Blown

One of the more enigmatic bands of the classic 4AD era, Swallow, reissue their first two albums, Blow and Blowback, packaged together with an additional two-track single as a double LP + 12″ / double CD entitled Blown. A chance for shoegaze fans to discover this forgotten gem from the 4AD catalogue, Blown is an essential but underrated body of work embracing the genre’s signature atmospheric layering of fuzzy guitar textures, accompanied by Louise Trehy’s beautiful and haunting vocals, creating hazy waves and swirls of luscious noise. Swallow was formed by Louise Trehy and Mike Mason in London in the early 90’s, signed by Ivo Watts-Russell after receiving 4-song demo tape by post. Blow was originally released in July 1992, followed by Blowback in autumn of the same year featuring new mixes and overdubs and released as a limited CDEP that quickly fell out of print, known only to the most fervent 4AD fans. Swallow parted ways with 4AD shortly after the release of Blowback, but their brief period with the label has been outlived by this cornerstone dream-pop classic which has until now been obscured by the mists of time and memory. With Blown, Swallow are reintroduced as an important force in the 4AD canon and the shoegaze genre, alongside their more well-known counterparts. The songs of Blown have been reconstructed from the original 24 track tape recordings and remixed. It has been freshly remastered by Anne Taegart at Dubplates and Mastering Berlin and lovingly presented in a brand-new package designed by longtime supporter Chris Bigg (v23) based on the original design by Vaughn Oliver. Blow would be released in July of 1992, and arrived in a sleeve designed by Vaughan Oliver (v23). Subsequently, they did a handful of support gigs with Bob Mould’s post-H1sker D1 project Sugar and American shoegaze peers Medicine to promote the album across the UK. Contemporary reviews of Blow would unimaginatively make much of the 4AD and Cocteau’s connections. But with the music press’ attention later shifted to the Nirvana explosion of underground American bands, it was difficult for the album to get much attention. Though, in the end, the band found the finished album different than they imagined it would sound. Feeling as though their initial ideas had been lost in the production, they petitioned Ivo to re-record parts of the album; he suggested they remix the tracks as they wished, instead. New mixes and overdubs resulted in dissonant and ambient versions closer to the band’s intentions, released as Blowback in the autumn of 1992. Sadly, expectations, hopes, and shifting priorities from both Ivo and the band led to Swallow’s departure from 4AD shortly after the release of Blowback.