracks on each side of the EP are reversed. The 1990 Filth CD on which the EP was reissued is long out of print. Although Filth was reissued again by Young God in 1999 and 2014, Swans did not appear on any subsequent Young God Records reissue until Spring 2015, as a Record Store Day Exclusive Release.

The 2015 12" reissue and versions appearing on the Filth Deluxe Edition 3-CD set are the original 1982 mixes faithfully restored.