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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Nature Is a Language
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't you read?
Can't you read?
Can the animals see this?
It's a test
Ride the horses of heaven
It's a test
Nature is a language
Can't you read?
It's a test
Can the animals see this?
Ride the horses of heaven
It's the rush hour of the gods
Can the animals see this?
Man is the animal
Can you hear that sound?
The lyrics of Coil's song "Nature Is a Language" suggest that nature is a form of communication that humans don't always understand. The repeated questioning of "Can't you read?" highlights this theme, as if to challenge the listener's ability to interpret the messages of the natural world. The lines "It's a test" and "Ride the horses of heaven" imply that there is some kind of challenge or invitation being presented by nature, and that it requires a certain attitude or skill to truly appreciate it. The line "Man is the animal" suggests that humans are not separate from nature, but rather, belong to the same system. The final line, "Can you hear that sound?" could be interpreted as a metaphor for the subtle, pervasive influence of nature on our lives, which we might fail to notice or appreciate.
This interpretation of the lyrics is reinforced by the overall sound of the song. Through its use of ambient and experimental textures, "Nature Is a Language" creates a sense of immersion in an otherworldly environment that is simultaneously inviting and challenging. The repetition of certain phrases and rhythms creates a sense of ritual or hypnosis, drawing the listener into a state where they can more receptive to the meanings of the music and lyrics.
Overall, "Nature Is a Language" could be seen as an invitation to consider the ways in which we interact with the natural world. By suggesting that nature is a form of communication, the song implies that we have to be willing to listen, interpret, and respond to the messages that we encounter in order to fully engage with the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Nature is a language
The whole of existence communicates through nature
Can't you read?
Are you not perceiving the message nature is conveying?
Can the animals see this?
Are animals capable of understanding this language too?
It's a test
Nature is putting us to the trial to see if we can decipher its message
Ride the horses of heaven
Embrace the transcendent and mystical qualities of nature
It's the rush hour of the gods
The divine and cosmic forces are intensely active at this moment in nature
Man is the animal
As human beings, we are a part of nature and subject to the same laws
Can you hear that sound?
Can you sense the vibrations and energy present in nature?
Contributed by Isabelle V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.