From this point onwards, Cope began to take greater personal control of his career and business affairs. While he continued to sign contracts with established record labels, he would begin to release more esoteric projects independently. The first of these projects (issued on Cope's own K.A.K. label) was a collaboration with Donald Ross Skinner: an album of instrumental jams called "Rite", inspired by Krautrock, Sly Stone-styled psychedelic funk and spiritual mysticism. Cope also took the opportunity to issue "The Skellington Chronicles" (an expanded version of "Skellington" along with a follow-up album in the same vein called "Skellington 2: He's Back ... and this time it's personal") and would record a number of tracks released eighteen years later as 2011's "The Jehovahcoat Demos". During this period, Cope began his work as a writer, completing the first volume of his autobiography and beginning to research works on Krautrock and Neolithic architecture.