WINTER SOLSTICE: NORTH

WINTER SOLSTICE is the fourth edition in the Season series of limited edition Equinox/Solstice releases by the bizarre experimental electronic act COIL. Unlike the other three seasons that were released in 1998, this one was delayed and came out in 1999. It was initially released limited to 1000 copies on clear vinyl with another 45 signed copies on fluorescent orange vinyl. A second pressing of 300 copies was released on white vinyl. The original vinyl releases contained only the two tracks "A White Rainbow" and "Christmas Is Drawing Near" while the CD versions added the two extra tracks "North" and "Magnetic North." This Season along with the other three CD versions can all be found together on the compilation "Moon's Milk (In Four Phases)"

"A White Rainbow" initiates a industrial drone sound that slightly slides up and down in pitch and then is joined in by an irregular percussive beat and an almost folky type synthesized lick and sung vocals in the foreground with an echo effect of background vocals. This one reminds me of Dead Can Dance in many ways. It has a very strange mix of folk elements and electronica

"North" is focused on creating a harsh ambient background. It almost sounds like a helicopter. A sinister organ slowly joins in and becomes dominant. This is a bizarre dungeon synth track with a steady rhythmic pulse and what sounds like processed vocals shrieking out from the abyss. The vocals become less process and more intelligible while the undulating rhythm pulse continues to stomp about like a mammoth on the frozen tundra

"Magnetic North" is a much calmer track with placid keyboards lulling ambience and spoken poetry. The drone keeps an eerie feel as the poetry becomes more forceful. This is in fact nothing more than ambient backed spoken word poetry that goes on far too long

"Christmas Is Now Drawing Near." While nothing surprises the listener when listening to the surreal musical world of COIL, no one would expect a traditional Catholic Christmas song from them! This one features the extra vocal contributions of Rosa McDowall and Robert Lee. Despite this one being a traditional COIL manages to give it their own personalized freaky feel however this is probably one of the least bizarre tracks on all of the Seasons releases. This one reminds me more of a Loreena McKennitt song than COIL because of the Celtic folk feel but what the hey