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Coil (band)

From Alfawiki
Coil
Company typeExperimental music ensemble
IndustryMusic
Founded1982 in London, England
FounderJohn Balance
Headquarters
London
,
England
Area served
United Kingdom, internationally
Key people
John Balance, Peter Christopherson
ProductsExperimental music albums, soundtracks

Coil was a pioneering English experimental music ensemble established in London in 1982, remaining active until 2005. Initially conceived as a solo endeavor by John Balance (formerly of Psychic TV), the project expanded with the involvement of his partner and collaborator Peter Christopherson, who had previously been part of the industrial trailblazers Throbbing Gristle. Coil's artistic output delved into subjects such as the occult, sexuality, and alchemy, leaving a significant mark on styles including gothic rock, neofolk, and dark ambient. According to AllMusic, they are regarded as "one of the most cherished and legendary acts within the British post-industrial movement."

Following their 1984 introductory EP How to Destroy Angels, Coil secured a deal with Some Bizzare Records and issued two full-length albums: Scatology in 1985 and Horse Rotorvator in 1986. Beginning in 1985, they ventured into composing film soundtracks, including an unreleased score for Hellraiser. Departing from Some Bizzare, they launched their own imprint, Threshold House, through which they released Love's Secret Domain in 1991. Financial difficulties during the early 1990s led to a reduced output, but they made a comeback with Astral Disaster (1999) and the two volumes of the Musick to Play in the Dark series (1999–2000). Additionally, they released material under various pseudonyms such as Black Light District and ELpH.

Throughout their existence, Balance and Christopherson remained the primary members, with collaborators like Stephen Thrower, Drew McDowall, and Ossian Brown contributing at times. They also established smaller independent labels including Eskaton and Chalice. After a hiatus from live performances lasting sixteen years, Coil returned to the stage in 1999 and conducted several short tours up until 2004. The accidental passing of Balance in November 2004 led Christopherson to conclude the band's activities, culminating their catalog with the release of The Ape of Naples in 2005. Subsequent posthumous works were issued before Christopherson himself died in 2010.

1982–1983: Formation and early years

In 1978, John Balance—born Geoffrey Burton—was an adolescent zine editor operating under the name Stabmental, documenting underground UK artists including industrial groups such as Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire. As an admirer of Throbbing Gristle, Balance developed a friendship with frontman Genesis P-Orridge and later encountered fellow member Peter Christopherson in 1980.

Following the breakup of Throbbing Gristle in 1981, P-Orridge, Christopherson, and Alex Fergusson went on to establish Psychic TV alongside Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth. Balance briefly attended the University of Sussex and participated in Brian Williams' Lustmord project before relocating back to London to cohabit with Christopherson, initiating both a personal and creative partnership. As part of Psychic TV, Balance contributed to the single "Just Drifting" as well as the album Dreams Less Sweet.

The name Coil was adopted by Balance in 1982 as a solo venture. In 1983, he authored a manifesto titled The Price of Existence Is Eternal Warfare and submitted a track to Third Mind Records; however, it was declined. Despite this setback, he continued recording additional material that year. On August 4, 1983, Coil—now consisting of both Balance and Christopherson—played their inaugural live show in London during an art film event. Due to Christopherson's limited availability because of commitments with Psychic TV, Balance collaborated with John Gosling from Zos Kia for subsequent performances, including one at Berlin Atonal festival in December.

Recordings from these early shows along with the piece "On Balance" were compiled on the Zos Kia/Coil split album Transparent, which was released by Nekrophile Records in February 1984. By January of that year, both Balance and Christopherson had departed from Psychic TV and Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth to dedicate themselves fully to Coil.

1984–1986: How to Destroy Angels and the Some Bizzare Era

Coil's inaugural official release was the EP How to Destroy Angels, which came out on 20 April 1984 via the Belgian label L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords. The recording took place at Britannia Row Studios and incorporated iron and steel instruments, with a dedication to Mars, the deity symbolizing spring and war.

In May 1984, Coil recorded their debut full-length album, Scatology, collaborating with co-producer JG Thirlwell and contributors such as Stephen Thrower, Alex Fergusson, and Gavin Friday. The album explored themes of alchemy and transformation, continuing the conceptual thread established by the EP.

