Vidna Obmana
Literally, vidnaObmana means 'optical illusion'. For more than twenty-four years, this metaphor would prove the suitable moniker for a project which has allowed Dirk Serries the ultimate freedom of placing his music before his personality. A self-taught electronic musician, Serries initially explored different musical formats bordering noise and dark sound collages in the early 80s before discovering canon-like looping techniques and subtle methods of shaping harmonies by merging different layers of no more than a few notes.
website
Literally, vidnaObmana means 'optical illusion'. For more than twenty-four years, this metaphor would prove the suitable moniker for a project which has allowed Dirk Serries the ultimate freedom of placing his music before his personality. A self-taught electronic musician, Serries initially explored different musical formats bordering noise and dark sound collages in the early 80s before discovering canon-like looping techniques and subtle methods of shaping harmonies by merging different layers of no more than a few notes.
website
Aliases: Fear Falls Burning, Dirk Serries
Monument Of Empty Colours + Depression And Ideal
Dirk Serries is an extremely prolific and creative artist who has a huge amount of music composed solo, under his own name or under the name Vidna Obmana. In addition to solo recordings, Dirk often collaborated with other artists, thus introducing a new quality to his own music. While implementing the next installments of our informal series, we also published a few of them; for example "Traces" in collaboration with David Lee Myers, or "The Shape of Solitude" with Serge Devadder. This time we p…
Dandelion
Tip! *200 copies limited edition* “If the measure of freedom is measured by the resilience of an elastic band, they get close to the point where the rubber is about to snap, but it is exactly at that spot, where they recognise something and react to that with a refreshing lack of explicitness, that you can feel the result, and unfolded potential, of a shared intimacy.” - Guy Peters
Memories Compiled : Three Tapes
3CD album released in eight-panel digipack, limited to 400 copies. This publication is the second Trilogy of this project, released under the banner of Zoharum. This time it collects ambient recordings, recorded in the early period of Vidna Obmana's activity, originally published on 3 different cassettes in 1989-1991: "Gathering In Frozen Beauty", "Near The Flogging Landscapes", "Refined On The Gentle Clouds", and which have never been re-issued in any other form so far. Now fully refreshed, mas…
Epitaph (Live At Roadburn Redux 2021)
*Limited edition of 300 copies. 3 sided 2LP in gatefold sleeve.* Long time Roadburners will be familiar with Dirk Serries – he has performed at the festival under various guises a number of times. Having already hosted him with Fear Falls Burning, Microphonics, Year of No Light, Yodok III and Scatterwound already, we were due to welcome him back in 2020 with Kodian Trio. Fate had other ideas… but in with a creative spirit that never stops wandering and a thirst for experimenting, we knew that Di…
The Chapters Of The Eclipse
*In process of stocking. Limited edition of 500 copies.* The Chapters Of The Eclipse reveals layers of eternity in each phase like a moon bath vitalizing luminous patches in expanded and contemplative dronescapes. The meditative and minimalist electronic ambient sky is suspended at the interval for liberation from the shadows of becoming: life in its most essential orientation.
The chapters of the eclipse is the new musical union of Italy's Alio Die (Stefano Musso) and Belgium's Dirk Serries (vi…
Stochastic Regions
*In process of stocking. Limited edition of 60 copies.* A New Wave Of Jazz is entering the realm of cassette albums again. Consider it a side series for the more abstract, electric and noisy in free improvisation and avant-garde. That label curator and guitarst Dirk Serries has a knack for the abstract and wilful isn't a secret and it was only a matter of time when he would hook up with French soundartist Anton Mobin (France) either. So here he's teaming up with Anton, using his impressive prep…
The Sage Flower
Limited edition of 100 copies.* Cellist Guilherme Rodrigues (Portugal, residing in Berlin) and guitarist Dirk Serries teamed up for a chamber music-esque session at the Sunny Side Inc. Studio (Anderlecht, Belgium). The Sage Flower is that collection of detailed interaction, acoustic outbursts and linear minimalisme.
