Coil – Moon’s Milk (In Four Phases) (Clear 3LP Vinyl)

Coil’s “Moon’s Milk (In Four Phases)” is a sprawling work, a compilation of four EPs released seasonally in 1998 and brought together as a double album in 2002. It captures the band at a turning point, venturing deeper into improvisation and sound exploration. Recorded on the cusp of a move from London to a seaside town, the album has a sense of both culmination and new beginnings.

Structured around the equinoxes and solstices, “Moon’s Milk” reflects the cyclical nature of time and the natural world. The music itself is a tapestry of strangeness, weaving together dark ambient soundscapes with moments of surprising beauty and unsettling dissonance. It’s a journey through experimentation, where industrial throbs meet whispered vocals and manipulated samples create a dreamlike yet unsettling atmosphere.

Considered a landmark in Coil’s discography, “Moon’s Milk” is not for the faint of heart. It’s a challenging and rewarding listen, a testament to the band’s ability to push boundaries and create music that is both unsettling and strangely alluring.