David Keenan: England's Hidden Reverse: A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground

COIL is the most important to me, especially because it’s more a vehicle for my personal ideas – through the lyrics and the ideas I put into songs – but Sleazy contributes so much in this respect too. As we live together, we know exactly what to do as COIL – it just happens.If we disagree then it never reaches the public. We cannot afford to dilute our ideas; we do everything we want. we record the music we would like to hear as far as you possibly can do that. When we work on a song we don’t think about – should we make it more so and so to try and please any particular type of person. Sometimes we play around with peoples expectations, I think, but to remain pure we indulge ourselves at the beginning. It’s the only way.
CURRENT 93 is essentially David Tibet 93’s group. When I work on stuff with him, I add my own ideas, but Tibet has the last,final – overall say; and I like to work like that sometimes as with COIL I feel so much responsibility at every stage , from soundsamples byse to the lettering on an album innersleeve or whatever. CURRENT 93 is essentially Tibets mind – in action – manifesting its dark and intricate interior outwards onto the European cultural arena. COIL is my vehicle for my perverted little nightmares which for some unexplained reason I feel I have to share with everyone I can get to listen. COIL is perhaps a more stable group. Now there are 3 of us.Me, Sleazy and Steve Wyndham (Thrower), who was a temporary member for SCATOLOGY but who has now joined properly. Not that we sign papers or anything. But we all feel more of a solid entity to confront people with.With common aims and ideals.
I like to collaborate with others i.e. Boyd Rice was great to work with on NIGHTMARE CULTURE. We like to introduce a few selected people because it makes for interest while you can actually record – and you get fresh viewpoints – a new colour scheme in the usual permutations!!
- John Balance