The second installment of the Musick series has finally been shipped to the first subscribers, after a wait of more than six months in some cases. And in every way possible, it was well worth the wait.
A return to the almost-structured style of the first Musick is very evident, but there’s less of the languid, poppy touches which cluttered its predecessor (namely the synthesizer wank of “Red Birds Will Fly Out Of The East And Destroy Paris In A Night” and the overly-pleasant “The Dreamer Is Still Asleep”) and an even deeper sense of space and structure within their mixes. The entire disc flows from beginning to end – starting slowly with “Something” and a what appears to be a partially cannabalized version of the aforementioned “Red Birds,” now called “Tiny Golden Books.”
Coil (credited this time around as John Balance, Peter Christopherson and Thighpaulsandra, along with guest vocals by Rose McDowall) bring something very special to the plate when they step up with a worthy release, and this stands as one of their best. No matter what one’s personal opinion of their occultish interests and thematics are, they make it work in a way that even the most grounded and dispassionate materialist can appreciate. Beautiful melodies and lyrics emerge from fractured beginnings – “Ether” begins with chopped-up noises, but what emerges is a shining, piano-laden tribute to intangible forces, something Coil seem to surround everything they produce with. Similarly, the haunting twang of a detuned guitar or jews harp threads its way through “Where Are You?” as the entire track unfolds and then collapses back upon itself.
“Paranoid Inlay” and the album’s closer “Batwings (A Limnal Hymn)” are worth the import price by themselves. Both feature Balance’s excellent vocals heavily; his voice is both gripping and disturbing, but he’s capable of producing such a beautiful sense of mystery and wonder when the mood calls for it. “Paranoid Inlay” is an ode to the renunciation of both indulgence and abstinence, as Balance asks himself “what do i need to give up?/crystaline ladders/shiny things/mirror balls,” while a theramin sings to scattered drum machine glitches and organ stabs in the background.
“Batwings” may very well be one the best thing Coil has ever produced in their long history. More synthesizers glitches and screeches open the track, but a sombre organ piece emerges to gel the entire track together. Balance’s vocals become poetry behind an alien soundscape, and the entire track ends with a multi-language soup of achingly beautiful chanting. Otherworldly doesn’t begin to describe it.
The first 500 subscribers also received CD copies of the live performance Coil did as Time Machines back in April as part of the Cornucopia Festival in London. While it’s sure to become a sacrifice to Ebay, our modern god of greed, it’s a great treat for fans who probably weren’t able to make the long journey to the UK. Hopefully, half-rumors of more live performances in America will eventually come true.
In the meantime, Musick To Play In The Dark Volume 2 is more than enough to tide us over.
