re:mote voices

Title: Restitution Of Decayed Intelligence
Artist: Coil
Label: Beta Lactem Ring

Restitution Of Decayed Intelligence would be one of the last releases by Coil before the sad death of John Balance in 2004. Balance being one of the two core and originating members along with Peter Christopherson. The limited edition 10" was released as part of the series of vinyl EPs from the Beta Lactem Ring label. An invocation of the more chaotic side of Coil, which perhaps suggests more of an influence of a label like Mego than the traditional material (Coil having played along side several Mego artists the one time I saw them live, at ATP 2003).

Bleeps establish Restitution Of Decayed Intelligence I, an electric bass triggered swirl, dotting the shifting coils. Stuttering trash detail, reminding more of Constant Shallowness Leads To Evil than Musick To Play In The Dark. Dark drawn out chatter, communicated in fractured sequence. Squealing, high streams flare, bringing a see saw rhythm in it's wake. Signifying an increasing sense of disorder, a chaotic sludge. An impression that mounts with the motion of these disparate building blocks. One of those pieces that doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense on first listen, but clicks with repeated play - particularly as the last 5 minutes of the 15 minute piece provide a certain level of coherence - the last couple of minutes even inducing flash backs to an earlier Coil influence.

There is a certain continuity with the start of Restitution Of Decayed Intelligence I and II initially, bringing the concluding the elements of the first together, extruding an electrically flecked stream. Voices fade in and out, filtered to give a computerised sheen of distortion. Plink and blip, whir and chatter - providing a more consistent and tighter construction.