2010 up 5 and 5: Anna von Hausswolff and Swans

EDIT: The idea did not work quite as I thought -- was something of an experiment.   After 4 hours, with the two who responded, one likes The Seer, but not particularly any von Hausswolff (meh on her), and the other likes von Hausswolff and hasn't been into Swans.

So I now say vote for any albums you like off the list, but please try to vote for an Anna von Hausswolff and Swans if you like albums of both

What I wrote earlier:

This poll has multiple votes enabled, but I ask people to vote for just one Anna von Hausswolff album here AND just one Swans album. Vote for one album of each act in other words, so two in total (one of each). If you can't then I have other options for you and you can specify what you know and like, if any, from the list in a post. Thanks.

I vote for Anna von Hausswolff's Dead Magic and Swans' The Glowing Man.





^ This is not your grandpa's Prog, especially if you already are a grandpa perhaps. My grandpa was born in 1880 something, but still alive when Prog was in its heyday and I was a little varmint.

As my other two, I would go for Anna von H's Ceremony and Swans' To Be Kind, and it should take no seer to know that I also find each of those miraculous, and more albums in this list are loved by me.[

Edited by Logan - August 30 2022 at 01:59

Seems I forgot an option. Oh well, I care about reading the posts more than looking at the poll itself usually, which I consider to be more of an accessory.

I know you're not really a Swans fan, but for those who are:

I would expect most people who like this period of Swans to like Anna von Hausswolff. Michael Gira is a great admirer of hers, they have been in concert together (in 2020) for the leaving meaning tour, and she and her sister are on the Swans album leaving meaning (along with The Necks). I find her brilliant. I was tempted to do an organist/composer poll pitting against the Baldies fave Barbara Dennerlein.

I listened to three of her albums today and two by Lingua Ignota.

Edited by Logan - August 29 2022 at 22:42

^ Can on acid? That's like acid times two. ;)

I didn't mean to compare those particular tracks, those are just long tracks I love off the albums I voted for. To me the two acts are absolutely comparable in ways, while, thankfully, not being the same. And Anna von Hausswolff reminds me of another particular favourite of mine, Julia Holter. I hear a similar kind of post-rock feel to various Hausswolff music as with various Swans, and similar so-called experimental rock qualities, and lovely build ups to crescendos (I love a good crescendo) and I could compare music of hers to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as well as Kate Bush to some extent, and people like Lingua Ignota... (it's also about the atmospheres that creep in).

Beyond Swans revival in 2010 and that's when Anna released Singing From the Grave, as said, she performs (backing vocals anyway) on Swans' leaving meaning album (along with her sister). Michael Gira of Swans is a big admirer of her music (I have listened to him talk about her and her music) and they have performed together.

Obviously I should have included an option for like one, pretty meh about the other from what one knows. That Swans track has more of that Can Krautrock feel to it and is Swans most Krautrock album.

I would expect a lot of people are very into both (maybe not at this forum), more-so than if I was comparing, say, Neal Morse solo or The Flower Kings with one of those I would think.

Anyway, I hope you do check out various Swans albums. Myy faves in chronological order are Children of God (1987), White Light From the Mouth of Infinity (1991), The Great Annihilator (1995), Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) (my first Swans love, Helpless Child is a masterpiece imo), The Seer (2012), To Be Kind (2014), The Glowing Man (2016) and leaving meaning (2019). And I adore the early 90s live album Omniscience (from my mentioning it at PA more than once, I seem to be the only one, it is out of print). Swans would be too repetitive and improv based for many, makes for unique experiences with each live performance. It's not as formalistic as Anna von H's, and yes there are major differences in approach and background. I love both, really that's enough for me.

By the way, I wasn't asking people to compare Anna von H. and Swans, but rather to compare the Anna von H. albums with each other and vote for a favourite, and also compare the Swans albums with each other and vote for one of those. Maybe I was wrong to think that the two would share enough admirers, or that enough would know both, to consider making such a poll.

Edited by Logan - August 30 2022 at 01:06

Only bits and pieces of these albums.

All Swans beginning from the Seer, and All Thoughts Fly. I don't know many full albums of Hausswolff, only The Miraculous on top of ATF. It is a good album, as is Swans' My Father..., but both of these are not up with those I voted for.

Too many great, great albums here! Just went with my gut and chose Anna's All Thoughts Fly cuz it holds such a personal place with me for its COVID representation and for bringing me to an awareness of the Sacred Bosco gardens outside the castle of Orsini, Italia. All this beautiful music created & performed solo with a pipe organ! My grandfather (a life-long pipe organist) would have loved it!

BrufordFreak wrote: Too many great, great albums here! Just went with my gut and chose Anna's All Thoughts Fly cuz it holds such a personal place with me for its COVID representation and for bringing me to an awareness of the Sacred Bosco gardens outside the castle of Orsini, Italia. All this beautiful music created & performed solo with a pipe organ! My grandfather (a life-long pipe organist) would have loved it!

I still haven't given All Thoughts Fly my undivided attention, which is fitting for the title methinks.

nick_h_nz wrote: I’ve always wondered, Greg, what you think of The Young Gods, since you so often write about Swans. I came to Swans via The Young Gods, who have had former Swans drummer, Roli Mosimann, produce almost every one of their studio albums, and (of course) acquired their band name from Swans. Roli was very much involved in the song writing and arrangements of the first couple of The Young Gods albums. I always find it interesting how well known and often spoken about Swans are (not just on PA), while The Young Gods are far more rarely mentioned, in comparison.

I had heard of the band The Young Gods (enough for me to know it to be considered an industrial band), but not heard the music that I recall. Swans itself is mostly a recent interest of mine (this year primarily), and that interest grew out of trying to convince Paul that he might find merit in the band. That got me exploring, and it's more like I totally convinced myself (I already thought Swans had merit, but that's what really got me into Swans). Funnily enough, those early albums that put Paul off I still have not listened to (well, I have listened to bits of them).

I am listening to The Young Gods album Only Heaven now (1995 is such a superb year based on what I know and like), and I dig this. Glad you brought it up.

The Swans band I know best that has a direct Swans association is the folk country goth rocky Angels of Light.