Welcome to our exclusive REAL Interview with World Coda, where we sit down with Yao, Jin, Dan, and Jamie to delve into the essence and evolution of their unique sound. Formed in the wake of personal and creative transitions, World Coda stands out in the music scene with its deeply emotive and conceptually rich compositions. Today, we will explore their journey, the dynamics of their creative process, and get a glimpse of what the future holds for this dynamic ensemble. Join us as we uncover the layers behind their music and the artistic vision that drives World Coda.
Picture of World Coda at Two Palms at one of our events, taken by our in-house photographer, March 9th 2024
Can you please share your origin story as a band? What is the meaning behind
your band name World Coda?
Yao: After releasing my album with my ex-band, which had by then disbanded, I was in an agonic and drastic velleity to start my solo project before moving to the UK. It was quite traumatic knowing that a band to which I’d devoted two years of intense energy and passion into was coming to an end -so short-lived but so many dreams and memories to let go of. I was in mourning of it and also going through a recollection of bmy musical self about who I am and what I sound like besides writing in that band…But one day this good-looking guy appeared in my inbox saying he wanted to start a new project with dark metal influences which sound pretty much like what I wanted to do, so I decided to give it a go and resume my music journey.
Jin: Coda is simply “the end” in multiple musical and performance terms, more specifically the final passage, act or dance that signifies a piece’s grand finale. The name ‘World Coda’ implies “the world’s final performance”, a feeling I wanted to invoke with the music we write, as if to say it could be the soundtrack to the world’s final days. This can be interpreted by the individual listener however - the end of one’s own life, or a stage in their life, and does not necessarily insist on being bitter or sad.
Can you provide insights into the creative process behind your upcoming studio EP?
Yao: These are two songs that have been written last year and even the year before - which we finally decided to invest time and money into producing. One of the songs, Seachanter, was in our demo compilation on Spotify, written remotely across the oceans (London and Toronto). As you may tell we blend doomgaze and J-rock into one song, which creates strong emotional upheavals throughout different passages. It was quite surprising to hear the final song as we all expected it to be a bittersweet and lively J-rock mock when Jin sent me the motif (chorus) at first, but I guess there’s some unescapable sadness in me that finally twisted it to a somehow melancholic piece…
The other song, Soma, Chora, was played several times live in London and that one was heavily influenced by Nordic post-metal and shoegaze. Unfortunately, as it was written mostly by me, Soma, Chora is my personal favorite of all the songs we currently have - it also can be seen as a closure of my attachment to my previous blackgaze project. With extensive use of guitar tremolo, dramatic melodies and ethereal vocal layering, this song creates such an intriguing and enigmatic dreamscape that induces so many feelings. The lyrics, which is inspired by Julia Kristeva’s philosophy about abjection and semiotics, adds more depth to the song. I guess I should stop spoiling it and let the audience encounter it with fresh ears. It is always worth mentioning that after Dan and Jamie joined our band the two songs became alive from a dull digital entity, which is the project file, to something with breath and flesh. The production process was so much fun in which Dan was in charge of audio engineering and Jamie showed great aptitudes in rewriting and recording drums. We spent a sunny day in a studio for drum recording, and Dan had difficulty eating a pear next to their bookshelf full of Norwegian black metal albums; and another gray day at me and Jin’s place recording vocals and instruments, ON A TV, drinking cherry coke with vodka and really bad tea made by me (I cannot understand British standard of tea until capitalism collapses). Also we’ve got a very talented friend who has released tons of stunning music in post-metal and art-indie to produce this EP for us. I CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!
Picture of World Coda at Two Palms at one of our events, taken by our in-house photographer, March 9th 2024
What’s the most important (or reoccurring) message you want to give to your
listeners?
