John Balance
Encyclopedia
John Balance born in Mansfield, England
, was the founder of the experimental music group Coil
, along with his partner Peter Christopherson
. He was responsible for vocals, lyrics, chants, synthetics and various esoteric sound-making instruments and devices. Outside of Coil he collaborated with Nurse with Wound
, Death in June
, Psychic TV
, Current 93
and Thighpaulsandra
, and produced several Nine Inch Nails
remixes. His early work and wide-ranging collaborations made him one of the most influential figures in the industrial
, experimental minimalist and neofolk
music scenes.
Balance died on 13 November 2004, after falling from a first floor landing in his home. Peter Christopherson announced Balance's death on the Threshold House website, and provided details surrounding the tragedy. Balance's memorial service was held near Bristol on 23 November, and was attended by approximately 100 people.
cassette compilation Standard Response. Balance also published a magazine called Stabmental, and released a track titled, "A Thin Veil of Blood" under the alias Stabmental, on the cassette compilation Deleted Funtime - Various Tunes for Various Loons. Balance then joined up with Peter Christopherson and Boyd Rice
recording Nightmare Culture
under the alias "The Sickness of Snakes" and performed alongside Christopherson in Psychic TV
before the duo formed Coil. A short collaboration with Zos Kia
produced the album Transparent
. Credit for the album was shared, and marked Coil's first release.
During the 23 year career of Coil, Balance collaborated with many other artists such as Thighpaulsandra
, Current 93
, and CoH
, appearing on many albums other than Coil's.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was the founder of the experimental music group Coil
Coil (band)
Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
, along with his partner Peter Christopherson
Peter Christopherson
Peter Martin Christopherson, a.k.a. Sleazy was a musician, video director and designer, and former member of the influential British design agency Hipgnosis....
. He was responsible for vocals, lyrics, chants, synthetics and various esoteric sound-making instruments and devices. Outside of Coil he collaborated with Nurse with Wound
Nurse with Wound
Nurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak...
, Death in June
Death in June
Death in June are a neofolk group led by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P. The band was originally formed in Britain in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the group became the work of Douglas P. and various...
, Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
, Current 93
Current 93
Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on...
and Thighpaulsandra
Thighpaulsandra
Thighpaulsandra is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. As Tim Lewis, he began his career working with Julian Cope. A collaboration with Cope in 1993 followed, as the experimental duo Queen Elizabeth...
, and produced several Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
remixes. His early work and wide-ranging collaborations made him one of the most influential figures in the industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
, experimental minimalist and neofolk
Neofolk
Neofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
music scenes.
Balance died on 13 November 2004, after falling from a first floor landing in his home. Peter Christopherson announced Balance's death on the Threshold House website, and provided details surrounding the tragedy. Balance's memorial service was held near Bristol on 23 November, and was attended by approximately 100 people.
Discography
Balance's first known track is under the alias "Merderwerkers" titled "Blue Funk (Scars for E)" on the Sterile RecordsSterile Records
The Sterile Records record label was formed in London in 1979 by Nigel Ayers and Caroline K of the post-industrial music group Nocturnal Emissions. With a background in the mail art networks, their intention was to create and promote a new form of music...
cassette compilation Standard Response. Balance also published a magazine called Stabmental, and released a track titled, "A Thin Veil of Blood" under the alias Stabmental, on the cassette compilation Deleted Funtime - Various Tunes for Various Loons. Balance then joined up with Peter Christopherson and Boyd Rice
Boyd Rice
Boyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
recording Nightmare Culture
Nightmare Culture
Nightmare Culture was a 12" split vinyl by Current 93 and Sickness Of Snakes. This was the only release for "Sickness Of Snakes" as members John Balance and Peter Christopherson formed Coil by the time this record was originally pressed...
under the alias "The Sickness of Snakes" and performed alongside Christopherson in Psychic TV
Psychic TV
Psychic TV or PTV, is a video art and music group that primarily performs psychedelic, punk, electronic and experimental music...
before the duo formed Coil. A short collaboration with Zos Kia
Zos Kia
Zos Kia was a British musical group initially formed by John "Zos Kia" Gosling along with John Balance and Min...
produced the album Transparent
Transparent (album)
Transparent is the first release by the band Coil. It was a collaboration with Zos Kia and credited to "Zos Kia/Coil".The cassette version was released in 1984 on Nekrophile Rekords with catalogue number NRC 05. The CD version was released in 1997 on the label "Threshold House" with catalogue...
. Credit for the album was shared, and marked Coil's first release.
