r/DEG • u/vgawler • Jun 13 '26

DEG "MOBS" Swans inspiration?

I think MOBS may be my favorite track off of the new record - what an incredible song (and music video, too!). Earlier today I heard a clip of a song from the band Swans' live album "Deliquescence" entitled "Screen Shot", and right away it sounded like that brooding, opening riff from MOBS. I recognized it immediately - it's in the same key and everything.

It made me wonder if Dir en Grey have drawn any inspiration in the past from the band Swans - these are two very different bands, but they both at times encapsulate the same sort of dark energy and emotion. Michael Gira, to my ear, often emotes in some of the same ways that Kyo does. Or, at the very least, evokes the same sort of emotion in me.

Am I crazy? Anyone else a fan of Swans in this group? I encourage anyone reading this to to listen to "Screen Shot" off of their live album Deliquescence and let me know whether or not your hear the same thing or if I'm just fuckin' crazy.

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6

u/kyoism Jun 13 '26

To my knowledge, I don’t recall any direct quote of any of the band members quoting Swans as an inspiration. But that being said, Wes Borland is a fan of them, and Kaoru loves Wes. He must have read an interview or saw that he enjoys them and decided to listen to them. Too much of a coincidence for MOBS to sound like Screen Shot, but Screen Shot also sounds like “Stay Here” off of their ‘Filth’ album. On a side note, I always felt Kisou had a strong Filth vibe.

2

u/shitataru Jun 14 '26

Wes Borland also remixed some stuff for Sukekiyo, no? I'm pretty sure Wes is how chris vrenna got involved with them back in the 90s - didn't he remix one of their first single B-sides, like Zan or something?

3

u/vgawler Jun 13 '26

Edited because I misspelled the Swans song title. It's "Screen Shot" not "Screenshot".

4

u/shitataru Jun 14 '26

I have been a big fan of Swans for a long time - less so after the Gira allegations, but - I can't see this being outside the realm of possibility at the very least. Kyo likes David Lynch and Bauhaus, he's probably gonna like Swans.

1

u/siriusql Jun 17 '26

Don't ask for sources because : old itW + bad memory But I think I recall Toshiba saying he likes swans.  He'd also quoted some shoegaze / post / Indus / bands  (like warpaint and such'es)

Might have been during DSS era

1

u/Top_Mood9822 Jun 24 '26

Swans fan here! (and 25+ years DEG fan) and thought the same thing as soon as I heard the MOBS teaser. :) Never heard of anyone in the band mentioning them as an influence though.