COIL – Astral Disaster – Second Edition (Prescription Edition) CD

Product Description

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS SECOND EDITION HAS A DIFFERENT CAT NO AND BARCODE TO THE BLACK ONE. THE BLACK ONE IS NOW DELETED.

This second edition in a grey digipack is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies.

“Coil descended into the bowels of the Sun Dial studios, surrounded by manacles and chains under the level of the River Thames in the Ancient Borough of Southwark, to commit what would become one of their most possessing sides. Astral Disaster was the result: two correlating hemispheres channelling, meditative, eastern raga drone with sage-like poetry and electro-acoustic phantasmagorias, projecting a plasmic miasma of pharmaceutical shimmer and surreality that’s pretty much arch Coil. If there’s any one big reason you need it, though, that would be the amazing B-side, The Mothership and The Fatherland, framing creaking wooden drums and the gibber-chin shivers of swarming, translucent studio duppies in a diaphanous soundfield of freefall ambient atmospheres—basically the sound of ketamine in the ‘90s. Makes us want to melt. Massive recommendation!” —Boomkat

In 1998, Coil were invited to record at Sun Dial’s studios beneath the London Bridge Hop Exchange—a studio originally know as Samurai Studios, originally built and owned by Iron Maiden. The premises in Victorian times was an old debtors prison which had three underground levels, and still had the original chains, manacles and wrought iron doors from the old prison. This caught the attention of John Balance, who was very keen to record there. Coil spent a number of days recording at the studio during Halloween 1998. With Gary Ramon’s help, they developed a number of tracks, some of which resulted in this LP. Ramon produced and mixed the “Astral Disaster” recordings, as well as playing guitar and sitar on these sessions. A version of the album was later remixed by the band and released on their own label—but the Prescription mixes as released in 1999 are unique.

This is the first time the album is being released in any digital format. These rare recordings were part of the legendary subscription-only Prescription label album series in the late 1990’s, issued in an edition of 99 signed and numbered vinyl copies, long since sold out. (If you are wondering, originals fetch £700+). Taken from the original masters, this digipack reissue includes original sleeve artwork, eight page art booklet, and the facsimile signatures of John Balance and Peter Christopherson that came with the LP release.

•Possibly the rarest of all Coil recordings

•Recorded in 1998 at Sun Dial studios, in the bowels of a Victorian era debtor’s prison

Tracks:
01. The Sea Priestess
02. 2nd Son Syndrome
03. I Don’t Want To Be The One
04. The Avatars
05. The Mothership and the Fatherland

Prescription Edition DRUG CD R82 / LION