During the 23 year career of Coil, Balance collaborated with many other artists such as Thighpaulsandra
Thighpaulsandra
Thighpaulsandra is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. As Tim Lewis, he began his career working with Julian Cope. A collaboration with Cope in 1993 followed, as the experimental duo Queen Elizabeth...
, Current 93
Current 93
Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on...
, and CoH
CoH (musician)
CoH is the musical alias of Ivan Pavlov , a Russian-born sound artist and engineer. He has lived in Sweden since 1995. After Pavlov moved to Sweden, he adopted the alias CoH which can be read in Cyrillic as well as in Latin alphabet and means in Russian sleep or dream...
, appearing on many albums other than Coil's.
With Psychic TV
- Dreams Less SweetDreams Less SweetDreams Less Sweet is the second proper album by Psychic TV. The album was released in Holophonic sound.-1983 12" vinyl pressing:Side A:#"Hymn 23"#*Synthesizer : Andrew Poppy#"The Orchids"#*Oboe: Jessica Ilbert#"Botanica"#"Iron Glove"...
- Just DriftingJust DriftingJust Drifting is a single by Psychic TV for their album Force The Hand Of Chance. It was on 7" and 12" vinyl.The B-side run-out groove reads: BREAKTHROUGH IN THE GREY ROOM.-Personnel:...
- Berlin Atonal Vol. 2Berlin Atonal Vol. 2Berlin Atonal Vol. 2 is a split 12" vinyl between Psychic TV and La Loora.Both sides are live performances. The Psychic TV set came from their performance on December 2, 1983. The rest of the Psychic TV set from this date can be found on Berlin Atonal Vol...
- N.Y. ScumN.Y. ScumN.Y. Scum is a live album by Psychic TV. The album was released as a 12" vinyl record in a limited edition of 5,000 copies. It was later released on CD along with a performance in Tokyo performance as Thee City Ov Tokyo/Thee City Ov New York....
- Thee City ov Tokyo/Thee City ov New YorkThee City Ov Tokyo/Thee City Ov New YorkThee City ov Tokyo/Thee City ov New York is a live album by Psychic TV which combines two concerts on a single disc. The New York concert was originally released on N.Y...
- Mein-Goett-In-GenMein-Goett-In-GenMein*Goett*In*Gen is a live CD album by Psychic TV.Tracks 1 was recorded live in Gottingen, Germany on May 17, 1984. Tracks 2 was recorded at the Berlin Atonal Festival, Germany on December 2, 1983....
Other groups
- Merderwerkers: "Blue Funk (Scars for E)" on Sterile RecordsSterile RecordsThe Sterile Records record label was formed in London in 1979 by Nigel Ayers and Caroline K of the post-industrial music group Nocturnal Emissions. With a background in the mail art networks, their intention was to create and promote a new form of music...
compilation Standard Response. (1979) - Stabmental: "A Thin Veil of Blood" on compilation Deleted Funtime - Various Tunes for Various Loons. (1980)
- Sickness of Snakes: Nightmare CultureNightmare CultureNightmare Culture was a 12" split vinyl by Current 93 and Sickness Of Snakes. This was the only release for "Sickness Of Snakes" as members John Balance and Peter Christopherson formed Coil by the time this record was originally pressed...
(1985) - Rosa MundiRosa MundiRosa Mundi was the name of a very short lived electronic music supergroup which consisted of Rose McDowall, John Balance and possibly Peter Christopherson. The group is only credited for one song, "The Snow Man" which appeared on the compilations The Final Solstice, The Final Solstice II as well as...
