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)
Slur
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of Roman sands
And Roman sons
As I watch the sun sink down
On the blood red edge
Of the blood red town
There are shadows for sale
At the edge of the night
Is a darkness seen
From the side of the light
(From the side of the night)
And the winds blow round
This sleeping town
This sleeping town
This Roman land
Of Roman sands
And Roman sons
And it seems to me
That when I close my eyes
All the lights in the world
Go out
And the night passes by
And you whisper to me
A thousand lies
I stare in surprise
Towards the desert's
Warm black
And the desert stirs
And the desert stares
Back
With a thousand eyes
Piercing eyes
Ancient eyes
And I ask my lover
"Do you know
Where the desert roses
Bloom and grow?"
The lyrics of Coil's song Slur paint a picture of a Roman land made up of sand and sons. The singer watches as the sun sets on a blood red town, where shadows are for sale at the edge of the night. The darkness is seen from the side of the light, and the winds blow around the sleeping town. The singer describes the Roman land as having sands and sons, suggesting that the land and its people are ancient and steeped in history.
As the night passes by, the singer closes their eyes and all the lights in the world seem to go out. This is followed by a whisper of a thousand lies from their lover. The singer looks towards the desert's warm black and feels surprise as the desert stirs and stares back at them with a thousand, piercing, ancient eyes. The singer asks their lover whether they know where the desert roses bloom and grow, adding another layer of mysticism and intrigue to the already mysterious lyrics.
Overall, "Slur" seems to explore the duality of light and dark, and the ancient history and mystery that surrounds the land described. The desert, in particular, stands out as a powerful force that the singer feels drawn to and slightly intimidated by. The lyrics suggest that there is much to uncover and explore in this Roman land, and that there may be many secrets hidden beneath the sands.
Line by Line Meaning
Roman land
Describing the location.
Of Roman sands
Elaborating on the location.
And Roman sons
Indicating the inhabitants of the location.
As I watch the sun sink down
Narrating the scene of the sunset.
On the blood red edge
Emphasizing the color of the sunset.
Of the blood red town
Describing the location of the sunset and the predominant color of the town.
There are shadows for sale
Metaphorically depicting a dark environment.
On the edge of town
Clarifying the extent of the town.
At the edge of the night
Explaining the timing during early nightfall.
Is a darkness seen
Rendering the emotions of darkness felt.
From the side of the light
Expounding on the presence of light and darkness together.
(From the side of the night)
Repeating the earlier context.
And the winds blow round
Portraying the effect of winds.
This sleeping town
Describing the stillness of the town.
This Roman land
Reiterating the location.
Of Roman sands
Emphasizing the connection with the location.
And Roman sons
Reaffirming the inhabitants.
And it seems to me
Describing the singer's perspective.
That when I close my eyes
Explaining the occurrence during closed eyes.
All the lights in the world
Depicting the darkness felt.
Go out
Describing the suddenness of the darkness.
And the night passes by
Signifying the time proceeding further.
And you whisper to me
Narrating the presence of another person.
A thousand lies
Conveying that the whispers were not truthful.
I stare in surprise
Demonstrating the singer's reaction.
Towards the desert's
Referring to another location.
Warm black
Describing the feeling of the desert.
And the desert stirs
Personifying the desert.
And the desert stares
Metaphorically depicting the gaze of the desert.
Back
Concluding the prior context.
With a thousand eyes
Repeating the spoken metaphor.
Piercing eyes
Describing the gaze of the desert as sharp.
Ancient eyes
Suggesting the age of the desert.
And I ask my lover
Narrating the presence of another person.
"Do you know
Asking a question.
Where the desert roses
Describing a location.
Bloom and grow?"
Querying about the desert flora.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@riccardotoni5867
Roman land of Roman sands and Roman sons
As I watch the sun sink down
On the blood-red edge of the blood-red town
There are shadows for sale
On the edge of town
On the edge of the night
Is a darkness seen
From the side of the night
And the winds blow round this sleeping town
This sleeping town
This Roman land of Roman sands and Roman sons
And it seems to me that when I close my eyes
All the lights in the world
Go out
And the night passes by and you whisper to me
A thousand lies
I stare in surprise
Towards the desert's warm black
And the desert stirs
And the desert stares back
With a thousand eyes
Piercing eyes, ancient eyes
And I ask my lovers, "Do you know
Where the desert roses bloom and grow?"
And I ask my lovers, "Do you know
Where the desert roses bloom and grow?"
And I ask my lovers, "Do you know
Where the desert roses bloom and grow?"
@terrypussypower
I bought Horse Rotorvator for £3.99 in 1986 and still have it in mint condition, one of the best LP's ever !
@winning3329
sad this great band is gone. :(
@TheLynxie
I've listened to this about 600 times in a week. Such a great song.
@riccardotoni5867
Roman land of Roman sands and Roman sons
As I watch the sun sink down
On the blood-red edge of the blood-red town
There are shadows for sale
On the edge of town
On the edge of the night
Is a darkness seen
From the side of the night
And the winds blow round this sleeping town
This sleeping town
This Roman land of Roman sands and Roman sons
And it seems to me that when I close my eyes
All the lights in the world
Go out
And the night passes by and you whisper to me
A thousand lies
I stare in surprise
Towards the desert's warm black
And the desert stirs
And the desert stares back
With a thousand eyes
Piercing eyes, ancient eyes
And I ask my lovers, "Do you know
Where the desert roses bloom and grow?"
And I ask my lovers, "Do you know
Where the desert roses bloom and grow?"
And I ask my lovers, "Do you know
Where the desert roses bloom and grow?"
@XelrisMZ
Just discovered this. Late to the party but freaking out about it, it's beautiful.
@Brytons_Thoughts
This was some seriously other worldly stuff when I first heard this at 12 to 13 years old.
Seriously, in regards to industrial, I went from NIN to Coil. And NIN sounds like sunshine pop compared to this.
Coil and Throbbing Gristle took me to musical places I've never visited before.
@feukka1703
Bryton Cherrier a true industrial fan.
@isaisaschlonzer5339
I feel you,same with me
@user-oj5ts4cg2d
What’s NIN?
@adorno_gang37
@Welle Zxzxz Nine Inch Nails