Editing Michael Gira

{{Short description|American singer and musician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Michael Gira
| background        = solo_singer
| image             = Swans_2017_-_14.jpg
| caption           = Gira performing in [[Moscow]], 2017
| birth_name        = Michael Rolfe Gira
| alias             = 
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|1954|2|19}}
| birth_place       = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| instruments       = {{flatlist|
* Vocals
* guitar
* bass
* keyboards
}}
| genre             = {{flatlist|
* [[Noise rock]]<ref name="Far Out Magazine genres">{{cite web|first=Thomas|last=Leatham|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/swans-michael-gira-favourite-albums/|title=Swans' Michael Gira names his favourite albums|work=[[Far Out (magazine)|Far Out]]|date=December 12, 2022|access-date=July 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Dean|last=Essner|url=https://consequence.net/2014/08/album-review-cold-specks-neuroplasticity/|title=Cold Specks – Neuroplasticity|work=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]]|date=August 26, 2014|access-date=January 4, 2016}}</ref>
* {{nowrap|[[experimental rock]]}}<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.factmag.com/2015/03/13/michael-gira-bbc-6-music-guest-mix-swans/|title=Listen to Swans frontman Michael Gira's guest mix on BBC 6 Music|work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|date=March 13, 2015|access-date=January 4, 2016}}</ref>
* [[art rock]]<ref name="Pitchfork genres">{{cite web|first=Brandon|last=Stosuy|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/9400-swans/|title=Interviews: Swans|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=May 8, 2014|access-date=January 4, 2016}}</ref>
* [[neofolk]]<ref>{{cite web|first=Dimitri|last=Nasrallah|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/michael_gira-from_uncompromising_swans_to_ethereal_angels_of_light|title=Michael Gira: From Uncompromising Swans to Ethereal Angels of Light|work=[[Exclaim!]]|date=October 24, 2010|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref>
* [[post-rock]]<ref name="Pitchfork genres"/>
* {{nowrap|[[post-punk]]}}<ref name="Far Out Magazine genres"/>
* [[industrial rock]]<ref name="Far Out Magazine genres"/>
}}
| occupations       = {{flatlist|
* Singer-songwriter
* musician
* producer
* author
}}
| years_active      = 1979–present
| label             = {{flatlist|
* [[Young God Records|Young God]]
* [[Uni Records|Uni]]/[[MCA Records|MCA]]
* [[Caroline Records|Caroline]]
* [[Atavistic Records|Atavistic]]
}}
| current_member_of = [[Swans (band)|Swans]]
| past_member_of    = {{flatlist|
* [[Angels of Light]]
* [[Circus Mort]]
* [[The Body Lovers / The Body Haters]]
* [[World of Skin]]
}}
| spouse            = {{marriage|Siobhan Duffy|1999|2011|end=divorced}}<br />{{marriage|Jennifer Church<br>|2014}}
| website           = {{URL|younggodrecords.com}}
}}

'''Michael Rolfe Gira''' ({{IPAc-en|dʒ|ə|ˈ|r|ɑː}};<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/61922-the-angels-of-light/ |title=Spinning on Air: The Angels of Light|work=[[WNYC]]|publisher=New York Public Radio|date=October 23, 2005|access-date=2011-03-13}}</ref> born February 19, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, author and artist. Now based in New Mexico,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://spectrumculture.com/2016/08/30/interview-michael-gira-swans/|work=Spectrum Culture|title=Interview: Michael Gira of Swans|date=August 31, 2016 |access-date=May 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://younggodrecords.com/products/the-beggar|work=Young God Records|title=The Beggar|access-date=May 30, 2023}}</ref> he founded the band [[Swans (band)|Swans]], in which he sings and plays guitar, in New York City in the 1980s at the height of the [[no wave]] movement. He is also the founder of [[Young God Records]] and previously fronted [[Angels of Light]].

