BIO:
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 with Neurosis
Performances in cathedrals in the Baltic region, which included performances in cathedrals in Vilnius, Riga, and Gdansk.
Concerts on the East and West Coast with Amber Asylum, Blixa Bargeld
Concerts for SXSW, Bumbershoot Festival, CMJ
Performance for Women In Music conference at the prestigious Centre de Cultura
Contemporània de Barcelona
Concerts in Tokyo, Osaka, Moscow, Budapest, Seville, Oslo, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Geneva, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Berlin, Paris, Prague, London, and tours throughout Europe
Performances at numerous European festivals : Hellfest/SuperSonic/Inferno/Roadburn/Wave Gotik Treffen
The soundtrack/voice for the games : The Path and Fatale
The extensive eclectic roster of Jarboe’s musical collaborators includes: Michael Gira, Neurosis, Phil Tan, Bill Laswell, Jim Thirlwell, Lustmord, PanSonic, Cedric Victor, Mark Spybey, Steven Severin, Chris Connelly, Alan Sparhawk,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, Vampillia, A Storm Of Light, Merzbow...
Jarboe 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, Rochelle 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 one of the "guests" in a party scene of Cameron Crowe's film: Vanilla Sky. Her unique voice samples have been used in remixes for numerous 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 25+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.
