“It’s just a phase we’re going through.”
I doubt if there’s a more fitting time to talk about Coil’s magnificent octopus magnum opus, Musick to Play in the Dark. From October to December, there’s just this brilliant atmosphere to everything, one that makes me feel like I’m in a Ray Bradbury novel. As well as this, it’s Halloween tomorrow (yay), and I can’t think of a better album to listen to than this one on such a night. (Of course, I don’t actually own a copy of this album, since it’s a super-duper limited edition, so unless you’re a billionaire or really lucky, you’re just going to have to go to Youtube in order to hear it.)
Coil describes Musick to Play in the Dark as “moon music”. I haven’t really listened to a lot of Coil’s stuff apart from this and its sequel album (Musick to Play in the Dark Volume 2), but it’s meant to be a departure from their earlier, ”solar” style of music. ”Moon music” is certainly a fitting description; there’s only six songs on it, but each one is an atmospheric, nocturnal masterpiece. When I reviewed QueenAdreena’s album Taxidermy, Imentioned that it was perfect for listening to alone in a dark room, and the same can definitely be said of MTPITD. (Actually, it’s kind of mandatory, given the title.) Listening to it, I can actually feel the moonlight.
Musick to Play in the Dark is not about cheap scares. I always admire people who can convey darkness in such a subtle way, and for the most part, Coil does this expertly. In fact, most of the songs are really quite soothing, slow-paced and hushing, with just the hint of some unsettling element to them. Red Birds is a wonderful dark ambient piece, similar to Tumeurs by Prothese, or Mitternacht by Kraftwerk, while Red Queen and Are You Shivering are truly haunting. As for The Dreamer Is Still Asleep (which is probably the most well-known song from the album), it is an oneiric lullaby, inspired by the poet William Blake. Of course, not everything about MTPITD is perfect. I think that the title is kind of silly (spelling the word “music” with a k is just so much more mystical and mysterious, I guess), and there are times when the songs don’t quite achieve their desired mood, but for the most part it’s well worth listening to. 4/5
