Intuitive Music

20 years ago today, on the 4th of August 1983, Coil played their debut concert at the Magenta club located at The Ritzy Cinema, London.

The new born duo was composed by John Balance (vocals) and Peter Christopherson (keyboards, programming). The performance included the 15 minute piece “Silence and Secrecy” which was later included in the “Transparent” debut album (1983). John Balance described the moment: “We performed ‘Silence And Secrecy’ with amplified insect noises pushed to deafening pitch, violins, and various other tapes. We had out of phase strobes that really did you in. I couldn’t stand up on stage because of it. I also used smell as an added dimension. It was a performance. This was a deliberate attempt to create a vacuum, to maintain a tension, a sense of expectancy that is never fulfilled. The importance of the piece was that nothing happened – it was suspended uneasiness. The idea being that in a lot of cases of secrecy the secret that people are searching for is that there is no secret. (Alastair) Crowley points this crucial idea out in several instances. It ties in with the idea that the state of absolute enlightenment is to experience total nothingness; that this concept of absolutely identifying yourself, totally absolving being is the key to the so called occult organizations. Its crossing the ‘abyss’.” This piece was later included in the “Transparent” debut album (83).