==Early life==
Michael Rolfe Gira was born February 19, 1954, in Los Angeles<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nasrallah |first1=Dimitri |title=Michael Gira |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/michael_gira-from_uncompromising_swans_to_ethereal_angels_of_light |access-date=1 March 2025 |work=[[Exclaim!]] |date=23 October 2010 |language=en}}</ref> to Alice (née Shulte), originally from [[Iowa]], and Robert Pierre Gira. His mother was an alcoholic, and Gira spent much of his early life caring for his younger brother.<ref name=st>{{cite web|work=Self-Titled|url=http://www.self-titledmag.com/in-search-of-the-real-michael-gira-from-prison-stays-and-madonna-sightings-to-the-second-coming-of-swans/|title=In Search of the Real Michael Gira, From Prison Stays and Madonna Sightings to Swans' Second Coming|last=Lipez|first=Zachary|date=August 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190324204255/http://www.self-titledmag.com/2014/08/22/in-search-of-the-real-michael-gira-from-prison-stays-and-madonna-sightings-to-the-second-coming-of-swans/|archive-date=March 24, 2019|access-date=July 11, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Gira has commented that his parents were "not around much" during his early childhood.<ref name=st/>

As an adolescent, Gira was arrested in California several times for [[petty crime]]s.<ref name=st/> Facing the risk of being incarcerated in a [[juvenile hall]], he relocated with his father to Germany<ref name=st/> following a short stay in [[South Bend, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://younggodrecords.com/press/32-angels-of-light--michael-gira/408-angels-of-light-press-clippings-series-1|title=Angels of Light &#124; Press Clippings &#124; Series 1|work=[[CMJ|CMJ New Music Report]]|publisher=[[Young God Records]]|last=Gladstone|first=Neil|date=April 23, 2001|access-date=2013-08-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130827162407/http://younggodrecords.com/press/32-angels-of-light--michael-gira/408-angels-of-light-press-clippings-series-1|archive-date=August 27, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> While in Germany, Gira ran away and hitchhiked across Europe, lived in Israel for a year, and spent four and a half months in an adult jail in Jerusalem for selling [[hashish]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/19/swans-michael-gira-lyrics|title=Waxing lyrical: Swans' Michael Gira on his love of words|work=[[The Guardian]]|last=Pattison|first=Louis|date=October 19, 2010|access-date=2011-04-21|archive-date=December 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220151429/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/19/swans-michael-gira-lyrics|url-status=live}}</ref> He turned 16 while in jail.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://swans.pair.com/PRESS/int_stomp.html|title=Swans – Interview/Stomp and Stammer|publisher=swans.pair.com|last=Clark|first=Jeff|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121128145719/http://swans.pair.com/PRESS/int_stomp.html|archive-date=November 28, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Returning to California around age seventeen, Gira worked at a bakery on [[Redondo Beach Pier]], completed his [[General Educational Development|GED]], went to community college, and then attended [[Otis College of Art and Design]] in Los Angeles.<ref name=st/> He moved to New York in 1979, where he played in a band called [[Circus Mort]], before forming the band Swans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/arts/music/05swans.html?pagewanted=all|title=Michael Gira and Swans Re-Form for Tour|work=[[The New York Times]]|last=Ratliff|first=Ben|date=September 3, 2010|access-date=July 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Green |first=Jim |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/circus-mort/ |title=Circus Mort |date=2005-02-16 |work=[[Trouser Press]] |access-date=April 23, 2024}}</ref> In Manhattan, Gira found employment as a construction worker, doing demolition, [[drywall|sheetrock]] installation, and plastering.<ref name=res>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|title=Why Swans Whipped Sheet Metal and Licked CBGB's Floor to Make 'Filth'|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=May 26, 2015|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/why-swans-whipped-sheet-metal-and-licked-cbgbs-floor-to-make-filth-45478/|access-date=May 8, 2025|archive-date=August 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811200601/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/why-swans-whipped-sheet-metal-and-licked-cbgbs-floor-to-make-filth-45478/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==
===Swans===
{{Main|Swans (band)}}
Initially, Swans' focus was raw rhythm and abrasive textures, usually eschewing melody for visceral power, becoming known for their abrasive [[experimental music|experimental]] and [[post-industrial music|post-industrial]] sound. Their commercial success was limited, but Swans earned critical notice and had a devoted following.

