Yellow Swans

Infobox musical artist
Name = Yellow Swans


Background = group_or_band
Origin = Portland, Oregon, United States
Genre = Experimental
Electronic
Noise
Years_active = 2001-2008
Label = JYRK
LOAD
URL = http://jyrk.com/yellowswans
Current_members = Pete Swanson
Gabriel Mindel Saloman

Yellow Swans is an American experimental electronic noise band from Portland, Oregon. The duo are renownedFact|date=January 2008 for their improvisional approach to music, creating a unique experience for each live performance. They describe their music as "a constantly evolving mass of psychedelic noise that is both physically arresting and psychically liberating" [http://www.jyrk.com/yellowswans/media.htm] . The band consists of Pete Swanson (vocals, drum machine, electronics) and Gabriel Mindel Saloman (guitar, feedback, electronics). The band announced their split in April 2008.

History

The duo formed in Portland, Oregon in 2001. From here they established their own collective art label, JYRK where the band have self-released several CD-Rs and cassettes of their music. With frequent touring and shows with artists including Tussle, Xiu Xiu and Japanther, the duo moved to Oakland, California for two years. In 2003, they recorded their debut album, "Bring The Neon War Home", and continued to tour across the USA.

Their debut album garnered much recognition and soon the band were invited to perform shows across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. In October 2005, Numerical Thief, a Melbourne-based label, debuted the release of the band's second studio album, "Psychic Secession". It was later re-mastered and released on LOAD Records the same year, and then released on 12" vinyl by Weird Forest in 2006.

Throughout their existence, the duo have used the moniker of D. Yellow Swans, where the "D" can be substituted for any word beginning with the letter. This began as a joke when the band formed, and became "a fun take on anti-branding... [it's] not really meant to be elitist though" [http://www.auralminority.com/5qsd.yellowswans.html] . They have used several different names over the past six years, as can be seen in their discography, but are most commonly referred to as simply "Yellow Swans".

In April 2008, Pete Swanson announced the band's break up. In an email to Pitchfork, Swanson stated "There are no specific reasons why we've come to this point, but both Gabriel [Mindel Saloman] and I have decided that it's in our best interest to move on from the project. Neither of us have any intention to stop playing music anytime soon, but we will not be playing or performing with each other again." [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/50041-yellow-swans-break-up]

Discography

2002

* "Gnrl Motor Skills/PA Swans" CD-R
* "Live at Kimo's" CD-R (Self released)
* "Ded Yellow Swans" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Ded Yellow Swans
* "Free" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Detained Yellow Swans
* "Manik Tiks" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Disk Yellow Swans
* "EPX" CD-R (Self released)
* "PDX TRPX" CD-R (Self released)

2003

* "Deep Yellow Swans" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Deep Yellow Swans
* "Duh Yellow Swans" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Duh Yellow Swans
* "Detestifi Yellow Swans" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Detestifi Yellow Swans
* "Against Sleep And Nightmare" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) as Dyad Yellow Swans
* "Business Card" CD-R (Das Fort) - as Decapitation Yellow Swans
* "Yellow Swans" CD-R (Self released)
* "Live From Men's And Women's Bathrooms, The Placebo, Arcata, CA" 3" CD-R (Tape Mountain/Jyrk/Deathbombarc) - with Gang Wizard
* "Die Yellow Swans/John Wiese" Split 7" (Collective Jyrk/Helicopter)
* "Dreamed Yellow Swans" 12" (Collective Jyrk) - as Dreamed Yellow Swans

2004

* "Bring The Neon War Home" CD (Narnack Records)
* "Drill Yellow Swans" CD-R (SNSE Records) - as Drill Yellow Swans
* "Basement Ghost" 7" (Helicopter) - with John Wiese
* "Live In The Police State Capitol" 12" (Weird Forest) - as Demos Yellow Swans

2005

* "Live During War Crimes" CD (Release the Bats) - as Dove Yellow Swans
* "Drowning Yellow Swans & Jim Altieri" CD-R (Carbon) - as Drowning Yellow Swans
* "Drowned Yellow Swans" 3" CD-R (Chondritic Sound ) - as Drowned Yellow Swans
* "Yeh Yellow Swans" 3" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - as Yeh Yellow Swans
* "Yellow Swans/Axolotl" CD-R (Collective Jyrk)
* "Yellow Swans/Axolotl/Gerritt" CD-R (Collective Jyrk)
* "Copper/Silver" 2xCD-R (Collective Jyrk) - with Grey Daturas
* "Humming Lattice Flowers" CD-R (Collective Jyrk) - with Skaters
* "Australian Tour EP" CD-R (Heathen Skulls) - with Grey Daturas
* "Live 5-6-04 US Tour aka: War" CD-R (Hung Like A Horse?!) - as Demonic Yellow Swans
* "Psychic Secession" CD (Numerical Thief/LOAD Records)
* "Dreamed Yellow Swans" CD (PACrec110/Deleted Art) - as Dreamed Yellow Swans
* "Live at Camp Blood" CD (Troniks) - with The Cherry Point
* "Doorendoorslechte Yellow Swans" 3" CD (Ultra Eczema) - as Doorendoorslechte Yellow Swans
* "Draught Yellow Swans" 7" (Deathbombarc) - as Draught Yellow Swans
* "Against Sleep And Nightmare" 12" (Weird Forest) - as Dyad Yellow Swans

2006

* "Drift Yellow Swans" CD (Acuarela) - as Drift Yellow Swans
* "Live At Sound & Fury" CD-R (Sound & Fury Records)
* "They Do Not Always Remember" CD (Oedipus Records) - with Moth Drakula
* "Live During War Crimes Vol.II" CD (Release the Bats) - as Dove Yellow Swans
* "Global Clone" CD (PacRec) - as Doubled Yellow Swans
* "Yellow Swans/Birchville Cat Motel" CD (Important)
* "Drift Yellow Swans" 12" (Root Strata) - as Drift Yellow Swans
* "Psychic Secession" 2x12" (Weird Forest)
* "Copper/Silver" 2x12" (Olde English Spelling Bee) - with Grey Daturas
* "Yellow Swans/Devillock" Split 7" (Modern Radio)

2007

* "Yellow Swans/Warmth" Split 7" (DNT Records)
* "Descension Yellow Swans" 12" (Three Lobed Recordings) - as Descension Yellow Swans
* "Descension Yellow Swans" CD (Acuarela) - as Descension Yellow Swans
* "Drowner Yellow Swans" cassette (Tape Room) - as Drowner Yellow Swans
* "Yellow Swans/Robedoor" Split 7" (Arbor)
* "Yellow Swans/Goslings" Split 7" (Not Not Fun)
* "At All Ends" CD (Load)

"Note: For a comprehensive list of releases, see the band's official website."

External links

* [http://jyrk.com/yellowswans Official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/yellowswans MySpace page]
* [http://numericalthief.com/artists.asp?id=11 Band profile at Numerical Thief]
* [http://www.loadrecords.com/bands/yellowswans.html Band profile at LOAD Records]
* [http://groovesmag.com/features.php Interview at Grooves Magazine]
* [http://groovesmag.com/review_detail.php?id=00000251 Review of Live During War Crimes at Grooves Magazine]