: "The Snow Man" on compilations The Final Solstice, The Final Solstice II and split album Grief. (1999)
Other contributions
| Date of first pressing | Song title | Released on | Group name released under | Musical Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Yellowsong" | Video Rideo | Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia are an English post-punk music group, first active between 1979 and 1983 as participants in the so-called cassette culture of the late 1970s and early 1980s in the UK... |
organ and violin |
| 1982 | Endzeit | (various) | compiled songs on compilation | |
| 1983 | "Here to Go" | Sinclair's Luck | Cultural Amnesia | wrote lyrics, also designed packaging and sleeve notes for album |
| 1983 | "Scar for E" | The Uncle of the Boot | Cultural Amnesia | wrote lyrics |
| 1983 | Music for Hashashins | Vagina Dentata Organ | created wolf growl sample (along with Peter Christopherson) and helped in the recording process of the album | |
| 1984 January | LAShTAL LAShTAL LAShTAL is the second release by Current 93, the first Mi-Mort was a split-album. The album features musicians Fritz Häaman and John Balance in addition to the primary Current 93 member David Tibet... |
Current 93 Current 93 Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on... |
featuring | |
| 1985 | Bar Maldoror | Current 93 | bass guitar, miscellaneous | |
| 1985 | Live at Bar Maldoror: Gyllensköld, Geijerstam And Friends | Nurse with Wound Nurse with Wound Nurse with Wound is the main recording name for British musician Steven Stapleton. Nurse with Wound was originally a band, formed in 1978 by Stapleton, John Fothergill and Heman Pathak... |
featuring | |
| 1985 | The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion is an album by Nurse With Wound.In his book "England's Hidden Reverse", David Keenan describes the album as "some light relief in the early Nurse catalogue". Steven Stapleton told Keenan "I wanted to make a record that was stolen from other people's records"... |
Nurse with Wound | featuring | |
| 1986 | Happy Birthday Pigface Christus | Current 93 | featuring | |
| 1986 | In Menstrual Night | Current 93 | featuring | |
| 1987 | "Europa: The Gates of Heaven" | To Drown a Rose To Drown A Rose To Drown A Rose is a single by Death in June. Additional music performers include: Christ 777, Douglas P., Gary Carey, Jan O', John Balance, Rose McDowall. The vinyl has the phrases "Our time has been..." and "....and will be again" scratched into it... |
Death in June | vocals |
| 1987 | "We Are The Lust" | Brown Book Brown Book (album) Brown Book is an album by Death In June, released in 1987.- Side 1 :# "Heilige Tod"# "Touch Defiles"# "Hail! The White Grain"# "Runes and Men"# "To Drown a Rose"# "Red Dog - Black Dog"- Side 2 :# "In the Fog of the World"# "We Are the Lust"... |
Death in June | co-wrote and appears on track |
| 1987 | Dawn Dawn (Current 93 album) Dawn is an album by the English group Current 93. It is among the earlier releases of Current 93 and has a more industrial sound, compared to the band's current apocalyptic folk sound. Originally released in 1987 as an LP on the Maldoror label, it was reissued in 1989 on CD by Durtro. This reissue... |
Current 93 | bass guitar, miscellaneous | |
| 1987 | Imperium Imperium (album) Imperium is an album by the English group Current 93. It was made during a musical style shift between the earlier industrial sound of Current 93 and the current more neofolk inspired. It was originally released as an LP in 1987 on the Maldoror label, but in 1992 it was also released as a CD on... |
Current 93 | ||
| 1988 | Earth Covers Earth | Current 93 | performer | |
| 1988 | "Anti-Christ Anti-Christian" | Peyrere | Current 93 | performer |
| 1988 | Swastikas for Noddy Swastikas For Noddy Swastikas for Noddy is a 1988 album by English music group Current 93.The lineup for the recording was: David Tibet, Steven Stapleton, Jhon Balance, Rose McDowall, Boyd Rice, HÖH, Ian Read, Freya Aswynn, and Douglas P., Gary Carey and Bee.... |
Current 93 | featuring | |
| 1988 | The Red Face of God | Current 93 | featuring | |
| 1989 | Crooked Crosses for the Nodding God Crooked Crosses for the Nodding God Crooked Crosses for the Nodding God is an album by the English group Current 93. The album contains music reworked and rerecorded from their 1988 album Swastikas for Noddy.-Track listing:# "He Is Everywhere Nowhere" - 2:55# "Northforth" - 0:38... |
Current 93 | vocals | |
| 1991 | A Document of Early Acoustic & Tactical Experimentation | Lustmord Lustmord Brian Williams is a British electronic musician often credited for creating the dark ambient genre with albums recorded under the name Lustmord.- History :Williams started recording as Lustmord in 1980 before joining SPK in 1982... |
