Birdsong and Brutalism: The Mechanics of Jarboe’s Sightings
On April 3, 2026, Jarboe releases her 36th solo album, Sightings, via the Belgian label Consouling Sounds. The record, which constitutes the 55th release of her career, follows a trajectory of 54 previous entries including her tenure in Swans from 1984 to 1997. The physical editions consist of 200 copies on black vinyl, 300 on moss green vinyl, and 300 digipack CDs.
Release Date: 2026-04-03
Description: Jarboe releases Sightings via Consouling Sounds on April 3, 2026. Features Thor Harris and Joy Von Spain. 2026 EU tour dates added for Sofia and Athens.
The structural origin of the album lies in a series of field recordings of a vireo made by Jarboe during a summer period. These recordings of the bird’s vocal variations were integrated into the compositions, most notably in the track “Vireo Serenade,” for which a video excerpt has been made available. The sonic palette of the seven-track release—six on the vinyl edition—combines electronic textures with organic instrumentation. Phil Puleo, a percussionist and painter who also performed with Swans, provided the original artwork for the sleeve.
The personnel on Sightings includes multi-instrumentalist Thor Harris, known for his work with Shearwater, Bill Callahan, and Thor & Friends, alongside Andrea Calderon, Brett Robinson, Chiara Lee, and Freddie Murphy. This studio lineup precedes a European and UK tour scheduled for May 2026, where Jarboe will perform in a trio format with Harris and Joy Von Spain of the Seattle-based group Eye of Nix. This collaborative iteration has recently added dates at Mixtape 5 in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Temple in Athens, Greece, while the Berlin performance is set for the Genezarethkirche.
In a previous conversation with Retrofuturista regarding the album Disburden Disciple, Jarboe discussed the psychological and technical tensions inherent in her vocal delivery and the discipline required for her experimental output. This focus on the internal mechanics of sound continues in the tracklist for Sightings, which includes “The Holy Waters,” “Francesca Sun,” and “Choir and Night Fox.” The CD and digital versions contain an additional “Sangha Mix” of the opening track.
Jarboe (born Jarboe La Salle Vaughn) joined Swans in the mid-1980s, contributing vocals, keyboards, and choral arrangements to albums such as Children of God (1987) and Soundtracks for the Blind (1996). Outside of that group, she has collaborated with Neurosis on a self-titled 2003 album, as well as with Blixa Bargeld, Attila Csihar, and Justin Broadrick. Her solo discography began in 1991 with Thirteen Masks and has since moved through industrial, folk, and ambient genres. Thor Harris, a frequent collaborator, was a member of Swans during their 2010–2017 reactivation and has released numerous solo percussive works. Joy Von Spain is a trained operatic vocalist whose work in Eye of Nix integrates doom metal with avant-garde vocal techniques.
Retrofurista is a site on design, interesting things, audio visual arts, and food.
Discover more from RetroFuturista
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