The band's lineup and sound evolved over time, and their music became somewhat more conventional. A marked shift in Swans' music came with inclusion of Gira's partner, [[Jarboe]], who added her ethereal voice and synthesizers to the group in 1985. Gira and Swans spent the next twelve years releasing studio, live, and side-project albums. Gira's frustration with various record labels grew over time, and he disbanded Swans in 1997.

However, in 2010, Gira decided to revive the band, with members new and old. They released a new album titled ''[[My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky]]''. A second post-revival album, ''[[The Seer (Swans album)|The Seer]]'', was released in 2012. A third, ''[[To Be Kind]]'', was released in 2014.  All three were met with increasing critical acclaim. ''[[The Glowing Man]]'' followed and was released in 2016. ''[[Leaving Meaning]]'' followed in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2019/09/swans-album-leaving-meaning-its-coming-its-real/|title=Swans Announce New Album 'Leaving Meaning,' Release "It's Coming It's Real"|date=2019-09-05|website=Spin|access-date=2019-11-02}}</ref> Swans' 16th studio album, [[The Beggar (album)|''The Beggar'']], was released in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van Isacker |first=Bernard |date=2023-03-22 |title=Swans announce 16th album 'The Beggar' and 2023 world tour |url=https://www.side-line.com/swans-announce-16th-album-the-beggar-and-2023-world-tour/ |website=Side-Line Magazine |access-date=2024-04-23 |archive-date=April 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402162410/https://www.side-line.com/swans-announce-16th-album-the-beggar-and-2023-world-tour |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Solo career and Angels of Light===
[[File:MichaelGira PortlandOR 2009-03-03 HowardForbes.jpg|thumb|Michael Gira performing at [[Doug Fir Lounge|The Doug Fir Lounge]] in Portland, Oregon on March 3, 2009]]
After dissolving Swans in 1997 Gira released a solo album under his own name and began a new musical direction with [[Angels of Light]], which are a quieter, more acoustic-based group than Swans.

Gira also spent time experimenting with soundscapes, found sound, and loops with [[The Body Lovers / The Body Haters]] project. He has also released several albums under his own name including ''[[Drainland]]'' (1995), a spoken word album called ''The Somniloquist'' (2000), and ''What We Did'' (2001), a collaboration with [[Windsor for the Derby]]'s frontman Dan Matz.

Gira founded his own record label, [[Young God Records]], which has released albums from such artists as [[Devendra Banhart]], Mi and L'au, and [[Akron/Family]] as well as Swans, The Angels of Light and The Body Lovers' back catalogues.

[[Akron/Family]] served as Gira's backing band during the recording of and touring for The Angels of Light's 2005 album, ''[[The Angels of Light Sing 'Other People']]''.

Gira has spoken of his decision to shift his focus from The Angels of Light back to Swans as a move based on impassivity. He has stated, "I had been doing this band Angels of Light for thirteen years, and had reached a kind of impassivity with that, sorta like I had reached an impassivity with Swans when I initially stopped it."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crasierfrane.com/michael-gira/ |title=Michael Gira |publisher=Crasier Frane |date=October 20, 2010 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906100117/http://crasierfrane.com/michael-gira/ |archive-date=September 6, 2013}}</ref>

===Writings===
Gira's first short story collection ''The Consumer'' ({{ISBN|1-880985-26-8}}) was published in 1995 by [[Henry Rollins]]'s [[2.13.61]] publications. It is divided into two parts, the first being "The Consumer", a series of short stories from the early 1990s, the second, "Various Traps, Some Weaknesses", made up mostly of prose-poems and vignettes, all dating from 1983 to 1986. (Many of these earlier stories had previously been published by [[SST Records]] as ''Selfishness'', with illustrations by [[Raymond Pettibon]].) In a ''[[Spike Magazine]]'' review of ''The Consumer And Other Stories'', Jordon Leigh Bortle writes, "the squeamish may wish to armour themselves before entering these pages [...] Here, all taboos are annihilated — incest, alcoholism, obscene torture, rape, cannibalism, and perverse murder have all but become the norm in which these tragic tales occur."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bortle |first1=Jordon Leigh |title=Michael Gira: The Consumer And Other Stories |url=https://www.spikemagazine.com/0401michaelgira/ |access-date=11 July 2023 |work=[[Spike Magazine]] |date=April 1, 2001}}</ref>

