Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Artist: Coma Stereo
Label: Self-released
Released: 2009
Length: 51:11
Rating: 4.8/5
Until recently a total unknown on the local music scene, Maribor’s electronics-soaked post-rock ambient attraction Coma Stereo are alternative in every sense of the word. This cosmic rock quartet, just like the universe, is bound to keep expanding to its outermost limits. After the debut Binary Ending, which took over the music scene mostly on vinyl, and later also in a pretty limited run of digital copies plus an unlimited freebie form as a free internet download, the band put out the second act of their studio statement a year ago.
A nonlinear path of intelligently fusing the simple, almost archaic and naive electronics of 1980s consoles is topped off with the musical filler of intergalactic wandering. A flight on a parabola of sensuality takes you right to the navel of the universe, and in a state of psychedelic dreaminess, about an hour of listening conjures up images of the Andromeda nebulae and kaleidoscopic vignettes of total stoned bliss. The experimenting with sound is taken a step further, and with all the textures of expected alternativeness in place, Coma Stereo swear by a smaller dose of guitars this time. The diametric pull between dream and wakefulness comes from the schizophrenic core of the band itself. They stress themselves that guitarist and vocalist Tomaž and keyboardist Sašo want to bring in even more experimentation, while bassist Marko and drummer Domen provide the rhythmic, structurally sturdier counterweight to the chaos. From this nexus comes an endless number of open paths, and the music you hear is more meditative and, at its core, undefined. The axioms of the possible are infinite, and in the fight with the inner storms of creativity, all that matters is courage and daring. Success is already guaranteed, after all. Transgalaktika is a hymn to spaciness, with Tangerine Dream influences lurking in its texture, flirting with Kraftwerk and Cluster or Can, though you could never claim it was a conscious intent to mix the above and construct a form. The form is organic and entirely its own. Transgalaktika is (just like its predecessor) a product whose production was entrusted to Zagreb-based producer and band member Tena Novak. A blend of creativity and surrendering to the flow of thought has created a seeming orderliness and lucid resolve, while the punchy moments are subtly thinned out with long stretches of letting the sonic currents carry you. The ambient result recalls post-rock instrumentals, yet there are few breaks in this interstellar journey. The record sounds like one whole, a tetralogy of all four basic cells of the band, and Coma Stereo in their completeness are a complete, closed, homogeneous organism.
This wrongly overlooked band, with its eclectic string of playfulness and intuitive clairvoyance, simply burrowed its way into my subconscious. I got a new equivalent of the English knights of sonic manipulation: Radiohead. Maybe it’s just an illusion or an associative game my brain is playing with my consciousness, but either way, this is an avant-garde record truly worth repeated, deep immersion. The vocals are sparse and fade out into almost complete nothingness, and that’s exactly as it should be! Words don’t matter, because music is the universal language that speaks to everyone. And that’s where Transgalaktika is exceptional and represents a peak of musical creation. I’m not talking only about the local scene; this time I’m swearing by the universal. Successfully dodging the molds of expected metrics brought in a strong element of surprise, and through soft contours an endless sea of future expectations has been poured into the ears. All we can do is stand up and, over a standing ovation, say loud and clear that we can only agree!
Lineup
Tomaž Kurež – vocals, electric guitar, synth
Domen Repnik – drums, drum machine, synth
Sašo Stamatovski – electric guitar, synth
Marko Širec – bass, electric guitar, synth
Production
Hrvoje Nikšič & Coma Stereo
Tracklist
1. La Resistance
2. Iskra
3. Android Transmissions
4. Jasmin Starwars
5. Sevastopol
6. Sea Of Tranquility
7. Transgalaktika
8. Her Daddy Didn’t Love Her, But The Acid Did