The album Scatology was released in early 1985 under their own label Force & Form and the Some Bizzare sublabel K.422, garnering favorable critical reception. This was followed by a single remix of "Panic" paired with a cover of "Tainted Love," with all proceeds donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust—one of the earliest music releases dedicated to AIDS charity. The music video for "Tainted Love," directed by Christopherson, was later acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In 1986, Coil unveiled Horse Rotorvator, an album marked by a darker tone and slower pacing that signaled a shift in their artistic direction. The album’s cover displayed an image from an IRA bombing site. Influenced in part by the loss of friends to AIDS, the record included tracks like "Ostia (The Death of Pasolini)" which tackled subjects such as death and suicide.

Gold Is the Metal... and Unnatural History (1986–1990)

Following disagreements with Some Bizzare Records owner Stevo Pearce, Coil parted ways with the label and established their own imprint, Threshold House. Their 1987 release, Gold Is the Metal (With the Broadest Shoulders), served as a transitional work bridging Horse Rotorvator and their subsequent album Love's Secret Domain. In 1990, they released the compilation Unnatural History, which gathered selections from earlier projects including material from Nightmare Culture.

Love's Secret Domain (1991–1992)

The 1991 album Love's Secret Domain (LSD) represented a stylistic progression incorporating elements of post-industrial music alongside acid house influences. Although featuring a more vibrant sound, it was not crafted as dance music. Singles such as "Windowpane" and a Jack Dangers remix of "The Snow" were accompanied by music videos filmed in locations like Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle, reflecting Coil’s fascination with drug culture and exotic themes.

A provocative video for "Love's Secret Domain," shot in a Bangkok go-go boy bar, was initially withheld due to its controversial nature but eventually became available online. The 1992 release Stolen & Contaminated Songs compiled outtakes from sessions during the LSD period.

Soundtracks and Side Projects (1993–1998)

During this period, Coil expanded their creative scope through numerous side projects under various pseudonyms while continuing their experimental approach. They briefly engaged in composing the soundtrack for Hellraiser, but withdrew after their score was replaced by Howard Shore’s composition.

In 1992, Threshold House reissued remixed editions of How to Destroy Angels, featuring contributions from Steven Stapleton of Nurse with Wound. Coil also composed scores for Derek Jarman’s films including Blue (1993), alongside releasing their earlier soundtrack for The Angelic Conversation (1994). Other soundtrack works included those for Gay Man's Guide to Safer Sex and Sarah Dales Sensuous Massage.

Side projects such as ELpH, Black Light District, and Time Machines focused on drone-based experimentation and led to the creation of the Eskaton label. Additionally, Transparent—the precursor project to Coil—was reissued in 1997 through Threshold House in collaboration with World Serpent.

Late Period Coil (1998–2004)

Beginning in 1998, Coil adopted a slower, drone-oriented musical approach connected to the equinoxes and solstices, releasing four singles that were eventually compiled into the collection Moon's Milk (In Four Phases). During this era, electric viola player William Breeze became a member of the group.

The 1999 release Astral Disaster introduced new collaborator Thighpaulsandra and was initially issued in a limited run before being reissued. Following this, Coil produced the drone-centric album Queens Of The Circulating Library in 2000, which was exclusively created by Thighpaulsandra. They also released two volumes of Musick To Play In The Dark. After a 16-year pause, live performances recommenced.

In their later phase, Coil moved away from acid house toward more gradual drone soundscapes, as evidenced by live renditions and re-recorded material on albums such as The Ape Of Naples. Their experimental noise work Constant Shallowness Leads To Evil premiered during concerts in 2000, with Black Antlers arriving in 2004.

Live Performances by Coil

Coil resumed live shows in December 1999 following an extended hiatus. From 2000 onwards, they performed frequently with shifting personnel and diverse setlists.

Among their significant appearances were two concerts held at London’s Royal Festival Hall in 2000, featuring full-band lineups and their distinctive "fluffy suits" influenced by Sun Ra. Visual components included Christopherson’s video projections combined with atmospheric fog effects; Balance’s vocal contributions added dramatic flair.

