''Oxygen'' is an EP by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released digitally on November 25, 2014 through frontman Michael Gira's own label,

Young God Records Young God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases. The label was named after an EP released by Gira's band Swans called '' Young God ...

Background

The EP features four different versions of the title track "Oxygen", originally from the band's 2014 album, ''

To Be Kind ''To Be Kind'' is the thirteenth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on May 12, 2014. It was released as a triple LP, a double CD, and a two-CD deluxe edition that includes a live DVD of performances from Hellfest Ope ...

''. The versions include an edit by

Mute Records Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...

founder Daniel Miller, a live version recorded at Primavera Sound festival, an early version recorded at band leader Michael Gira's home studio and an acoustic version recorded at Studio Mute.

Critical reception

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

critic Eric Risch wrote: "Despite none of the four versions here reaching the original's length, the ''Oxygen EP'' is not fuel efficient enough for the daily commute and provides more torque than required for a Sunday drive." Risch further added: "Revealing the true horsepower behind "Oxygen", this collection should be handled by a professional driver on a closed course."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from ''Oxygen'' liner notes Swans * Michael Gira – vocals, guitar,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

Christoph Hahn Kristof Hahn (also known as Christoph Hahn) (born 6 February 1959) is a German guitarist., composer and translator. Hahn is best known for his lap-steel guitar playing in the New York experimental rock band Swans. He joined the band in 1989 for ...

–

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...

s, electric guitar, vocals *

Thor Harris Thor Harris (born February 7, 1965) is an artist, sculptor, musician, painter, carpenter and handyman. He was the percussionist for Swans (2010–2016). He has performed with Shearwater (2001–2010), Bill Callahan, The Angels of Light, Lisa ...

–

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

vibes Vibes may refer to: * Vibes (percussion) or vibraphone, a musical instrument * Vibes (company) a mobile marketing company * The aura or energy given off by someone Media * ''Vibes'' (film), a 1988 comedy * ''Vibes'' (video game), a 2010 video ...

wind instrument A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitc ...

s, vocals *

Christopher Pravdica Christopher Pravdica (born October 2, 1975) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bass guitarist of American experimental rock band Swans. Biography Pravdica is a member of the band Human Impact, along with former membe ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, acoustic guitar, vocals *

Phil Puleo Phil Puleo (born September 27, 1963) is an American composer, drummer, illustrator and visual artist from New York. He is known as a founding member of the band Cop Shoot Cop in the 1990s, and for his current involvement in the experimental rock ...

– drums, percussion, dulcimer, vocals * Norman Westberg – guitar, vocals Additional personnel * Daniel Miller – editing (track 1) *

Bob Biggs George Robert Biggs (born February 20, 1951) is a former American football player and coach. He played college football for UC Davis and was selected by the Associated Press as the first-team quarterback on the 1972 Little All-America college fo ...

– artwork

References

External links

Oxygen EP
at Swans' official

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

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Oxygen EP
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' official website {{Authority control 2014 EPs Swans (band) EPs Young God Records EPs Mute Records EPs Albums produced by Michael Gira