Swans - LIVE ROPE Swans

Originally released in November 2024 as a physical only, limited edition physical boxset, Swans’ Live Rope is now being made on CD at retail. A document of the band’s US/EU 2023-24 live tours, this material laid the blueprint for the band’s most recent studio album, Birthing, released May 2025. Spanning almost 3 hours of trance-inducing melodies that morph into dense walls of sound, the album is anchored by Gira’s unmistakable vocals and crafted with longtime collaborators on lap steel, bass, Mellotron and dynamic percussion. Gira proclaims the album was forged” with soul-lacerating commitment and relentless pursuit of our own truth through sound…”

2CD in Swans’ signature brown board packaging – 1 pressing only

PRAISE FOR BIRTHING
“Every track is an extended trip, alternating shimmering, sibilant and stentorian passages” - 8/10* Uncut
“… the last of its kind before the band move to a more pared-back sound. They’re certainly going out with a bang, or should that be a drone?” - The Guardian
“A monolithic, crushing behemoth of a farewell disc” - Louder Than War - Album of the Week
“…how can they keep getting better each time” - Outside Left
“Birthing feels, in a romantic way, like both an ending and a beginning. An exceptional album from an exceptional collective, led by one of the most powerful songwriters of the past 40 years.” - Music OMH - Album of the Week

PRAISE FOR SWANS’ 2023 ALBUM THE BEGGAR
“…delivers a ritualistic euphoria” - Uncut 8/10*
“…uncompromising and brilliant” - MOJO 4/5*
“…dark and unsettling, purifying and beautiful” - The Guardian 4/5*
“a gargantuan demonstration of just how far Swans have come and how huge they’ve become” - Classic Rock 8/10*
“…beautifully heavy” - The Guardian Saturday Magazine
“The Beggar feels like a band once again developing a new identity, one that’s still coalescing into its full shape.” - The Skinny