This Mortal Coil

This Mortal Coil is a project of Ivo Watts-Russell, president of the British 4AD record label, which began in 1983. This Mortal Coil (TMC) is an example of a supergroup, and performers include members from bands on 4AD's roster, such as Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Colourbox, The Wolfgang Press, Dif Juz, X Mal Deutschland and Modern English. The records consist mostly of dark and moody interpretative cover versions of a wide variety of artists ranging from Big Star and Talking Heads to The Apartments and Tim Buckley. The group recorded three albums; It'll End in Tears, Filigree & Shadow and Blood. The group takes its name from Shakespeare. In particular Hamlet's soliloquy To be, or not to be, where it refers to dying; "coil" is used in its archaic sense of "disturbance, trouble": "What dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause." Hamlet, Act III, Scene 1, line 67. Discography * Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust EP (AD 310/1983) * Kangaroo/It'll end in tears EP (AD 410/1984) * It'll End in Tears (CAD 411/1984) * Filigree & Shadow (DAD 609/1986) * Come here my love/Drugs ltd. 10" (BAD 608/1986) * Blood (1991) * 1983-1991 (1993)