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)
Red Skeletons
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
- Are you with me or not?
- I don't know.
- I don't want you to drop out in the open.
- Then how am I supposed to do that?
- Softly. If you listen to me if you listen to me...
- Mmm.
- I'm asking you...
- I don't want to do any more favours for you. Look, it's over.
- Please. Please. I'm asking you, I'm asking you as a favour. Yes? I've been a very good friend to you.
- Really!
- Yes, I have.
- Like hell I do. Like hell I do.
- Yes?
???... I didn't show up, show up ...???... Ah, no, hang on ...???... No, I'm serious. ...???... (laughter) ...??? (some of this speech seems to be reversed)
I love you too with all my heart and soul.
- Look, I'm not having you saying that of me again next week. I'll reorganise the issue
- Look, do you want to have a continuative relationship with me or not?
- No.
The lyrics to Coil's song Red Skeletons 2 convey a tense conversation between two people trying to decipher their relationship dynamics. The singer poses questions and makes requests, asking their counterpart if they're with them or not, and expressing a desire for them to "drop out" softly. The other person seems resistant, initially saying they don't want to do any more favors and that things are over, but then changing their mind and arguing that they have been a good friend. The song ends with a final rejection, as the second person emphatically says they do not want to have a continuing relationship.
Through this conversation, the lyrics explore themes of uncertainty, power dynamics, and communication breakdown. It's not entirely clear what exactly their relationship is, but it seems to be one where both people are struggling to assert themselves and figure out where they stand. The repeated line "I love you too with all my heart and soul" adds a layer of ambiguity to the equation - is this an expression of genuine feeling, or just something being said to smooth things over?
Overall, the lyrics to Red Skeletons 2 are an intriguing glimpse into an intense, fraught conversation between two people who are grappling with their connection to each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you with me or not?
Do you support my decision?
I don't know.
I am uncertain of my own feelings.
I don't want you to drop out in the open.
I want you to leave subtly without anyone noticing.
Then how am I supposed to do that?
Can you provide me with a method to leave discreetly?
Softly. If you listen to me if you listen to me...
Leave without making a commotion, and if you follow my instructions, you can leave in tranquility.
Mmm.
I understand.
Just drop out.
Leave as soon as possible.
I'm asking you...
I am requesting your help.
I don't want to do any more favours for you. Look, it's over.
I refuse to help any further. Our business is finished.
Please. Please. I'm asking you, I'm asking you as a favour. Yes? I've been a very good friend to you.
Can you help me, please? I helped you in the past.
Really!
That's debatable.
Yes, I have.
I certainly have helped you.
Like hell I do. Like hell I do.
That is not true at all.
Yes?
Are you listening to me?
???... I didn't show up, show up ...???... Ah, no, hang on ...???... No, I'm serious. ...???... (laughter) ...???
Unintelligible speech.
I love you too with all my heart and soul.
Repeated line. Unclear in this context.
Look, I'm not having you saying that of me again next week. I'll reorganise the issue
I will not tolerate another insult from you next week. I will take care of this problem.
Look, do you want to have a continuative relationship with me or not?
Do you want to maintain a relationship with me?
No.
I do not want to continue the relationship.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John Balance, Peter Christopherson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind