England s Hidden Reverse: A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground (Paperback) David Keenan Editorial: Strange Attractor Press, United Kingdom (2015) ISBN 10: 1907222170 ISBN 13: 9781907222177 Language: English .
Based on several years worth of exclusive interviews and unprecedented access to all three bands personal archives, this is the first, definitive, biography of Coil, Current 93 and Nurse With Wound. Together, the bands represent the real English underground in all its sexual, cultural and artistic variety. A shadowy scene whose work accents peculiarities of Englishness through the links and affinities they ve forged with earlier generations of outsiders. The three groups have maintained a symbiotic, yet uneasy relationship with the mainstream of pop culture.
Coil / The New Blockaders / Vortex Campaign – The Melancholy Mad Tenant
Label: Infinite Fog Productions – IF-55 Format: CD, Album, Reissue Country: Russia Released: 12 Dec 2015 Style: Industrial, Experimental, Noise
In 1984 VORTEX CAMPAIGN invited COIL and THE NEW BLOCKADERS to collaborate. The result, which was unofficially referred to as Dolbied, was released privately on cassette in an edition of 50. The release has since gone on to become legendary, showcasing two of the most influential groups in the scene at the early stages of their development. The Melancholy Mad Tenant is an authorized release, sanctioned by all three groups. The tracks have been professionally re-mastered and in addition to the COIL/THE NEW BLOCKADERS/VORTEX CAMPAIGN collaboration it also contains the entire VC archive, including two previously unreleased tracks. This wooden box edition hand-numbered and strictly limited to 100 copies only.
Reviews: ‘Historically potent reissue of some early, brutally primitive collaborations. Coil are in their early Zos Kia/Coil crossover mode generating some wild spectral energy via looped vocal trance and spooked, auroral tones while TNB generate huge boulders of cracked fuzz. The Vortex Campaign solo tracks are great examples of Equinox-era Punk-primitive electronic ritual and the whole package makes for a trip back to a wildly accelerated underground activity.’Volcanic Tongue ‘Both Coil and TNB began in the early ’80s and have become major players in their specific musical territories. The two collaborations are familiar terrain for TNB but certainly shine new light on the formative years of Coil, as this is very different to their Scatology LP released the same year. It’s nice to hear them from a different and slightly unexpected perspective.’ Vital
Label: Cold Spring – CSR230CD Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: UK Released: 09 Jan 2017 Style: Industrial, Experimental
ZOS KIA was formed by John Gosling (MEKON), John Balance (COIL) and Min – with guest Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson (THROBBING GRISTLE). Their one and only album, Transparent, was released August 23rd 1983 in a cassette only edition on the now defunct Nekrophile label, Austria. They were the first released recordings of both COIL and ZOS KIA. It was reissued years later by COIL (Threshold House / Eskaton) in an edited edition. The entire recordings are now released on CD/vinyl for the first time and are completely remastered from the unedited tapes. Includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks by AKE (pre-ZOS KIA).
The music on Transparent is genuinely unsettling and disturbing, with a more primal Industrial feel than the Coil album which followed; ‘Scatology’. An essential insight into the very early work of these extraordinary artists and an undeniable link between Coil and Throbbing Gristle. Double vinyl edition in a sumptuous gatefold sleeve with 12″ booklet of unseen images. Ltd 500 white vinyl edition for COLD SPRING mailorder only. Both editions come with download card. CD edition presented in a 6-panel digipak with booklet containing unseen images.