In February 2018, Gira released his second short story collection, ''The Egg''. Limited to 2,500 hand-signed copies, ''The Egg'' compiles seventeen stories written over 2016. Included with the release is a disc containing narrations of a handful of stories from ''The Egg'' as well as a few from ''The Consumer''.<ref name="egg1">{{cite web|last1=Gira|first1=Michael|title=The Egg: Stories by Michael Gira|url=https://younggodrecords.com/products/michael-gira-the-egg|website=younggodrecords.com|publisher=[[Young God Records]]|access-date=February 5, 2018|archive-date=February 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206131426/https://younggodrecords.com/products/michael-gira-the-egg|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2022, Gira released a collection of Swans lyrics, stories, and journals titled ''The Knot'', in a collector's edition of 3,000 hand-numbered copies. ''The Knot'' is 408 pages long, and additionally contains 101 color images. ''The Knot'' contains all of the lyrics from the first [[Swans (EP)|''Swans'' EP]] to ''[[Leaving Meaning]]'', as well as lyrics from [[Angels of Light]] and [[World of Skin]], among Gira's other projects, and includes archived writings dating back to 1974.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Gira • The Knot: Complete Words for Music, Collected Stories and Journals |url=https://younggodrecords.com/products/the-knot |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=[[Young God Records]]}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Gira dated pop singer [[Madonna]] before she was famous.<ref>{{cite web | last=Joseph | first=Dan | title=Nick Soulsby's Swans: Sacrifice And Transcendence, The Oral History | website=The Brooklyn Rail | date=4 September 2018 | url=https://brooklynrail.org/2018/09/music/Nick-Soulsbys-Swans-Sacrifice-And-Transcendence-The-Oral-History#:~:text=At%20no%20time%20did%20I,fun%20facts%20and%20notable%20anecdotes | access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Sonic Dad|date=October 2004|first=Jon|last=Dolan|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|page=91|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=neDQuF47lxQC&pg=PA91}}</ref> He was married to Gunga Din vocalist Siobhan Duffy from 1999 until their divorce in 2011.<ref name="image">{{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/JTmKLSZ|title=Photo archive|date=March 3, 2016|website=[[Imgur]]|language=En-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/358331-Siobhan-Duffy|title=Siobhan Duffy|website=[[Discogs]]|language=En-US}}</ref> He has been married to Jennifer Church Gira since 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last=Westberg|first=Jennifer Tull|url=https://jennifertullwestberg.com/artwork/4024173-Michael%20Gira%20%27s%20wedding%20ring..html|title=Made for Michael Gira on the occasion of his marriage to the lovely Jennifer Church Gira. "Good job" is the first thing Jennifer said to Michael when they were introduced by a mutual friend after a particularly awesome Swans show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.|date=2014|website=jennifertullwestberg.com|language=En-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://younggodrecords.com/blogs/press/14183989-pitchfork-interview-with-michael-gira|title=Pitchfork Interview with Michael Gira|date=March 19, 2014|website=[[Young God Records]]|language=En-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/5095587-Jennifer-Gira?srsltid=AfmBOopv-v1MaXOxs5a1o9unDr8RgxJpGVU9g0a1J5od-3z290Myg5gw|title=Jennifer Gira|website=[[Discogs]]|language=En-US}}</ref>

