Coil - Music To Play In The Dark Volume 2

Label: Chalice
Catologue Number: GRAALCD005
Format: CD
Date: 2001
Style: Leftfield / Electronica / Industrial
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Coil is the band formed by Ex Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV members Peter Christopherson and John Balance and Music to Play in the Dark 2, is there latest journey into the esoteric and arcane world of magick and music. As the title suggests the album is music for night listening or in particular those finally minutes before sleep. The album is concerned with induced a trance like and dream like state in the listener. Close to the ambient sounds of bands like The Orb and Autechre (A group who have readily admitted the influence of Coil on their own music), but with a darker and more occult leaning. MTPITD2 is an album that at the same time draws the listener into a wondrous world of beauty but at the same time always threatens to plunge the listener into darker realms.

MTPITD2 begins with an unnerving intro of silence, before heading into the first song ‘Something’. A growing wall of static slowly breaks the quietness with John Balance quietly whispering the title as more glitches and hisses slowly appear in the mix, creating an unnerving song that haunts the darker sections of the imagination.

This is followed by the track ‘The Golden Books’ a song based around pulsating electronic rhythms and synthetic sounds that sound like they escaped from an episode of Doctor Who. This creates a trance like sound far removed from the dance floors of Ibiza and closer to the pioneering ambience of Brian Eno. Above this Balance chants distorted occult words, hint at dark secrets and hidden knowledge.

‘Ether’ the next track begins with ethereal drones and ghostly metallic noises. Soon a simple but delicately beautiful piano line joins them. Balance’s vocals are again distorted and phase shifted acting like a spectre floating over the fragments of sound. The song then drifts into a dream like state luring the listener into a deep sleep. The lyrics “I’m going upstairs, to turn my mind off” just add to this lament to sombalism.

Next up is ‘Paranoid Inlay’ a song again based around Autechre/Oval like glitches and minimal beats. Over laying this is a fragile harpsichord melody, again dark but gorgeously simple. The lyrics this time seem to be more concentrated on religious iconography. With mentions of Saint Peter and the mantra ‘Serenity is a Problem’ become the main refrain of the track. The song also contains the excellently bizarre link “These vegetables are suicidal”. Not something likely to appear in the next Steps song I think your agree.

‘An Emergency’ follows and at 1 minute 20 clocks it as the shortest track on the album. The vocals this time come from Rose McDowall (Ex Strawberry Switchblade) whose mesmerising voice sails over a low-end bass drone.

Following this short track is the best track on MTPITD2 ‘Where are You?” The song begins again with minimalistic glitches and hisses, this time an off kilter guitar twang skips over the broken beats. It is also probably the darkest song on the album dealing as does with lose and the lost. The lyrics run like a game of hide and seek for those departed from this mortal coil and for those left behind. The Line “Looking for things that no one else can see” sends a shiver down my spine, reminding me of people and places I know I will never see again.

The final track ‘Batwings (A Limnal Hymn)’ may have a title that sounds like a Goth compilation but again proves that Coil can easily produce darker music than the eyeliner and crimped hair squad. Again John Balance’s lyrics hint at the world of magick and the arcane. The music this time is based around electronic sounds that sound like radio waves lost in a snowstorm. The music sucks you into this maelstrom luring you into dream filled sleep.

For me MTPITD2 is an excellent album to listen to on those long cold wintry evenings. The music as I have said before lures you into a world of cold ambience where magick and arcane dreams lurk in darken corners. It ‘s not going to appeal to those looking for something to rock your socks off too. Neither is it an easily assessable album, there’s no immediate hit with this release. But given time and repeated listens MTPTID2 really begins to seep into the subconscious. Like most of Coil’s releases is one for the more adventurous listener out there.