Coil spent the next period of its existence exploring visual media. In late 1984 they recorded a rendition of Tainted Love (originally recorded by Gloria Jones, but made popular by Soft Cell in the 80s), producing a widely banned, hallucinogenic video clip featuring Marc Almond as the Angel of Death; despite considerable controversy at home, the video ultimately found its way to the archives of the Museum of Modern Art. After spending several years working with filmmaker Derek Jarman on the feature The Angelic Conversation, Coil issued a remixed edition of their soundtrack. Following 1986’s Nightmare Culture, a collaboration with Boyd Rice produced as split release with Current 93, Christopherson and Balance invited Stephen Thrower to join the group in a full-time capacity. As a trio, they recorded 1986’s LP Horse Rotorvator, introducing orchestral, jazz, and middle Eastern textures into the mix; this album included The Anal Staircase.
In 1987, Coil issued The Unreleased Themes for Hellraiser, a collection of atmospheric gothic instrumentals commissioned for but ultimately cut from the Clive Barker horror film, followed by compilation album Gold Is the Metal (With the Broadest Shoulders), a remixed history of the group’s first several years of work. Unnatural History, another career overview, effectively ended the first phase of the band’s career in 1990; when Coil resurfaced a year later with Love’s Secret Domain, their music reflected the strong influence of the acid house culture. Another long layoff brought on by financial difficulties ended in 1995, when the group - now consisting of Sleazy, Balance, and Drew McDowell - signed to Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records to release Backwards, an album which was never officially released, although it is available in a number of bootleg versions. Additionally, they recorded the LP Worship the Glitch, issued under the name ELpH, and in 1996 cut A Thousand Lights in a Darkened Room as Black Light District.
1998 marked a significant stylistic shift for Coil, as the group moved away from the industrial dance sound they pioneered in the first half of their career towards what Balance referred to as "Moon Musick". This began with the release of four seasonal EPs throughout that year, coinciding with the equinoxes and solstices; this marked the group making further forays into ambient and neoclassical styles. Lyrically, there was a push towards naturalistic, pagan imagery, and an emphasis on free form, improvisatory chants. All four of these releases were later collected and released as Moons Milk (in Four Phases) in 2002. Coil also put out a purely drone based project, Time Machines, under that alias the same year.
In 1999 Coil started to work with Thighpaulsandra, and with him released the chilling Musick to Play in the Dark, a dark, meditative work featuring mostly intoned vocals from Balance, and exploring deeper electronic textures and pitches. A second volume followed in 2000. After years of refusal to do so, Coil started to perform live again in 1999. They released a number of albums containing the various shows they did in the period 2000 - 2004. Coil have released a lot of material in very limited editions, and have distributed certain records only at concerts. In 2003 they started a project to re-issue these tracks. Amidst their sporadic touring, and growing internal tensions within the group, Black Antlers was released in 2004, consisting of many of the songs played in concert at the time. This would prove to be the last studio recording put out in Balance's lifetime.
Jhonn Balance’s long-time struggle with alcoholism led to his death on 13th November, 2004. He fell from the second floor window at his home, while drunk, and died a short time after. Coil’s last live performance took place at Dublin’s City Hall on 23 October 2004 and is expected to appear on the forthcoming DVD box set “Colour Sound Oblivion”. A number of songs that were (as good as) ready were released in autumn 2005 as a last farewell to Jhonn.
Peter Christopherson passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 25, 2010. Instead of sending flowers in memory of Peter Christopherson, people were asked to donate money to help children affected by AIDS in Thailand, the country he loved and died in.
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Assassins of Hakim Bey
Coil Lyrics
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This is the reason why the old man had this place built, Mohammed having said that those who obeyed his will would go to Paradise where they would find all the pleasures and delights of the world, beautiful women and rivers of milk and honey: this man wanted to pretend that he could make anyone he wished enter this very Paradise. No-one could penetrate into the garden we described, for they had built at the entrance to the valley a very fortified and impregnable castle. It could only be entered by a secret road.
The lyrics of Coil's song Assassins of Hakim Bey tells the tale of Alamut, a Mohammedan prince who created a beautiful garden enclosed between two high mountains, which contained every variety of fruit, trees, palaces, and pavilions decorated with golden ornaments. This garden was also populated with young girls trained in art, music, dance, and the art of seduction. The garden was constructed as a representation of paradise, where those who obeyed Mohammed's will would enter and find all the pleasures and delights of the world.
However, this garden was not open to just anyone, as the entrance to the valley was guarded by a fortified and impregnable castle, and could only be entered by a secret road. This garden was a representation of Alamut's power, as he could grant access to the paradise-like garden to anyone he wished. The song hints at the idea that Alamut's decadent pleasure garden was a facade, a manipulation of the senses to achieve a specific goal, to maintain his dominion and control over his subjects.
The lyrics of "Assassins of Hakim Bey" is a comment on the themes of power, control, and the manipulation of the senses. It evokes deception and illusion in the portrayal of Alamut's garden, which represents a metaphor for the political and socio-cultural tendencies of those who use the lures of materialistic pleasures and promise of utopias to rule and dominate over people.
Line by Line Meaning
And this prince was called Alamut and was Mohammedan.
The prince in question was named Alamut and he followed the religion of Mohammed.
He had created, in a lovely valley enclosed between two very high mountains, a beautiful garden, full of every variety of fruit and trees that could be obtained.
Alamut had made an exquisite garden, encompassed by towering mountains, containing all kinds of fruit and trees.
Round these plantations were various palaces and pavilions, decorated with golden ornaments.
Surrounding the garden were palaces and pavilions beautified with ornaments of gold.
He had brought in young girls of perfect beauty and full of charm to live here, paintings and furniture all made of silk, and they were trained to sing, to play all sorts of instruments, to dance, and above all to make the most seductive advances to men that can be imagined.
Alamut brought charming, beautiful young girls to reside here, and they were taught to sing, dance, play instruments, and entice men temptingly. Additionally, the paintings and furniture were all made of silk.
This is the reason why the old man had this place built, Mohammed having said that those who obeyed his will would go to Paradise where they would find all the pleasures and delights of the world, beautiful women and rivers of milk and honey: this man wanted to pretend that he could make anyone he wished enter this very Paradise.
This is why the place was constructed- to fulfill the promise made by Mohammed that those who conform to his will shall go to a paradise containing every indulgence under the sun- beautiful women, rivers of milk and honey. The old man wanted to deceive people by claiming that he could grant them entry to this Paradise.
No-one could penetrate into the garden we described, for they had built at the entrance to the valley a very fortified and impregnable castle. It could only be entered by a secret road.
It was impossible to infiltrate the aforementioned garden since the entrance to the valley was guarded by an impregnable castle. One could only access it through a clandestine route.
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.