featuring | |
| 1992 | "LAShTAL", "Salt" | Nature Unveiled Nature Unveiled -Pressing:*1984 12" 1000 black vinyl in regular sleeve *1984 12" 1000 black vinyl in regular sleeve -Pressing:*1984 12" 1000 black vinyl in regular sleeve (L.A.Y.L.A.H. Antirecords LAY4)*1984 12" 1000 black vinyl in regular sleeve (2nd pressing) -Pressing:*1984 12" 1000 black vinyl in regular... |
Current 93 | performer |
| 1992 | "All the Stars Are Dead Now", "Rosy Star Tears from Heaven" | Thunder Perfect Mind | Current 93 | vocals |
| 1993 | The Nodding Folk The Nodding Folk The Nodding Folk was the name of an industrial music supergroup with members David Tibet, James Mannox, John Balance, Peter Christopherson, Sam Mannox-Wood, Simon Norris, and Steven Stapleton from the groups Current 93, Spasm, Nurse with Wound, Cyclobe and Coil... |
The Apocalyptic Folk in the Nodding God Unveiled | ||
| 1993 | "Great Black Time I (Excerpt)", "Sucking Up Souls (Excerpt)", "Great Black Time II (Excerpt)", "Great Black Time III (Excerpt)", "Maldoror Is Ded Ded Ded Ded" | Emblems: The Menstrual Years | Current 93 | featuring |
| 1993 | "Hitler As Kalki (SDM)", "Christ and the Pale Queens Mighty in Sorrow" | Hitler As Kalki | Current 93 | featuring |
| 1994 | "Lucifer Over London Parts I & II" | Lucifer Over London | Current 93 | vocals |
| 1995 | "Where the Long Shadows Fall (Beforetheinmostlight)" | Where the Long Shadows Fall (Beforetheinmostlight) Where The Long Shadows Fall (Beforetheinmostlight) Where The Long Shadows Fall is an EP by English band Current 93. It forms the first part of the Inmost Light trilogy; the second being 1996's All The Pretty Little Horses: The Inmost Light and the last being 1996's The Starres Are Marching Sadly Home ... |
Current 93 | vocals |
| 1996 | "The Long Shadow Falls", "Twilight Twilight Nihil Nihil", "The Inmost Light Itself" | All the Pretty Little Horses All the Pretty Little Horses All the Pretty Little Horses: The Inmost Light is an album by English band Current 93. It forms the second part of the Inmost Light trilogy; the first being 1995's Where the Long Shadows Fall and the last being 1996's The Starres Are Marching Sadly Home ... |
Current 93 | vocals |
| 1998 | "To Drown a Rose" | Kameradschaft Kameradschaft Comradeship is a dramatic film with socialist overtones directed by German director Georg Wilhelm Pabst. The French-German co-production drama is noted for combining expressionism and realism .... |
Death in June | provides vocals, this is an outtake version of the song |
| 1999 | "Grief" | Borderlands | Tactile | provides vocals |
| 1999 | "The Snow Man" | The Final Solstice | Rosa Mundi Rosa Mundi Rosa Mundi was the name of a very short lived electronic music supergroup which consisted of Rose McDowall, John Balance and possibly Peter Christopherson. The group is only credited for one song, "The Snow Man" which appeared on the compilations The Final Solstice, The Final Solstice II as well as... |
provides vocals |
| 1999 | "Lucifer Over London" | Calling for Vanished Faces | Current 93 | vocals |
| 1999 | "Misery Farm" | Misery Farm | Current 93 | featuring |
| 2000 | "Silence Is Golden" | Vox Tinnitus | CoH CoH (musician) CoH is the musical alias of Ivan Pavlov , a Russian-born sound artist and engineer. He has lived in Sweden since 1995. After Pavlov moved to Sweden, he adopted the alias CoH which can be read in Cyrillic as well as in Latin alphabet and means in Russian sleep or dream... |
wrote lyrics |
| 2000 March 1 | "Black Nurse", "Tudor Fruits" | Some Head EP Some Head EP Some Head is the first release by Thighpaulsandra. The CD was released via Coil's label Eskaton. The EP was limited to 1000 copies and was packaged in a black clamshell case.- Track listing :All tracks by Thighpaulsandra.# "Black Nurse" – 16:23... |
Thighpaulsandra Thighpaulsandra Thighpaulsandra is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. As Tim Lewis, he began his career working with Julian Cope. A collaboration with Cope in 1993 followed, as the experimental duo Queen Elizabeth... |
vocals |
| 2001 | "Love's Septic Domain (Health & Deficiency)" | Love Uncut Love Uncut Love Uncut is a CD EP by CoH released in 2000 on Coil's Eskaton label, and features Coil members John Balance and Peter Christopherson as well as a Cyclobe member Stephen Thrower.-Track listing:#"My Angel [Director's Cut]"... |
CoH | provides vocals, duet with Louise Weasel |
