Yellow Swans were an American experimental music band from

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

. The duo were renowned for their improvisational approach to noise music, creating a unique experience for each live performance. They described their music as "a constantly evolving mass of psychedelic noise that is both physically arresting and psychically liberating". The band consisted of Pete Swanson (vocals, drum machine, electronics) and Gabriel Mindel Saloman (guitar, feedback, electronics). The band announced their split in April 2008.

Career

The duo formed in Portland, Oregon in 2001. From here they established their own collective art label, JYRK where the band self-released several CD-Rs and cassettes of their music. The JYRK collective also included E*Rock and sometimes Pat Maherr (Sisprum Vish, Indignant Senility, DJ Yo-Yo Dieting). With frequent touring and shows with artists including Tussle, Xiu Xiu and Japanther, the duo moved to Oakland,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

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 Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

-based label, debuted the release of the band's second studio album, ''Psychic Secession''. It was later re-mastered and released on

LOAD Records Load Records was an American experimental music-oriented independent record label based out of Providence, Rhode Island. "Load Records might possibly be in possession of the world's most challenging record roster," writes Mark Hensch of Thrash Pi ...

the same year, and then released on 12" vinyl by Weird Forest in 2006. Throughout their existence, the duo 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... t'snot really meant to be elitist though". They 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 Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

, Swanson stated "There are no specific reasons why we've come to this point, but both Gabriel indel Salomanand 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." The group played their last US show in the city of Chicago.

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) * ''Mort Aux Vaches'' (

Staalplaat Staalplaat is an independent record label that is located in Amsterdam with a separate store in Berlin. Founded in 1982, the company's mission was to create a sound forum for sound artists, who write and perform new and experimental music. Staalpl ...

)

2010

*'' Going Places'' (Type) - Announced as the final Yellow Swans album *''Being There'' (Type) - ''Going Places'' bonus CD, only available through limited edition vinyl of ''Going Places''.

References

External links

Official website

MySpace page

Band profile at Numerical Thief

Interview at Grooves Magazine

Review of Live During War Crimes at Grooves Magazine
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 2001 Musical groups disestablished in 2008 Musical groups from Portland, Oregon Electronic music groups from Oregon American experimental musical groups American noise rock music groups 2001 establishments in Oregon 2008 disestablishments in Oregon Load Records artists