Chop Suey Presents: Jarboe (Swans // Neurosis)

Jarboe’s recorded and performed projects produce only her unique energy. She draws from a variety of
charged sources, from her early exposure to snake-handling revivals in the Mississippi delta, parents
who were in the FBI, her participation in a lounge act,experimental performance in gallery & live radio
settings,her 14-year critically acclaimed recordings and collaboration with Swans doing worldwide
concerts (clubs, theatres, festivals, live radio, TV). Her delivery has been described as voice acting and
also channeling. It can be at turns innocent, knowing, seductive, & vitriolic – contained in melodic as
well as experimental compositions. A primary objective for Jarboe is to close in on the gap in the
audience/performer relationship via complete submission and vicarious experience through her
performance. Through visceral vocals, her repertoire includes a variety of voices from the shy
schoolgirl to seductress to demon. Jarboe’s private agenda over the course of her life has been to fine
tune endurance – physical, emotional, and spiritual. Through efforts in both former and current
disciplines ( weight-lifting, kick boxing, mountain climbing, running, role-playing, studies in
meditation and Buddhism) and her intense work with Swans, she has journeyed her body towards
exhaustion specifically with the intent of rebuilding / reinventing identity and exploring the elemental
structures of persona.
Jarboe’s musical explorations have led to select comparisons to other female musicians with regard for
their success in penetrating the otherwise male-dominated “rock” subculture. Her work in and outside
of the legendary Swans has received international critical attention. A random selection from Jarboe’s
career post-Swans includes :
• “Work In Progress” Arts Program rock theatre performances in NYC, Chicago, and Atlanta.
• Performance at the Serralves Museum in Porto, Portugal
• Performance at PS122 in NYC
• Europe/US Tour with the Italian avant-garde group, Larsen
• US Tour and London show with Neurosis
• Performances in the Baltic region, which included performances in cathedrals in Vilnius and
Gdansk.
• Concerts on the East and West Coast with Amber Asylum, Blixa Bargeld, Red Sparowes
• Concerts for SXSW 2008, Bumbershoot Festival 2006, CMJ 2000
• Performance for Women In Music conference 2008 at the prestigious Centre de Cultura
ContemporÀnia de Barcelona
• European tours and various concerts in Moscow, Budapest, Seville, Oslo, Amsterdam, Warsaw,
Geneva, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Berlin, Paris, Prague, London, and other regions.
• Performances at 2009 European festivals : Hellfest and SuperSonic.
• The soundtrack for the games : The Path and Fatale.The extensive eclectic roster of Jarboe’s musical collaborators includes: Michael Gira, Phil Tan, Bill
Laswell, Jim Thirlwell, Lustmord, PanSonic, Mark Spybey, Steven Severin, Chris Connelly, Alan
Sparhawk, Neurosis, Edward KaSpel, William Faith, David J, David Torn, Bill Rieflin,Iva Davies,
Blixa Bargeld, Kris Force, Nic Le Ban, Julia Kent, A Perfect Circle, Brian Castillo, Lary Seven, Colin
Marston, Cobalt, Cattle Decapitation, Byla, Justin K. Broadrick, Jesu, Josh Graham, Vinny Signorelli,
Philip Anselmo, Attila Csihar, Esoteric…
She has done voice over work for The Venture Brothers cartoon. She has worked with visual artists in
film/photography/design including : Richard Kern, Marilyn Chen, Cedric Victor, Beth B, Laura Levine,
Wim Van De Hulst, ochelle Heagh Phister, Auriea Harvey & Michael Samyn… In Swans, she was
photographed by the legendary Mick Rock. Jarboe is featured and or referenced in several books
including Catamania by Adele Olivia Gladwell , the Angry Women In Rock series by Andrea Juno,
Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell…
She is a guest in the party scene of Cameron Crowe’s film: Vanilla Sky. Her unique voice samples have
been used in remixes for commercial artists. Considered a true independent of the 21st century and
“internet pioneer” for music, Jarboe has been panelist on “Artists and the Internet” at the CMJ
convention in NYC. She has released 20 solo albums in addition to working on 20+ Swans albums and
60+collaborative projects with visual & sound artists all over the world. She has recorded in various
countries, including Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.
Official JARBOE website: http://www.thelivingjarboe.com
Official JARBOE MySpace website: http://www.myspace.com/jarboeliving