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Baker's Dozen

Bleak Psychedelia: Michael Gira Of Swans' Favourite Albums
Joseph Burnett , November 13th, 2012 06:56

Michael Gira's mighty Swans play live at London's Koko this Thursday, 15th November. In advance of the show, Joseph Burnett speaks to the man himself about thirteen of his favourite albums, from Miles Davis and Gorecki to Throbbing Gristle and Pink Floyd

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Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa

Again, I discovered that with Jarboe in the 80s. We were in a record store and just liked the cover. I just gravitated towards it naturally. There's a piece on there called 'Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten' with these shifting time signatures, and it keeps cascading over itself and never seems to rise. It's very deep and emotional, I suppose, it goes to the back of your head. Arvo Pärt's music is really important, I think. It's a little tedious sometimes when it's only the vocal pieces but, some of the big symphonic efforts go to the deepest place possible. I guess he's very spiritual, but all of us hopefully are.