Artist Spotlight: Meet Coma Beach
Can you talk about any specific themes or motifs that run throughout 'Passion/Bliss?'
‘Passion/Bliss’ is the third and final installment in our ‘Scapegoat Revisited’ EP triptych celebrating the 30th anniversary of our debut album ‘The Scapegoat's Agony’ (1995). The album title is an allusion to the play "Waiting for Godot" by Irish playwright and novelist Samuel Beckett and points towards the – for the most part – painful and excruciating emotional odyssey of the unnamed antihero.
The trials and tribulations that this antihero has to endure lie at the very heart of the major narrative that runs through both our album and our EP trilogy. Some of those trials include our antihero struggling with his total lack of emotional well-being (“Passion”), his being plagued by apocalyptic visions of a world doomed to repeat the same vicious cycles over and over again (“Bliss”) or – still in the clutches of his complete mental breakdown – his assuming the treacherous persona of a Christ-like would-be saviour (“Astray (Fallen Angel)”).
Whereas “Nothing Right” revolves around our antihero coming to grips with his past and present failures and regrets, “The Final Door” strikes a more vengeful tone, with him envisioning his alleged abusers being subjected to some kind of karmic punishment at the hands of seemingly unstoppable infernal forces. All in all, it could
probably be argued that our album as well as our EP trilogy offer, as one reviewer put it quite succinctly, an “unflinching exploration of the human condition.”
Were there any moments in the recording process where you knew you had something special?
Since the actual recording took place back in 1995, it's not easy to remember all the particulars. What I do recall very vividly is the fact that after we had a major falling out with the owners of our first recording studio (who were basically trying to rip us off without making much of an effort to produce even a half-decent record), we somehow managed to channel all of our frustration and righteous anger into recording our songs in a new studio very quickly and very aggressively (only performance-wise, of course, because we actually got along very well with our new duo of producers).
Which song(s) from 'Passion/Bliss' do you think best represents your artistic vision?
All five songs on this EP are parts of a larger narrative, as already mentioned above, so playing favourites here might prove to be a little difficult. However, for the punch it packs and for its anthemic in-your-faceness, the choice here would probably have to be “Nothing Right;” also because this track was not only one of our first true punk rock songs, but it epitomizes the EPs duality of existential despair and righteous fury at the innumerable injustices dished out by a seemingly cruel universe.
“Passion,” on the other hand, is a clear manifestation of our post-punk/dark wave roots with its labyrinthine structure and its blend of melancholy moodiness and defiant outbursts, the latter of which again pointing towards our punk rock influences.
Is there a specific show that holds a special place in your band's history?
Although our days of touring lie in the distant past already, there are still some shows that come to mind here: top of the list would be our CD release party in Würzburg back in December 1995: with hundreds of fans, friends and family in attendance, all of us had a real blast setting the whole venue on fire (just figuratively, of course).
Other memorable shows include two gigs in the local prison where some of the inmates, young adults mostly, even joined us on stage at some point to jam along with us.
What keeps you motivated and passionate about continuing to create and perform music?
With the creating and performing parts basically over, as it looks like, I guess it’s mostly about paying homage to a – if I may be so bold - wonderful and challenging piece of art that we managed to create three decades ago and leaving a legacy for present and future generations to engage with, to enjoy and, should they feel so inclined - to share with others. Or, to say it with Tom Stoppard’s Guildenstern: “There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said – no. But somehow we missed it.