Die Höfner Akten
Tip! New collaborative work by two veterans of the European experimental scene, Dirk Serries + Asmus Tietchens. Dirk Serries and I have long been colleagues and friends. Since the 1990ies we have exchanged sound materials to be reworked and published on an on and off basis. "Die Höfner Akten" are something new and special to in so far as the source material with its basic structure has been improvised exclusively on an acoustic guitar (of the 'Höfner' brand). Dirk and I had agreed upon the follo…
Translucence
"As such, the music succeeds in maintaining a balance between cohesion and surprise, occasionally coming close to the jazz tradition, but always on its own terms. It gives the album a refreshingly unconventional approach, a counterpoint of ideas that consistently marches to the beat of a different drummer. " - Guy Peters
Twofold
*In process of stocking* "Onno Govaert. Now here is a guy who deserves to be in the spotlights. Verhoeven and Govaert form a beautiful musical partnership that thrives on abundant dynamics and colourful interaction. Whether it is the subtle ripostes or the unanimous cadences that develop throughout their improvisations, there is always a crisp and natural affinity at the core of their partnership. With Dirk Serries, Govaert alters his approach. The combination with the amplified acoustic guitar…
Today And All The Tomorrows
"Today and all the tomorrows is one of those releases that sounds like cinema for the ears, despite the fact that the ‘song’ order might seem random and that it might be hard to find a general arc. Verhoeven firmly stands at the center of this music, flanked by two guitarists that get caught up in six three-way conversations. There is no agreed method or set of expectations and fixed ideas, but listen carefully, and you will notice how each piece has its own characteristics and turns the combina…
Solo Acoustic Guitar Improvisations II / III
*200 copies limited edition. In process of stocking* "These performances are all about the process, about exploration and they more than once reminded me of a quote by Derek Bailey about the creation process as a kind of jigsaw puzzle: “Emptied out of the box, there’s a heap of pieces, all shapes, sizes and colors, in themselves attractive and could add up to anything— intriguing. Figuring out how to put them together can be interesting, but what you finish up with as often as not is a picture o…
Peck And Fleet
*250 copies limited edition* Limited vinyl release on Raw Tonk Records.
John Edwards : double bass Andrew Lisle : percussion Dirk Serries : acoustic guitar Colin Webster : alto sax Recorded at the Dave Hunt Studio, London on February 8th 2020. Mixed by Dave Hunt. Mastered at Sunny Side Inc. Studio. Artwork by Colin Webster. Layout by Rutger Zuydervelt
Island On The Moon
Dirk Serries (worldwide renowned for his ambient alter-ego Vidna Obmana from 1984 till 2007) returns to this expansive sound universe with a new collaborative album that redefines the genre. Together with alto saxophonist Trösta the duo delivers a breathtaking album just in time to comfort, soothe and challenge in these darker times. Island On The Moon is a symphony of harmony, depth and nuance. A solace drenched in melancholy and light, made without the aid of computers but by the hands of two …
Live at OZO Land
After a long hiatus due to obvious reasons, Goncalo Almeida & Dirk Serries played an exclusive duo performance at Jazzblazzt in The Netherlands. Open air at the lovely Ozo Land location. Recorded live on June 5, 2021.
Unseen Descending And Lamentations
"Unseen Descending And Lamentations shows the naked, minimal approach of Dirk Serries, alone on a chair with his guitar and a huge array of effect pedals. I've witnessed this set-up many times and each time it has the same enchanting atmosphere. This album, containing two lengthy parts, is more of the same goodness. This is music to enjoy with your eyes closed, in a very comfortable position. Just let your mind wonder off, along with the drones and soundscapes. Somewhere along the line you wi…
Chapel
"Sometimes I wonder why it takes years for something to find its way to a release, but in this case, you could think: wow, that's really fast. The concert that we find on these recordings dates from September 4. I must assume the CD went into production the day after the concert. I believe I had not yet the pleasure to hear music as part of a duo (in some bigger groups, yes), and he teams up with recent improvised music convert Dirk Serries. The latter is on guitar. I would think this CD covers …
Continuum I
Continuum was a collaboration between Steven Wilson and Dirk Serries (VidnaObmana, Fear Falls Burning) that resulted in two releases, Continuum I (2005) and Continuum II (2007), originally issued by US label Soleilmoon in limited editions that sold out almost instantly. The project was motivated by their immense passion for a wide-range of musical styles, ranging from spacious ambience to pounding doom metal. On 10th June 2016 both albums of their collaborative ambient and drone music project b…
Epitaph
“Epitaph is the swansong of music I like to name my vintage ambient. For more than 30 years I’ve been trying to seek perfection, from synthesizers to electric guitars, a bumpy ride for sure with lots of doubts, frustrations, extreme self-criticism and a few highs and lows but the call kept on strong. This is what I breathe, this is the heart of who I am. But that momentum has arrived to depart from this, not that I’ll abandon my ambient music completely and forever. I do see this expanding as an…
Microphonics XXVI-XXX Resolution Heart
"The final instalment in Dirk Serries‘ long-running series of releases, Resolution Heart sets a fittingly uplifting mood for the end of a process that started with the first Microphonics CD in 2008. Presented on heavyweight vinyl (with a limited boxed art edition available too), the LP bids farewell to Serries’ eight-year exploration of the dynamics of tone, texture and timbre, the music delivered with a distinctly different atmosphere than when in his alternate drone guise of Fear Falls Burning…