Dear Thresholders...
The Usual Unusual Delays...
At present the THRESHOLD HOUSE office is in the midst of a total reorganization and refurbishment. This has been ongoing since February and perhaps goes a little way to explaining the delays some have experienced with orders. And the lack of personal response to letters and general enquiries. It can only get better! Everyone will eventually receive a reply of some sort. Bear with us (in some cases for a considerable time!) Please remember we are not a big organization with staff etc. to do anything for us - everything has to be done personally and by hand. To help us please address letters fully and use your full name, telephone and/or fax no. We have had quite a few packages returned by the GPO claiming you didn't exist. If you're writing to chase up orders, please include complete details (date and items) of your order and your payment.
Stolen & Counterfeited Songs
We have decided. after much heart searching, to release an unlimited version of the Stolen & Contaminated CD next month. The main reason is that it has already been pirated in Europe, and we are now hearing rumours that a US counterfeit edition is planned and may be out by the time you read this. In the original limited bona fide edition the CD was marked Loci CD4 10204341. Made in the UK by PDO. If yours says anything else it's a bootleg! The new authorized recording will have a different but related artwork
Long Lost Soundtrack Release Imminent
At long last Threshold House have finally got around to scheduling a release for the complete unedited soundtrack to The Angelic Conversation, the 1985 feature film Derek Jarman made for COIL to accompany. Due out in early August via World Serpent. We are discussing producing a collectors edition (possibly as few as 20 or 30) in a special presentation case with additional artworks signed by COIL and Derek Jarman. Contact us for more details.
More Derek Jarman News
Coil have been privileged to contribute a short piece to the soundtrack of Derek's latest film Blue. The scoff was co-ordinated by Simon Fisher Turner and also features music from Durutti Column, Miranda Sex Garden, Momus, and Brian Eno. The film is unique in that it is literally a blue movie - the only visual element in is a saturated blue coIourfield. The accompanying soundtrack explores, using music, dialogue and narration. Derek's attempts to come to terms with the effect of HIV and AIDS related illnesses, particularly the blindness that has crept up on him. It is an uncompromisingly direct, touching and very funny film, to be on limited release soon.
Lesbian Boys And Muff-Diving Size Queens
We will be pressing a blue vinyl 7" ep featuring our music from this film, plus a track taken from The Gay Man's to Safer Sex the soundtrack of which we composed, to be sold mainly through mailorder.
Airborne Bells - Unborn Smells
Another COIL 7" single is released in July/early August on the Clawfist label. One track Is Suicide A Solution? is an extended variation of Who'll Fall from Stolen and Contaminated Songs. This is backed by a new track Airborne Bells.
For Sale - Box Of Old Gristle
In 1983 John Balance was involved in putting out a semi-official Throbbing Gristle album called Assume Power Focus, consisting of rare live tracks. 500 copis available anywhere.
A Bad Business And A Sad Business
Coil and Threshold House have severed all ties with Wax Trax! Records of Chicago, Illinois. The split was not amicable. Wax Trax! owe Coil a considerable amount of royalties for Love's Secret Domain, and refused to pay up unless we signed a new and draconian multiple album contract with TVT, the label that bought out WaxTrax! when they filed for bankruptcy. Needless to say Coil found this attempt at manipulation despicable and have since left the label. The scheduled and announced Wax Trax! release of Scatology and Horse Rotorvator in the US will not take place. We are hoping to secure a deal with a very supportive and sympathetic label very soon.
future Leakages And Spillages
Coil are presently working towards some sort of completion on their next album proper - sometimes called International Dark Skies, sometimes called Backwards - we shall see. It and related singles will appear through Torso/Boudisques in Europe and the UK. Early signs indicate the album will be vintage Coil - churning noise constructions. sounds stripped down and built back up for power and raw poetics. William Burroughs guests on a couple of tracks alongside contributions from Terence McKenna, Tim Simenon, and Marc Almond as well as a very diverse and unusual instrumentation from traditional Celtic Bodruns to Theremins to John Lennon's actual Mellotron recorded for us by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails in the very room where Sharon Tate and dinner guests met the Manson Girls one night in 1969.
Other Scattered Releases
Coil's Neither His Nor Yours track re-appears on Cash Cows - The Best of Giorno Poetry Systems 1965-1993 alongsideep Listening theories that underlay the Love's Secret Domain project. More on this in a later bulletin. N.B. For those who have been asking, the vinyl version of Stolen and Contaminated Songs did not go ahead.
Joining The Downward Spiral
Coil recently remixed a NIN track Gave Up for their recent Fixed CD, and a version of this remix was used for the opening sequence of a new movie featuring Harvey Keitel called Young Americans. We haven't seen the film, so can't comment, but the first minute and a half of the soundtrack is great!
Activities Elsewhere
Peter directed the video for NIN's WISH which was played heavily on MTV. The song went on to receive the Grammy for Best New Metal song. He has also been working with Robert Plant and Masters of Reality amongst others.
Steve Thrower has been recording with his new band Identical for possible release later in the year and has done two soundtrack pieces for Films called When I Grow up I Want To Be Beautiful and Clingfilm. (Which was paid for and then banned by Channel 4 because it contained too many penises.)
Permanent Wants/Permanent Wants/Permanent Wants/
John Balance would be interested to hear from anyone with anything for sale relating to the occult artist Austin Osman Spare (AOS) - original/ books by or illustrated by him, original artworks, paintings, magazines etc. Anything and everything considered, esp, a copy of the original book The Starlit Mire by Bertram & Russell, published by John Lane 1911 (not the Temple Press version). Also Poems and Masks by Vera Wainright, published by the Toucan Press in 1968 and Charles Grindrod's The Shadow of Raggedstone, published in 1908. Also anything at all to do with Aleister Crowley esp his drawings and paintings. original and rare books. Also any rare and unusual items by William S. Burroughs, Brion Gysin, the cat artist Louis Wain, and any Clarke Ashton Smith stuff esp original artworks. Can anyone locate a copy of the bootleg Kate Bush CD called Alone at my Piano or, in complete contrast, the European LP of Charles Manson songs called Poor Old Prisoner Boy, released about a year ago. If you can help with any of these please contact us via Threshold House on 081-742 7347. All sensible calls gratefully received and appreciated.
See The Black Sun Rise...
Issue one of Black Sun will be available from Threshold House in July. This A5 booklet will function as the in-house Threshold House magazine and its first issue will contain an excellent long and detailed interview with John Balance and Peter Christopherson, as well as previously unseen photos, graphics, short features. stickers and writings by members of Coil and others including John Giorno, Boyd Rice, David Tibet, AOS etc.
Mailorder
See the enclosed price list for details of how to order. Please note the following items have been deleted or are otherwise unavailable. Sorry! Tainted Love 12'; Anal Staircase 12'; How to Destroy Angels 12" on Laylah (new remixed CD version still available), Nightmare Culture 12'; The Snow DJ promo 12'; Windowpane DJ promo 12" (pic disc still available), and Hellraiser 10".
Threshold House Tel 081-742 7347 Fax 081-995 2961