Yao: I guess the music itself is beyond what words can contain… Or the existence of music will be the message that we want to convey - there are lots of “things” that cannot be spoken, lots of feelings that are fundamentally unnamable. And that’s why we all need music. Like what Dan says:
Dan: dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadada
Jin: I want to provide escapism beyond our human bounds - as the human race, socially, even earthly. The sound we create, I believe, transcends boundaries of definitive genre and even purpose. The main message I want my listeners to receive is not one I’ve written for them, but relative to their experience with the sound, however they may perceive or interpret it.
Jamie: Light and dark in balance is what makes life and art interesting, neither is fundamentally good or bad, both should be embraced.
Being in a multicultural city like London, how did this influence your music and how do you manage to mix in inspirations and living experiences from 3 different continents into your music? Does this challenge your songwriting process or on the other hand, make it easier?
Yao: Well may I question isn’t it just me who actually has lived in 3 different continents? To be honest, I think there is not a lot to say about how I was concretely influenced by 3 different cultures, but it is overall a feeling of nomadism that glued me to expressing myself only through my own creative work, meanwhile not feeling belonging to any genres or subcultures… This nomadism might give birth to our unique sound.
Picture of World Coda at Two Palms at one of our events, taken by our in-house photographer, March 9th 2024
What's the best piece of advice you heard or that you can give based on your experience, that could help other musicians looking to start and grow?
Yao: What I appreciate the most about myself is the strong attachment I have to my music - it sounds a bit narcissist, but it is such self-indulgence that allows me to produce the best pieces. I listen to our songs a lot and I could always catch audio illusion/delusions and record it with my instruments. Besides that, it is also very important to constantly ask yourself: why am I still making music, do I enjoy it or not, is it really the stuff I wanna make… By doing so you can always keep your inspiration alive without being carried away by the so-called “industry” - the worst thing an artist can do is to be alienated and estranged from our true selves.
Jin: It might sound cliche, but “be yourself” is probably the best thing you can do. Too often I see artists try to emulate popular styles in the scene, be it classic genres with a legacy or the next big thing they heard on social media. You’ll only end up in burnout or a lack of passion if you take this path. Your sound should be what you want people to know you for, not what you think the people want from you.
Dan: I think the best way to grow as a musician is to simply go and do it. Write music, play shows, be terrible for a while and you’ll get all the experience you need to develop the skills that are needed both on and off the stage. Jamie Finished is better than perfect. Art comes from play not work. Creativity and productivity are not the same thing.
What historical figure would you be interested in seeing an only-fans of?
Jin said this is the “we-are-not-gonna-answer” question kinda question.
Dan: [Stop it, Dan.]
Yao: Yea stop it.
Picture of World Coda at Two Palms at one of our events, taken by our in-house photographer, March 9th 2024
Can you tease any surprises or special elements that fans can expect from your upcoming show with us at Strongroom?
Jin: New song.
Dan: Yeah, new song. (New song?)
Yao: And old songs. But with heavier tones, and of course with extreme vocal performance! (actually in this sense they would be counted as new songs innit?)
Jamie: I’m new.
What's the weirdest/most unique talent you have that not many people know
about? (Move your nostrils or ears, vocal imitation, sport, synesthesia, fast mental
calculation, etc...)
Yao: I can explain Lacanian psychoanalysis.
Dan: I always know which way north is.
Picture of World Coda at Two Palms at one of our events, taken by our in-house photographer, March 9th 2024
If you could gain a new skill or ability instantly what would you choose and why?
Yao: Make money.
Jin: Dim Mak. Self explanatory.
Dan: To be able to play bass.
Jamie: To be able to speak any language on demand.
What are your short-term goals and how do you see World Coda evolving in the
coming years?
Yao: We are aiming to release 3 volumes of our EP “Before Eclipse” this year, which is definitely worth keeping your eyes on. In upcoming years, we’d look forward to establishing our unique sound with various musical and cultural influences from our members, after which you’ll witness our debut full-length album.
Dan: As a (relatively) new member of the band, I’m aiming to get more involved in the creative process over time, as most of the current music was already written before I joined.
By the REAL Editorial Team | May 29, 2024