COIL - HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS @ 40

 

Recorded on February 19th, 1984, Coil's debut EP, How To Destroy Angels, turns 40 years old today. As an example of functional music intended for practical application, it set the standard for the band's uncompromising approach to sound and structure.

At the time of its recording, Jhon Balance and Peter Christopherson were still part of Psychic TV (PTV) and the Temple of Psychick Youth (TOPY), and this project was seen as furthering the exploration of sound as a functional tool, rather than a mere source of entertainment and distraction. Many of the ideas present here were also used when recording the Psychic TV, Themes, bonus LP, which was included with the first pressings of PTV's debut, Force The Hand of Chance. These were sound works that had no concern with standard song structures, an approach that could be rather confusing to listeners who were expecting them to adhere to recognizable conventions of rhythm, melody and verse-chorus-bridge, song structures. None of that was relevant here, which often had these recordings sounding like random noises, devoid of meaning or purpose. The reality was quite the opposite.

For this particular project, the fact that Balance and Christopherson were gay and involved in a relationship with each other became essential elements in the thematic essence of the recording. The intent of its creators was to incite and harness specifically male sexual energy. No offence nor disparagement to females was intended, but this work was simply NOT designed for feminine energy. This requirement during production was even taken to the strictest conditional extremes, where any women at the studio were kindly requested to vacate the building during recording. For this, manly Mars was the focus for the session and it was crucial that nothing diffuse or dissipate that energy. Venus wasn't invited.

For instrumentation, a selection of gongs, cymbals and bells were employed, along with a large corrugated whirling tube, known as a lasso d'amore, corrugaphone, or Bloogle Resonator. The resultant recording was 17 minutes of ritualistic ambience, suitable for personal or group ceremonial use. The original plan was to release it along with another PTV recording, Silence and Secrecy, but Balance & Christopherson had a falling out with TOPY and Genesis P-Orridge over his "cult of personality" and the direction TOPY was going, so any PTV works or resources were now unavailable, including the label imprint, Temple Records. The EP was instead released by L.A.Y.L.A.H. Anti-Records as a standalone, with the B-side initially occupied by an unplayable "noise" side called Absolute Elsewhere. On subsequent repressing, the B-side was repeatedly changed, first to offer a selection of closed loop tones and then a totally blank side.

Although How To Destroy Angels is not typical of Coil's subsequent output, it remains as one of their most enigmatic and effective creations. It's certainly one of my personal favourites when it comes to music with the power to summon distinct and powerful energies. To put it plainly, it's a great record to fuck to, especially if you're gay.

INFLUENTIAL ALBUM - COIL, HOW TO DESROY ANGELS

Among the many groundbreaking releases put out by Belgian lable, L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords, one of the most unusual and controversial was the debut release by the Psychic TV offshoot project, Coil.  Originally conceived as the inaugural release for the newly established Temple Ov Psychick Youth label, Temple Records, plans for its release via that outlet were scuttled when relationships between Genesis P-Orridge​ & Coil founders, John Balance (Geoff Rushton) and Peter Christopherson soured when the pair became increasingly concerned that TOPY was becoming too much of a "cult of personality" around P-Orridge.  Amid a somewhat acrimonious parting of ways, John & "Sleazy" decided to pursue Coil as their main creative outlet and took the recording of How to Destroy Angels with them. 

Intended to further the work begun with the PTV release, Themes, which was intended as practical accompaniment for ritual practices, How to Destroy Angels was recorded under a very strict set of guidelines to abet very specific intents.   Conceived around the symbolism relative to the Martian element, it was designed to facilitate the accumulation of masculine sexual energies.  To this end, all care during the recording process was taken to ensure these energies were intensified, even so far as to ensure the entire building was cleared of any conflicting elements or energies.  Those who do not understand basic principals of ritual may not comprehend the value of such acts and may interpret them as potentially sexist, but this is not in any way meant to disparage or denigrate other types of energies.  It is merely and experiment in focusing on a particular type of force. 

The result of this effort was a 17 minute abstract tonal piece consisting of various gongs, bells, cymbals and certain other acoustic sources.  The B-side of the album was left, ostensibly, blank, though there are several pressing variants, one with a constant tone throughout, another with the side appearing to have been sanded down to destroy whatever sound was pressed there (which I had), another had some layered tones and another had a series of locked grooves.  One pressing had completely blank grooves, which was the original intent.  All variations on this were called Absolute Elsewhere. 

I picked this up shortly after the first Coil full LP, Scatology, in 1985.  Personally, it has always been and remains one of my all time favorite releases by this project.  It's a clear example of how music can be created for practical application, beyond mere "entertainment", with abilities to aid certain processes.  I've had several practical experiences of using it which were extremely efficacious.  On the other hand, I've played this for people who were completely unable to comprehend it as anything but a bunch of rattling noises with no intent or purpose.  It certainly doesn't exist for "easy listening".