Geoffrey Nigel Laurence Rushton (16 February 1962 – 13 November 2004), better known under the pseudonyms John Balance or the later variation Jhonn Balance, was an English musician, occultist, artist and poet. He was best known as a co-founder of the experimental music group Coil, in collaboration with his partner Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson.. Coil was active from 1982 to Balance's death in 2004. He was responsible for the majority of Coil's vocals, lyrics and chants, along with synthesizers and various other instruments both commonplace and esoteric. Outside Coil he collaborated with Cultural Amnesia (at the beginning of the 1980s), Nurse with Wound,

Death in June Death in June are a neofolk group led by English musician Douglas P. (Douglas Pearce). The band was originally formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as a trio. However, after the other members left, in 1984 and 1985, to work on other projects, ...

Psychic TV Psychic TV (aka PTV or Psychick TV or several other aliases) were an English experimental music, experimental video art and music collective, formed by performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and Scottish musician Alex Fergusson (musician), Alex ...

Current 93 Current 93 are an English experimental music group, founded in 1982 by David Tibet. Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorte ...

Chris & Cosey Chris & Cosey, sometimes known as Carter Tutti, are a musical duo formed in 1981, consisting of couple Chris Carter (electronics) and Cosey Fanni Tutti (voice, electronics, guitar, cornet), both previously (and as of 2020 the sole surviving) ...

Thighpaulsandra Timothy Lewis – best known by the stage name Thighpaulsandra – is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist, known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. He began his career working with Julian Cope in the late ...

, and produced several

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...

remixes.

Early life and career

Balance was born Geoffrey Laurence Burton. He took the surname 'Rushton' from his stepfather. During his teens, Balance became acquainted with Christopherson as a fan of the latter's group

Throbbing Gristle Throbbing Gristle were an English music and visual arts group formed in Kingston upon Hull by Genesis P-Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, later joined by Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and Chris Carter. They are widely regarded as pioneers of in ...

. The duo were both members of

, Christopherson's next project after Throbbing Gristle. They eventually quit Psychic TV to form Coil. Balance was extremely active as a youth and in his early twenties. Apart from his early musical releases and involvement in bands before Coil, he published seven issues of a fanzine, ''

Stabmental ''Stabmental'' was a British DIY music and cultural fanzine published in the late 1970s and early 1980s covering industrial and postpunk music and the cassette scene. The moving force, main editor and writer of the publication was Geoffrey Rushton ...

'', and was a tireless correspondent with members of the alternative musical and cultural scene in the UK and also abroad. He also released three compilation albums of music by bands and artists about which he was enthusiastic: ''Endzeit'', ''Bethel'' and ''The Men with the Deadly Dreams''. The compilations are today collector's items and fetch high prices. Also from his youth, Balance was an avid occultist, maintaining a lifelong interest in the likes of

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley ( ; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, novelist, mountaineer, and painter. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pr ...

and

Austin Osman Spare Austin Osman Spare (30 December 1886 – 15 May 1956) was an English artist and occultism, occultist who worked as both a draughtsman and a painter. Influenced by Symbolism (arts), symbolism and Art Nouveau, his art was known for its clear use o ...

Death

On 13 November 2004, during a period of heavy drinking, Balance fell from a two-storey

balcony A balcony (from , "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. They are commonly found on multi-level houses, apartme ...

at his home and died that evening in the hospital. Peter Christopherson announced Balance's death on the

Threshold House Threshold House is one of several record labels created by Coil to release their own work and that of affiliated projects. Associated labels include Eskaton and Chalice. It is also the name for the official Coil website. The label was initi ...

website, and provided details surrounding the accident. Balance's memorial service was held near

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

on 23 November, and was attended by approximately 100 people. November 2014 saw the publication of a retrospective volume of his art called "Bright Lights and Cats with no Mouths" by Edition Timeless. Timeless published a further archival book of a collection of Balance's notebooks "The Cupboard under the Stars" edited by Claus Laufenburg in 2023.

