An album by Coil. Released in 2000 on Coil's imprint, Eskaton, catalog number Eskaton 24, and distributed as always by World Serpent. It combines the drones they've been working with since Time Machines and before (Baby Food) with noise influenced by the Japanese tradition, as well as by European and American artists mentioned below, in the "official" copy. This noise is different, though. Most noise, especially the Japanese type, often has sudden changes which can feel almost random. Here the noise is more repetitive, with minor changes throughout. The obvious comparision is the the seventies minimalists, especially Steve Reich. Although this music is very abrasive (until you grow to love it), it has much in common with the warm bath feel of pieces like Music for 18 Musicians. You might think you've been listening to the same thing for 9 minutes, as one track merges into another seamlessly. But skip through them, take in the first few seconds of one, and then another. The same sounds will be in a different order. And of a different order. The mood will have changed.
Higher Beings Command
A song like an awakening. Drones and sounds.
I Am The Green Child
Clicks and beeps, then sounds.
Gentle machine sounds and pleasant noise undercurrents. Then voices. 13 minutes of gradually changing
repetitions.
Beige
Nice: I see this song and the next two as being part of a whole. Drones of noise like
magic, and repeating high
currents.
Lowest Common Abominator
The same, but lower, with more
stomach-churning bending in the base drone. It becomes:
Freebase Chakra
Which is the same, but clearer, with more "
vibrations" in the base
drone.
Tunnel Of Goats
This is energetic and
hypnotic noise which ends on track 23. It is very driving, different then the rest of the album, and its standout.
Notes from the "official" website at www.brainwashed.com/coil
This new album by Coil deals with the threat of lavishness and responds with noise. It's trial by musick. This intense density of energetic anger explores areas that Coil have threatened to open out into in the past, but rarely have pursued with such hallucinatory ferocity.
6 new pieces still fresh with blood and electronics.
It is released to coincide with Coil's 2nd Royal Festival Hall concert this year; an event which Coil are calling Persistence Is All.
Points of reference? Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music, Can, La Monte Young, Flipper, Butthole Surfers, Supermarket Sweep.
Composed & arranged by John Balance, Peter Christopherson & Thighpaulsandra. Set for worldwide release on September 25th (or sooner!)
Physically the
CD comes in a little
pink clamshell, with no insert or art other than that which appears on the CD: White
sperm-looking
tentacles reaching for the center, and
encircling text.