July 20, 2008 12:28 AM

I'm in New York for various work with the album coming in October. As I sat on a bench eating a Vietnamese sandwich and drinking a can of coconut water in Tompkins Square Park , I observed the circular cacophony of live free jazz, hand drums, amplified electric guitar playing bad Eddie Van Halen, and dogs and people of all body types and discourse parading by. The intense heat and humidity in the city right now has brought back a lot of memories of summers on East 6th Street and Ave B during the Swans years. Rehearsing would be sweaty and grueling. During a heat wave, I'd be in a swimsuit, the rest of the band would be shirtless. We'd take breaks sitting outside on the hood of a car parked outside the practice space on 6th. Today this very location is in front of the large windows of the 'Horus Cafe' bar. Numerous images and ideas are coming forward as I reflect on the past and plan for the future. I have seen during the last 12 months what I needed to interpret so that I can do future work. It is a personal language that is spoken ... no matter who or what shares to endeavor the result.