| 2001 | Cats Drunk On Copper Cats Drunk on Copper Cats Drunk on Copper is a live CD album by Current 93. David Tibet is the only official member of Current 93; he was accompanied by the following performers during the Current 93 act: John Balance, Joolie Wood, Karl Blake, Michael Cashmore, Rose McDowall.... |
Current 93 | featuring | |
| 2001 August 6 | Fouled | The Michel Publicity Window E.P. The Michel Publicity Window E.P. The Michel Publicity Window E.P. is a CD by Thighpaulsandra. The title track is a radio-friendly edit of the 27-minute epic from I, Thighpaulsandra, excising the ambient suites that bookend the rock midsection. The rest of the EP features forays into electronica and hard rock, and remains... |
Thighpaulsandra | "vocals and text", album art |
| 2001 | Optical Black | I, Thighpaulsandra I, Thighpaulsandra I, Thighpaulsandra is the debut album by Thighpaulsandra. I showcased Thighpaulsandra's interests in krautrock, experimental and industrial music and featured his only single to date, "Michel Publicity Window"... |
Thighpaulsandra | "vocals and text" |
| 2003 June 23 | "He Tastes of the Sea" | Double Vulgar Double Vulgar Double Vulgar is the second album by Thighpaulsandra. The album is notable for its packaging: the artwork consists of sexually explicit, homoerotic imagery featuring bondage and edgeplay, and was initially refused by several printers... |
Thighpaulsandra | featuring |
| 2004 | "Lucifer Over London" | Sixsixsix Sicksicksick | Current 93 | vocals |
| 2004 | "E2 = Tree 3" | Toilet Chants | Black Sun Productions Black Sun Productions Black Sun Productions is the project of sound, visual and performance artists & activists Massimo & Pierce.-Biography:Black Sun Productions is the project of sound, visual and performance "artivists" Massimo & Pierce, also known as the Anarcocks.... |
provides vocals |
| 2005 | "Fj Nettlefold", "Make Room for the Mushrooms" | A Nature of Nonsense | Aural Rage Danny Hyde Danny Hyde is an experimental musician and renowned remix artist. Hyde has contributed to production and mixing on many Coil albums, including Horse Rotorvator, Love's Secret Domain, The Remote Viewer, Black Antlers, and The New Backwards. Hyde has also worked with Psychic TV and Pop Will Eat Itself... |
vocals, written by |
| 2005 | "A List of Wishes" | operettAmorale | Black Sun Productions Black Sun Productions Black Sun Productions is the project of sound, visual and performance artists & activists Massimo & Pierce.-Biography:Black Sun Productions is the project of sound, visual and performance "artivists" Massimo & Pierce, also known as the Anarcocks.... |
vocals |
| 2005 December 23 | "Christ's Teeth" | ...It Just Is | Thighpaulsandra | vocals |
| 2006 February | "Star Malloy" | Not Alone | Thighpaulsandra | ARP 2600 ARP 2600 The ARP 2600 is a semi-modular analog subtractive audio synthesizer, designed by Alan R. Pearlman , and manufactured by his company, ARP Instruments, Inc... synthesizer |
| 2006 July 1 | "A Tree Now" | The Impossibility of Silence The Impossibility of Silence The Impossibility of Silence is a CD studio album by Black Sun Productions, released by Old Europa Cafe in 2006 and produced by Massimo & Pierce.... |
Black Sun Productions Black Sun Productions Black Sun Productions is the project of sound, visual and performance artists & activists Massimo & Pierce.-Biography:Black Sun Productions is the project of sound, visual and performance "artivists" Massimo & Pierce, also known as the Anarcocks.... |
provides vocals (howling) |
| 2007 July | "Fetish for Today", "Scars for E", "Here to Go" | Enormous Savages | Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia are an English post-punk music group, first active between 1979 and 1983 as participants in the so-called cassette culture of the late 1970s and early 1980s in the UK... |
wrote lyrics |
| 2007 November | "Hot in the House", "Scars for E (alternate take 2)", "Spoilt Children" | Press My Hungry Button | Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia are an English post-punk music group, first active between 1979 and 1983 as participants in the so-called cassette culture of the late 1970s and early 1980s in the UK... |
wrote lyrics, album cover features sleeve notes by Balance dating from 1983 |
| 2007 November | "Scars for E (alternate take 1)" | Still Hungry | Cultural Amnesia | wrote lyrics |
| 2009 May | "Fetish for Today", "Scars for E", "Here to Go" | Enormous Savages Enlarged | Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia Cultural Amnesia are an English post-punk music group, first active between 1979 and 1983 as participants in the so-called cassette culture of the late 1970s and early 1980s in the UK... |
wrote lyrics |