Dear Coil Friends

This is John Balance.

As some of you may know Im back in circulation. Im writing to thank everyone for their support of Sleazy and myself over the recent weeks.About 8 weeks ago I went back into a treatment centre for further therapy for alcohol abuse. It was in Surrey in the UK right under the flightpath of the planes landing for Gatwick airport.I was booked in for the minimum stay of 6 weeks, but didn't get on there and left after 3 1/2 weeks.I escaped. I havn't drunk since and am feeling really very good about things. Energised and enthusiastic and focused.

I thank everyone who send their regards and best wishes. You can't imagine how humble and happy I felt to read all yr messages.It was fantastic.

What are COIL up to?

Well, we are doing a new ELpH album for early Autumn. We are releasing the track "Heartworms" as part of a mini-album/long single with tracks by Current 93, Nurse With Wound and another Pete Bog/ Steven Stapleton track." Blue Rats "is being put out as a single by a label called Twin Tub and Beaver.We still have to edit the new Nothing album, which has been held up for countless reasons. We are working out and negotiating with various remixer friends and aquaintances to do stuff for the remix album we hope will spin off from the Nothing album.I've taken in what various people have said and I am thinking of sticking with and using the title "International Dark Skies" for this project.I'm not letting a bad TV program change my vision of the world. We are releasing the original COIL / Zos Kia tape "Transparent" as a CD His-Storical re-issue. I've been in touch with John Gosling and he's behind the project too.A CD called Time Machines is due for release on the Eskaton label. This mysterious and extremely minimal release has been lined up for some time while we mused and pondered its place in our lives.

Bill Breeze has joined COIL as an official member. Now we are 4. A fragile, magickal stability We are extremely pleased and honoured that he said yes. Mr Breeze astounded me with his electric viola playing when he came and recorded a piece with us the day after the London Current 93 concert.We were due to record more material anyway but this announcement marks a new creative and expansive phase for COIL.

OK Thats it for now. Back to making beetroot soup.

Blessings and greetings with LOVE

John Balance