White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is a studio album by Swans

Swans (band)

Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...

. It was released in 1991

1991 in music

See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...

. The album is now out of print and has not been reissued by Young God Records

Young God Records

Young God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases...

, although all but two of the songs appear on the compilation Various Failures

Various Failures

Various Failures is a compilation album by the New York band Swans. It was released in 1999 and contained versions of previously unreleased tracks from White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, Love of Life and The Burning World, as well as various B-sides and rarities.The CD was re-released in 2000...

. The two songs not included there, "Power and Sacrifice" & "Song for the Sun", are on the compilation Forever Burned

Forever Burned

Forever Burned is a compilation album by the American no wave band Swans. It was given a limited release through the Young God Records website and also sold at gigs. It featured the entire The Burning World album followed by a few songs from White Light from the Mouth of Infinity, Love of Life and...

.

The cover art is a painting by Deryk Thomas.

Track listing

1. "Better Than You" – 5:51
2. "Power and Sacrifice" – 5:37
3. "You Know Nothing" – 5:46
4. "Song for Dead Time" – 5:24
5. "Will We Survive" – 6:51
6. "Love Will Save You" – 6:06
7. "Failure
   Failure/Animus
   Failure/Animus is an EP by Swans. It was limited to 3000 copies. "Failure" was taken from the LP White Light from the Mouth of Infinity, while the B-side, "Animus", was excerpted from the then-unreleased album Soundtracks for the Blind. "Failure" can also be found on the compilation album "Various...
   
   " – 6:20
8. "Song for the Sun" – 5:03
9. "Miracle of Love" – 6:43
10. "When She Breathes" – 5:03
11. "Why Are We Alive?" – 5:29
12. "The Most Unfortunate Lie" – 5:02

Personnel

• Michael Gira
  Michael Gira
  Michael Rolfe Gira is an American musician, author, and artist. He is the main force behind the recently reformed New York City musical group Swans and fronts the Angels of Light...
  
   – voice, acoustic guitar, sounds, samples, keyboards, arrangements
• Jarboe
  Jarboe
  Jarboe is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist.Jarboe is a solo artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with the New York City based group Swans. With founder Michael Gira, the duo was the core of Swans until the group broke up in 1998...
  
   – voice, keyboards, background vocals, choral/orchestral arrangements
• Christoph Hahn – acoustic & electric guitar
• Cliton Steele – acoustic & electric guitar
• Norman Westberg
  Norman Westberg
  Norman Westberg is a New York City guitarist best known for his work with Swans. Present through almost the entirety of the band's existence, Westberg was brought on for Swans' debut album Filth and appeared on every album through 1991s White Light From the Mouth of Infinity...
  
   – electric guitar
• Jenny Wade – bass
• Anton Fier
  Anton Fier
  Anton Fier, , is an American drummer, composer and bandleader. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio.Fier was an early member of The Lounge Lizards and The Feelies. He was in The Lodge , worked with Pere Ubu, was briefly in the Voidoids and founded The Golden Palominos...
  
   – drums, drum programming
• Nicky Skopelitis
  Nicky Skopelitis
  Nicky Skopelitis is an American guitarist and composer from Greek heritage. He is best known as a guitarist, but also performs on banjo, oud, lute, keyboards and other instruments....
  
   – acoustic & electric guitar, baglama, bazouki, banjo
• Vincent Signorelli
  Vincent Signorelli
  Vincent Signorelli is a drummer from New York City, more specifically Brooklyn. Signorelli's involvement with the New York punk scene began quite early, playing drums with the Dots. It is the Dots drum kit that was used during a recording session with the Bad Brains...
  
   – percussion
• Hahn Rowe
  Hahn Rowe
  Hahn Rowe is an internationally renowned violinist, guitarist, composer, and record producer involved in a wide-range of projects. Originally a violinist and guitarist with New York City dream-poppers Hugo Largo, Rowe became a session player in the New York scene.As a musician, he has played on...
  
   – violin
• Steve Burgh – mandolin, 12 string guitar
• Norman Westberg
  Norman Westberg
  Norman Westberg is a New York City guitarist best known for his work with Swans. Present through almost the entirety of the band's existence, Westberg was brought on for Swans' debut album Filth and appeared on every album through 1991s White Light From the Mouth of Infinity...
  
   – guitars
• J. G. Thirlwell
  J. G. Thirlwell
  James George Thirlwell , aka Clint Ruin, aka Frank Want, aka Foetus, is an Australian vocalist, composer and record producer...
  
   – programming & co-production of track 2, additional policing of the re-mixes