Their 2003 set at All Tomorrow’s Parties was later issued as ...And the Ambulance Died in His Arms in 2005, a title chosen by Balance prior to his passing. Several live albums capture these performances alongside limited edition releases; footage from concerts was included in the 2010 DVD box set Colour Sound Oblivion.

Coil’s final live appearance took place on 23 October 2004 at the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival.

Passing of Balance and Christopherson

John Balance tragically died on 13 November 2004 after suffering a fall at his residence; approximately 100 people attended his memorial near Bristol. Following his death, posthumous works were issued including the last studio album The Ape of Naples (2005), expanded versions of rare recordings, and extensive compilations such as the sixteen-DVD set Colour Sound Oblivion released in 2010.

Peter Christopherson died peacefully in his sleep on 24 November 2010 while in Bangkok.

Musical Style, Instrumentation, and Creative Techniques

Coil’s artistic evolution encompassed genres such as industrial, noise, ambient, neofolk, spoken word, drone, and minimalism. They approached their output as magical rituals rather than traditional music; Balance described their work as "magickal music," differentiating between earlier "solar" phases and later "moon musick."

Their instrumentation featured rare vintage electronic devices including Moog synthesizers, the ANS synthesizer, Mellotron, and Optigan. Marimba player Tom Edwards contributed both to live performances and studio recordings during their later period.

The band’s creative methodology combined improvisation with experimental strategies like cut-up techniques, ritualistic drug use, lucid dreaming practices, scrying inspired by John Dee’s methods, glitch manipulation, synchronizing with SETI signals, tidal rhythm integration, and applications of chaos theory.

Releases

Coil often produced limited edition items distinguished by distinctive packaging features such as sigils or simulated blood stains, designed to serve as collectible pieces for ardent followers. This strategy grew more pronounced over time but faced accusations of excessive pricing. Despite this, Balance supported making their standard albums more accessible through traditional retail channels. Beginning in 2003, they also made rare recordings available again in digital format via their own download platform.

Religious views

The band embraced elements of paganism, alchemical imagery, and chaos magic while rejecting orthodox religious doctrines; they were occasionally mistakenly labeled as Satanic. Balance described himself as a "Born Again Pagan," highlighting a spirituality rooted in nature, whereas Christopherson distanced the group from institutionalized religion and voiced criticism of Christianity.

Members

  • John Balance – founding member, lead vocalist and composer
  • Peter Christopherson – principal producer
  • Stephen Thrower – full-time member (1987–1992)
  • Danny Hyde – collaborator, engineer, and remixer
  • Drew McDowall – collaborator and official member (1990–circa 2000)
  • Rose McDowall – vocalist and collaborator
  • Ossian Brown – collaborator and member (from 2000)
  • William Breeze – electric viola performer (1997–2000)
  • Thighpaulsandra – official member (from 1999), instrumentalist and producer
  • John Gosling – early live performer
  • Tom Edwards – marimba player and live contributor
  • Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy musician
  • Massimo & Pierce – stage performers (2002)
  • Mike York – live performer

Influences and legacy

Although Coil seldom publicly named specific musical influences, they acknowledged inspiration from non-musical personalities such as William Burroughs, Aleister Crowley, Brion Gysin, and Austin Spare—possessing some of Spare’s artwork—and maintained personal connections with Burroughs.

Their musical curiosity spanned a broad spectrum of genres including musique concrète, folk, punk, classical minimalism (influenced by Harry Partch and La Monte Young), krautrock (Cluster, Can), rock legends like Captain Beefheart, and electronic pioneers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen. Notably, Horse Rotorvator incorporates samples from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Subsequent releases referenced artists like Sun Ra and Bam Bam.

After their disbandment, Coil received recognition for their global impact on electronic music through tribute compilations featuring artists including Alec Empire and Chris Connelly. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails cited Coil as a significant influence on both his musical style and lyrical content. Reznor’s project How to Destroy Angels derives its name from a Coil track, created with Christopherson’s consent.

Discography

Notable studio albums:

Bibliography


External links

Interviews
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