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)
The Wheel
Coil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the storm clears and the sun shines
We'll see the country beyond the garden
Oh I was dragged here by an angel
Against my weak will the stronger dictate
Now I stand here, I've scaled the mountain
And when our hands touched like worlds colliding
A star exploding
Then I knew that the wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
Rust transmuted to gold and silver
By strength of true will
No more resistance
No more resistance
Just perfection
Just perfection
The wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
The wheel is turning
The Coil's song "The Wheel" is a complex and multi-layered piece that is open to interpretation from various angles. At its core, the song is a meditation on change, transformation, and transcendence. The first stanza sets the tone by proclaiming the arrival of a new day after a storm. The new dawn hosts the prospect of an expanded horizon beyond the boundaries of the garden that previously limited the singer's view.
The second stanza recounts the singer's journey from function to forms of glory. The mountain symbolizes the struggle to achieve personal or spiritual growth. The mountain is also a metaphor for a higher state of consciousness, signifying a person's pilgrimage towards transcendence, leading to the pursuit of perfection. The mention of two worlds colliding and sparking a cosmic explosion signifies the arrival of a new dawn after a long period of darkness or existential angst. The moment of union between two worlds inspires the singer to realize that the Wheel of life continues to turn.
The third stanza embodies the culmination of the singer's journey from ‘rust to gold and silver.’ A shift from resistance to acceptance has been achieved. The singer has undergone a transformation where the strength of true will has facilitated the transcendence and self-actualization necessary. The conclusion of the song signifies the continuation of the spiritual journey, emphasising that the Wheel never stops turning.
Line by Line Meaning
When the storm clears and the sun shines
After a difficult period, when things get better.
We'll see the country beyond the garden
We'll get to experience new places and things beyond what's familiar.
Oh I was dragged here by an angel
I was brought here by someone or something with greater power or influence.
Against my weak will the stronger dictate
I didn't want to come here, but someone or something stronger made me.
Now I stand here, I've scaled the mountain
I've overcome challenges to get to where I am now.
That led from function to forms of glory
Those challenges have led me to achieve things beyond my previous expectations or capabilities.
And when our hands touched like worlds colliding
When two powerful forces or people come together, it can be explosive and transformative.
A star exploding
Similar to the previous line, when intense energy is released it can be powerful and beautiful.
Then I knew that the wheel is turning
This transformative experience has shown me that change is constant and inevitable.
The wheel is turning
Change is constant and inevitable.
Rust transmuted to gold and silver
Something old or worn can be transformed into something beautiful and valuable.
By strength of true will
This transformation requires a strong and genuine desire for change.
No more resistance
There is no longer a need to fight against the transformative process.
Just perfection
The end result of this transformation is something whole and complete.
The wheel is turning
Change is constant and inevitable.
The wheel is turning
Change is constant and inevitable.
The wheel is turning
Change is constant and inevitable.
The wheel is turning
Change is constant and inevitable.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TODD RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Dickens
Stumbled across this today. Always been one of my favorite songs! Needed this reminder!
Zjenji
If you can’t please yourself, you can’t please your soul. That compilation still has regular rotation on my record player.
Johan
Totally amazing and classic
NoizyInSeattle
I love this song.
Mr. Pope
This influenced Depeche Mode, didn't it?
Dan Hauenstein
They did a remix of Rush by Depeche Mode and it's amazing
Alex Yang
@Dan Hauenstein are you kidding? queued
Constanza Zúñiga
🖤
Croiners
❤
openyourmind
OL! I remember sending geoff envelopes full of magick mushrooms ( in envelopes covered in swastikas as he pointed out years later) to him whilst he was still at boarding school doing Stabmental. Looks like the drugs worked ;-)