Discography

Balance first recorded using the alias "Murderwerkers". The Murderwerkers track, "Blue Funk (Scars for E)", was included on the

Sterile Records Nocturnal Emissions is Nigel Ayers's sound art project that has released numerous records and CDs in music styles ranging from electro-acoustic, musique concrète, hybridised beats, sound collage, post- industrial music, ambient and noise mu ...

cassette compilation ''Standard Response''. Balance also published an underground

zine A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is, as noted on Merriam-Webster’s official website, a magazine that is a “noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject ...

, ''

'', and released a track, "A Thin Veil of Blood", also using the

nom de guerre A ''nom de guerre'' (, 'war name') is a pseudonym chosen by someone to use when they are involved in a particular activity, especially fighting in a war. In Ancien régime, ''ancien régime'' Kingdom of France, France it would be adopted by each n ...

Stabmental. "A Thin Veil of Blood" was included on the cassette compilation ''Deleted Funtime – Various Tunes for Various Loons''. Balance then joined up with Peter Christopherson and

Boyd Rice Boyd Blake Rice (born December 16, 1956) is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s. A pioneer of industrial music, Rice was one of the first artists to use a sampler and turntable as an instrum ...

to record '' Nightmare Culture'' under the

moniker A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

"The Sickness of Snakes". Balance subsequently joined

and performed alongside Christopherson; however in 1984, Balance and Christopherson left the group to develop Coil. A short collaboration with

Zos Kia ''Zos Kia'' (also credited as Zoskia) was a British musical group initially formed by John "Zos Kia" Gosling along with John Balance. This trio, along with Peter Christopherson on sound, and sometimes other guests, recorded and performed several ...

produced the split tape ''Transparent''. Credit for the album was shared, and marked Coil's first release. The original Coil / Zos Kia tape, ''Transparent'', was released as a "His-Storical" CD

reissue In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Reco ...

in 1997. During Coil's 23-year career, Balance collaborated with a number of his peers, including Jim Thirlwell/Clint Ruin (Foetus),

Marc Almond Peter Mark Almond (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist of the synth-pop/ new wave duo Soft Cell. He has a distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has had a diverse career as a ...

NON Non, non or NON can refer to: * ''Non'', a negatory word in French, Italian and Latin People *Non (given name) *Non Boonjumnong (born 1982), Thai amateur boxer * Rena Nōnen (born 1993), Japanese actress who uses the stage name "Non" since July ...

, and CoH; appearing on many of these artists' albums.

With Psychic TV

* ''

Dreams Less Sweet ''Dreams Less Sweet'' is the second studio album by English experimental music, experimental band Psychic TV, released in 1983. It was the last Psychic TV album to feature co-founder Peter Christopherson, Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson. Recordi ...

'' * '' Just Drifting'' * '' Berlin Atonal Vol. 2'' * '' N.Y. Scum'' * '' Mein-Goett-In-Gen''

With Coil

Other groups

* Murderwerkers: "Blue Funk (Scars for E)" on

compilation ''

Standard Response Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

''. (1979) * Stabmental: "A Thin Veil of Blood" on compilation '' Deleted Funtime - Various Tunes for Various Loons''. (1980) * Sickness of Snakes: '' Nightmare Culture'' (1985) * Rosa Mundi: "The Snow Man" on compilations '' The Final Solstice'', '' The Final Solstice II'' and split album ''Grief''. (1999)

Other contributions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balance, John 1962 births 2004 deaths 20th-century English LGBTQ people 20th-century English male singers 21st-century English LGBTQ people Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in England Alcohol-related deaths in England British noise musicians Cassette culture 1970s–1990s Chaos magicians Chapman Stick players Coil (band) members English experimental musicians English gay musicians English industrial musicians English LGBTQ singers English LGBTQ songwriters English male songwriters English modern pagans Gay singers Gay songwriters People from Mansfield Rosa Mundi (group) members