Gira lists his favorite albums as ''[[On The Corner]]'' by [[Miles Davis]], ''[[The Man-Machine]]'' by [[Kraftwerk]], ''[[The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars]]'' by [[David Bowie]], ''[[20 Jazz Funk Greats]]'' by [[Throbbing Gristle]], [[The Stooges (album)|the Stooges self-titled debut album]], [[The Doors (album)|the Doors self-titled debut album]] and ''[[Strange Days (The Doors album)|Strange Days]]'', ''[[Freak Out!]]'' by [[the Mothers of Invention]], ''[[Pink Moon]]'' by [[Nick Drake]], ''Symphonie No.2'' by [[Henryk Gorecki]], ''[[Blood On The Tracks]]'' by [[Bob Dylan]], ''Tabula Rasa'' by [[Arvo Part]], ''The Chess Box'' by [[Howlin' Wolf]], and ''[[Ummagumma]]'' by [[Pink Floyd]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Swans' Michael Gira names his favourite albums | website=Far Out Magazine | date=12 December 2022 | url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/swans-michael-gira-favourite-albums/ | access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Bleak Psychedelia: Michael Gira Of Swans' Favourite Albums | website=The Quietus | date=13 November 2012 | url=https://thequietus.com/articles/10654-michael-gira-swans-bakers-dozen-favourite-albums?page=1| access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> Gira has also cited [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]] as an influence.<ref>{{cite web | title=SWANS: Where Does a Body End? Unfiltered, Unveiled & Unforgettable, Deluxe Edition, Amplified | website=YouTube | date=9 September 2023 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN2yR8SoTww | access-date=4 October 2024}}</ref>

Gira has stated that many of his songs were written by a voice that channels through him named "Joseph", which he says had stayed with him since his youth.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-07-20 |title=Michael Gira on ‘Dangling Off the Edge of a Cliff’ for Swans’ Epic Final Album |url=https://observer.com/2016/07/michael-gira-on-dangling-off-the-edge-of-a-cliff-for-swans-epic-final-album/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Observer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=erasing clouds interview: michael gira |url=https://www.erasingclouds.com/wk1906mgira.html |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.erasingclouds.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-17 |title=Swans’ Michael Gira Talks Multidisciplinary Influences, Spiritual Inspiration and ‘Leaving Meaning’ |url=https://entertainmentvoice.com/2019/11/17/swans-michael-gira-talks-multidisciplinary-influences-spiritual-inspiration-and-leaving-meaning/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Entertainment Voice}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKQoem7EKAI&feature=youtu.be |title=Angels of Light interview - Michael Gira (part 6) |date=2012-07-03 |last=FaceCulture |access-date=2024-12-31 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

Gira has 2 children, one of them being a son named Swan according to ''[[Children of God (Swans album)|Children of God]]'' album cover photographer [[Laura Levine]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Cool Customers « Mystery Spot Vintage | website=Laura Levine| date=31 October 2010 | url=https://www.lauralevine.com/mysteryspotvintage.com/?cat=2&paged=2 | access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-12 |title=Q&A: Swans Leader Michael Gira On Aging, Social Networking, And Life After The Seer |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1285761/swans-leader-michael-gira-on-aging-social-networking-and-life-after-the-seer/interviews/ |access-date=2025-01-13 |website=Stereogum |language=en}}</ref> and the other being a daughter, born in 2007.<ref name=st/><ref>{{cite web|last=Forson|first=Kofi|url=https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/2009-interview-with-siobhan-duffy/1832|title=Interview with Siobhan Duffy|date=April 2009|website=Whiteshot Magazine|language=En-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Carew|first=Anthony|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/swans-leader-michael-gira-takes-leave-of-wall-of-noise-for-solo-flight-20160223-gn125f.html|title=Swans leader Michael Gira takes leave of wall of noise for solo flight|date=February 25, 2016|website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|language=En-US}}</ref>

==Equipment==
Michael Gira is known for using a [[Guild Guitar Company|Guild]] antique burst electro acoustic guitar, and a [[Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus Guitar Amplifier]] during his solo concerts. With Swans, Gira has used a variety of instruments including Ovation acoustic guitars and a Westbury Track II bass guitar during early performances. During the ''Soundtracks for the Blind'' and ''Swans are Dead'' era, Gira can be seen with a [[Gibson Lucille]] (which has since become his main guitar for the Swans reunion), a Fender Telecaster and a Gibson Les Paul. Recent shows have seen Gira using [[Orange Music Electronic Company|Orange]] amplifiers and cabinets, as well as [[Mesa Boogie]] cabinets.

