Paul Haig - Coincidence Vs Fate and Cinematique

Coincidence Vs Fate and Cinematique

With the RoL album in limbo, Haig released an instrumental set of imaginary film themes through LTM, who had previously issued the Josef K back catalogue on CD. Cinematique appeared in September 1991 to glowing reviews, and comprised three distinct suites, being City of Fun (accomplished noir jazz), Lagondola (new age, almost) and Flashback (electronica). In 1993 the Right On Line album finally emerged as Coincidence Vs Fate on the Les Disques Du Crépuscule label, with two new tracks added.

Despite warm reviews, neither Cinematique nor Coincidence Vs Fate sold in great numbers, due in part to low-key press and distribution, and to Haig's ongoing reluctance to submit to self-promotion. By his own admission:

I just don't like playing live much. Maybe once every two years. It's a situation I can't handle. Up on stage it's very strange. It just seems an awkward situation to be in. You're on stage and there's all these people looking up at you. I can't help laughing at the thought of it. I just want to do it as little as possible. Other people love it. It only depends on what kind of person you are, if your ego can cope with it. Weird, eh?(Deadbeat, 1984)

With me it's quite simple. I just do my own thing and don't compromise for anybody. If you can do this and still succeed, that's perfect. New Order manage it - perverse and breaking all the rules - they just make records that sell. I hope I can fit in in my own way. There might be a place for people who have some sort of background, who have substance as opposed to being just another manufactured act. But apart from that I don't see where I would fit. I couldn't really define the sound. I don't think it's like anybody else. (Melody Maker, 1989)

It's just music and records. That's the main thing for me. I find the rest of it completely alien and uncomfortable. I'll just have to retire quite soon. Not retire from making music, just from all this promo kind of stuff. I just find it more and more ridiculous. Ideally I'd like to be involved in the background, and still make music but not to have to be seen or anything like that. I guess film music is the obvious area for that kind of thing. Or weird experimental records. (The Scotsman, 1990)

Since 1993 Haig has released two further volumes of Cinematique on his own RoL imprint, as well as several archive releases by the late Billy Mackenzie. Memory Palace (1999) compiled a number of tracks recorded as joint demos by the pair, as well as the tribute "Listen to Me", while RoL also released albums by Skyline and Subterraneans. By the end of 2001 pretty much all of Paul Haig's back catalogue was commercially unavailable - with the exception of his work with Josef K.