Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM
2220 Arts + Archives, Los Angeles
Dais Records and Dirty Looks present *The Coil Sex Tapes*! The “Video Nasties” was a tabloid campaign of moral panic across Britain in the 1980s, barring the sale of obscene images on home video. Softcore snuck by, however, if deemed “educational.” Basilisk Productions, known for their work with Derek Jarman, saw the loophole and roped in experimental music duo Coil (Jhon Balance and Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson) to soundtrack two sizzle reels that purport to train their viewer about safe sex and sensual massage. Dirty Looks is thrilled to partner with Coil’s stateside label, Dais, to co-present the tapes in their entirety: *The Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex* and *Sara Dale’s Sensual Massage: The Stroke of Pleasure*, followed by a DJ set from Dais co-founders Ryan Martin + Gibby Miller. - David Lewis, *The Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex*, VHS, 49mins., 1992 - David Lewis, *Sara Dale’s Sensual Massage: The Stroke of Pleasure*, VHS, 43mins., 1992 Few groups in recent history forged as confounding and alchemical a body of work as **Coil**, the partnership of Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson and John Balance. From album to album and phase to phase their recordings spelunk perplexing depths of esoteric industrial, occult electronics, and drugged poetry, both embodying and alienating parallel currents of their peers. The 1990's in particular were a fertile era for the duo, embracing chance, chaos, and collaboration, enhanced by recent advancements in synthesis and sampling. The bands roster also shifted during this time, including a variety of performers and players - among them Dais Records own Drew McDowall and Thighpaulsandra, who were key members of Coil during the 90s and early aughts until the tragic death of Balance in 2004. David Lewis was part of the stable at the production company Basilisk, founded by James MacKay. There, he assisted Derek Jarman in directing *The Garden* (1990) and *Blue* (1993). He currently works as an editor on British broadcast television programs, including Antiques Roadshow.