==Discography==
[[File:Swans @ Stylus, Leeds University 5-4-2013 (8624210589).jpg|thumb|300px|Michael Gira on stage at Stylus, Leeds University, 5 April 2013]]
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

'''Solo album'''
* ''[[Drainland]]'' (1995)

'''Collaborations'''
* ''Hard Rock'' (1984) – with [[Lydia Lunch]]
* ''[[A Diamond Hidden in the Mouth of a Corpse]]'' (1985) – with various artists
* ''Offenbarung und Untergang by Georg Trakl'' (1999) – with Étant Donnés
* ''[[What We Did]]'' (2001) – with Dan Matz
* ''Gantse Mishpuchah Music in Three Parts'' (2004) – with David Coulter, Jean-Marie Mathoul & Charlemagne Palestine

'''Live albums'''
* ''Jarboe Emergency Medical Fund'' (1999)
* ''Living '02'' (2002)

'''Home recordings'''
* ''[[Solo Recordings at Home]]'' (2001)
* ''I Am Singing to You from My Room'' (2004)
* ''[[I Am Not Insane]]'' (2010)

'''Compilations'''
* ''Songs for a Dog'' (2006)
* ''The Milk of M. Gira: Selected Solo Home Recordings 2001–2010'' (2011)
* ''I Am Not This'' (2016)

'''Spoken-Word albums'''
* ''The Somniloquist'' (2000)
* ''The Egg: Stories by Michael Gira'' (2018)

'''With [[Swans (band)|Swans]]'''
* ''[[Filth (Swans album)|Filth]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Cop (album)|Cop]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Greed (Swans album)|Greed]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Holy Money]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Children of God (Swans album)|Children of God]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Burning World (album)|The Burning World]]'' (1989)
* ''[[White Light from the Mouth of Infinity]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Love of Life (album)|Love of Life]]'' (1992)
* ''[[The Great Annihilator]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Soundtracks for the Blind]]'' (1996)
* ''[[My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky]]'' (2010)
* ''[[The Seer (Swans album)|The Seer]]'' (2012)
* ''[[To Be Kind]]'' (2014)
* ''[[The Glowing Man]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Leaving Meaning]]'' (2019)
* ''[[The Beggar (album)|The Beggar]]'' (2023)
* ''[[Birthing (album)|Birthing]]'' (2025)

'''With [[Angels of Light]]'''
* ''[[New Mother]]'' (1999)
* ''[[How I Loved You]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Everything Is Good Here/Please Come Home]]'' (2003)
* ''[[The Angels of Light Sing 'Other People']]'' (2005)
* ''[[Akron/Family & Angels of Light]]'' (2005) – with [[Akron/Family]]
* ''[[We Are Him]]'' (2007)

'''With [[World of Skin]]'''
* ''[[Blood, Women, Roses]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Shame, Humility, Revenge]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Ten Songs for Another World]]'' (1990)

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/tapedelay00neal/page/93|title=Tape Delay: Confessions from the Eighties Underground|language=en|editor-last=Neal|editor-first=Charles|publisher=SAF Publishing Ltd|year=1987|isbn=978-0-946719-02-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/tapedelay00neal/page/93 93–103]|via=the Internet Archive}}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|d=Q1373629|c=Category:Michael_Gira|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|q=no}}
*[https://younggodrecords.com Young God Records' website]

{{Michael Gira|state=expanded}}
{{Swans (band)}}
{{Pigface}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gira, Michael}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:Swans (band) members]]
[[Category:Pigface members]]
[[Category:American post-punk musicians]]
[[Category:American rock guitarists]]
[[Category:American experimental guitarists]]
[[Category:American male guitarists]]
[[Category:American industrial musicians]]
[[Category:American male writers]]
[[Category:Guitarists from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Neofolk musicians]]
[[Category:No wave musicians]]
[[Category:Noise rock musicians]]
[[Category:Otis College of Art and Design alumni]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of Israel]]
[[Category:Psychedelic folk musicians]]
[[Category:Singers from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Young God Records artists]]
[[Category:Alternative Tentacles artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]