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Hometown: Amsterdam, NH, NL
Label: Echozone / Turmoil Music, ECHOZONE, Turmoil Music
Website: www.born4bliss.com
Sounds Like: Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, Vaselyne, Stargazing Project, Peter Hammill
Genre: Alternative
Band History
1997; Born for Bliss, existing since 1994, awakes with the overwhelming "Flowing with the Flu". The roots of this fact are placed over a decade ago. In those times the Dutch Born for Bliss-members Frank Weyzig and Willem van Antwerpen created thrilling sounds together with the still cultic (Clan of) Xymox. During the early, exiting period of this electronic-wave legend (mid, till end of the 80s), Frank and Willem have been involved in this band. From this period result the first two Xymox albums which are still classic highlights.
Since 1995 the third member of Born for Bliss is Remco Helbers. He found his way to Born for Bliss via the Dreamside and Love Like Blood on stage. With his distinguished style of playing bass, the ‘Chapman Stick’, and his unique way of working with loops and soundscapes, Remco adds a special dimension to the Born For Bliss sound.
Together, this trio guarantees an ultimate seductive soundoutput which was proved impressively by their prereleased cd-single "Arabia" (for 'Nuclear Blast - Deathwish Office') in 1996. In the same year this single became an addicting clubhit and made it's way high into the German alternative charts.
We're back in 1997. 'Flowing with the Flu' marked Born for Bliss' long desired longplay-debut. "With Impressive elegance the band produced a couple of fascenating pearls. Prickling melodic changes between melancholy and dynamics along with 80s charme and 90s-scenery makes their music an electrifying experience. Already in the first week after its release, 'Flowing with the Flu' enters high into the German alternative album-charts".
In 1999, Born For Bliss finished the final recordings for their next album "Between Living and Dreaming", mixed at the famous Impulse Tonstudio in Hamburg by J. P. Genkel, known for his work with 'Lacrimosa' and 'Cradle of Filth'. Unfortunately, not long after the final recordings of "Between Living and dreaming", the band disintegrated due to problems with their management and record label and the album was never released.
At the same time Frank Weyzig disappeared from the music scene for more than a decade and during that time the master tapes for the album were laying unused on the shelves in his studio untill Frank established himself again on the horizon of alternative music with his contribution for White Rose Transmission as co-writer, band member and producer for their album ‘Spiders in the Mind Web’, released on German label Echozone in 2010.
Echozone liked the idea to do a release of the long forgotten Born For Bliss album 'Between Living & Dreaming'. In 2011 the album finally saw the light of day and the rebirth of Born For Bliss was a fact. In 2013 the band officially got back together again and subsequently released their follow up EP 'Innocent'.
In June 2015 Frank Weyzig completed a succesful MusicPledge Crowdfunding campaign to get funding for the new Born For Bliss album ‘Falling Back to Never’, which was released in October 2015, together with a re-release of the first album ‘Flowing With the Flu’ as a remastered version with extra added tracks and remixes. In 2016 two EP’s, “Better Than Me” and “Falling Back”, with tracks and remixes from the “Falling Back to Never album” were released.
Discography:
Singles/EPs:
• Born For Bliss (1994)
• Arabia (1996)
• Innocent (2013)
• Better Than Me (2016)
• Falling Back (2016)
Albums:
• Flowing with the Flu (1997)
• Between Living and Dreaming (2011)
• Flowing with the Flu (Re-release) (2012)
• Falling Back to Never (2015)
“Each Clan Of Xymox fan will be surprised when hearing Falling Back. It is certainly the best (and most impressive) song that Born For Bliss has ever done, and it recalls you of a song named Crying In The Wind. Beautiful, and after hearing this track, you ask yourself why this psychedelic goth rock band never reached a bigger audience. Anyone who loves Merciful Nuns or Whispers In The Shadow, should embrace this trio! Sublime! Better Than Me seems like an (original ) tribute to Pink Floyd! The sound of Four Horsemen is as menacing as the title suggests. Thorns is yet another track on which the guitars carry you away to distant dreams, the Fields Of The Nephilim feeling on this record is always somewhere nearby. Falling Back To Never is not an easy record, it even requires serious efforts of the listener and it takes a while before you understand the B4B world, but thankfully you get a lot in return. Without any doubt the strongest thing Born For Bliss has ever done! Impressive!”
Didier Becu - 'Falling Back to Never' review on peek-a-boo-magazine
“Born For Bliss is finally back with an album that's by all means a proper masterpiece, Falling Back To Never, which takes with such an ease the listener into a magical world that can be rarely witnessed. The sound on the album is somehow complex, constantly divided between the emotional, gentle, atmospheric new wave sound, and sometimes a bit more hypnotic, but still there's not a single second on it where it loses its extraordinary pathos. The vocal job is simply breathtaking, it's difficult to explain what kind of a power, passion and emotion is poured into it. The overall very atmospheric sound is often enriched with use of various electronics, synths, piano touches and much more other well thought insertions. A special electrifying ambiance grabs you and when you have finished listening to the album, you are left with a kind of distressing feeling, to wanting to hear more! Albums like Falling Back To Never are rarely released these days. A masterpiece!”
Tomaz V. - 'Falling Back to Never' review on terrarelicta.com
“BORN FOR BLISS was founded in 1994 and it deserved popularity among lovers of the first wave of gothic rock or new wave. But it should be said that the band’s music also contains the echoes of clear dark wave, musical complexity typical for PINK FLOYD and melodic effects of pop rock. It feels like we become witnesses of birth and development of new style which is hard to find now in its original form because of the intensive infusions of dark electro and industrial. Maybe that’s why it’s so pleasant to listen to ‘Between Living & Dreaming’: live guitars, crystal piano passages, unobtrusive symphonic arrangements, rather diverse drums, deep heartfelt vocals and accessible lyrics make a listener forget of the reality at least for about 75 minutes however all the compositions are so impressive that could remain in one’s memory much longer then that. BORN FOR BLISS created a peculiar work indeed which is worthy to listen to again and again. 9.3 out of 10 points!”
Nataly Night - 'Between Living & Dreaming' review on Reflections of Darkness webzine
“Frank Weyzig used to be one of the original members of Clan Of Xymox. For some reasons Frank left the band and some years later he came back with Born For Bliss. In 1997 there was the release of their debutalbum "Flowing with the flue", Two years later the band had a second album "Between Living & dreaming". The big frustration was that back then not one label was interested in releasing this album, until now as the German Echozone-label decided to give it a release. Mind you, Born For Bliss aren't back as Frank is now playing with White Rose Transmission, the band from Carlo Van Putten and the sadly missed Adrian Borland. It's a shame this album never got released as once again Born For Bliss are bringing psychedelic goth-rockwave that sometimes (hey that's strange) refers to The Sound, at other times (true is true) to the Xymoxsound. You got the picture? This is a brilliant gothwaverecord that finally deserves to see the lights. Oooh in love with a ten year old album.”
Didier Becu - "Between Living and Dreaming" review on 'The Original Sin' online Fanzine
