Swans by Swans

Label: Labor (original); later reissues on Young God / Mute, USA/Europe  
Format: Vinyl, 12’’ EP, 33⅓ RPM  
Release Date: 1982 (original release)
Edition: Remastered 2015 reissue

Swans’ self-titled 12″ EP represents the very first document of Michael Gira’s uncompromising vision — a raw, no-wave inflected declaration of purpose recorded between 1981 and 1982. With brutal, grinding rhythms, guttural vocals and jagged instrumentation, this initial release foreshadows the band’s evolution through industrial noise rock and post-rock territories. Capturing the intensity of their early New York scene origins, it stands as a seminal artifact in the underground’s sonic lineage long before later full-length statements like 'Filth' and 'Cop' cemented their influence.