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.
http://www.thresholdhouse.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coil_(band)
First Dark Ride
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let go of me!
Hippy cult leader
He was a hippy cult leader
You wanna be a hippy cult leader?
Hippy cult leader: all right
Hippy cult leader
He was a hippy cult leader
Hippy cult leader: all right
The lyrics to Coil's song "First Dark Ride" are certainly thought-provoking and open to interpretation. The opening line, "I'm God and I've killed everybody - now what?" suggests that the singer has reached a position of ultimate power and control, but is now faced with the question of what their purpose is without anyone left to exercise that power over. This could be seen as a commentary on the emptiness and futility of seeking power and control over others.
The subsequent lines mention a "hippy cult leader," and there seems to be some ambiguity as to whether the singer is addressing this figure or is themselves embodying this role. Either way, the repeated refrain of "Hippy cult leader / He was a hippy cult leader / You wanna be a hippy cult leader? / Hippy cult leader: all right" suggests a fascination with cultish behavior and the idea of charismatic leaders who draw followers into their orbit. This could be a commentary on the way in which cult leaders often use their charm and charisma to manipulate and control others.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm God and I've killed everybody - now what?
As a divine being with immense power, I have eradicated all forms of life on this planet. What purpose does my existence serve now?
Let go of me!
Release your grasp on me immediately!
Hippy cult leader
Someone who leads a group of individuals that follow a countercultural lifestyle based on peace and love.
He was a hippy cult leader
There was a person who acted as a leader of a group of individuals who believed in countercultural values of peace and love.
You wanna be a hippy cult leader?
Are you interested in becoming a leader of a group of individuals who follow countercultural values based on peace and love?
Hippy cult leader: all right
Acknowledgement that someone accepts the role of leading a group of individuals who adhere to countercultural values of peace and love.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN BALANCE, PETER CHRISTOPHERSON, DANNY HYDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
intafon
I remember the first time I put the vinyl single of this on my friend's turntable, sitting on the floor, and listening to this thing build. Neither of us knew what was coming... Brilliant track...
Slime Time
was at work, sanding cabinets (scrubbing too) and drowning out the droning of the fans and equipment with this
still just really falling fully into the coil rabbithole but damn, as you say: "Listening to this thing BUILD" is right. It just keeps going~
ModernPlague
Glad to! Some of my favorites: "The Wheel","Panic", "Restless Day", "Slur", "The Anal Staircase", "Ostia (The Death of Pasolini)", "Love's Secret Domain", "Dark River", "The Hills Are Alive", "Where Even the Darkness is Something to See", "The Snow", "Blue Rats", "The Dreamer is Still Asleep", "Paranoid Inlay", "Batwings (A Limnal Hymn)", "Fire of the Mind", "Amber Rain" Let me know what you think....
Cornelius Schmidt
Masterpiece
pLΛϟ†∃Я d|ϟΛϟ†∃Я
I'm surprised so much Coil is on YouTube now. All I used to be able to find is "The Snow". I've never been able to find any of their albums or heard much of their stuff like I've always wanted to. Where are their albums located? How come they are not more popular?
luongomagombo adetokumbo
6 months ago but you should know the main website to buy albums is Discogs.
And if Coil was more popular, it wouldn't be Coil.
Air Guitar
You can find some of their albums on Amazon although they're pretty expensive, but worth it! I'm just realizing i'm replying to a comment that was posted 6 years ago haha
Loki Shannonhouse
Thanx so much for making me remember this song! R I P Dear Sleazy...
ModernPlague
Keep listening. Way more nuance & musicianship & atmosphere in Coil than in The Residents. The Residents are amateurs compared to Coil, IMO.
AVX Lautaro García
Perfect.