Order your copy here.
“Fellow countryman Dirk Serries has been on my radar for some time now, though mostly with his ‘Fear Falls Burning’ project. I guess I was somehow late in discovering Vidna Obmana, even though I was there to experience the tail end of the project. While I can honestly say I find his improvised music a bold move, it never managed to grab me properly. I liked his guitar ambient slinging a lot, and from that point, I started to work backwards through his discography. Whenever I heard something new from Fear Falls Burning, I also wanted to hear an older Vidna Obmana – also just because one
can. I don’t think I’ve come across ‘Crossing The Trail’ on that particular journey, but I don’t keep lists since I am not an organised man. This CD was originally released in 1998 by Projekt, the label from the man behind Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Vidna Obmana is assisted by ambient masters Jeff Pearce and Steve Roach, and then Martine Verhoeven contributes vocals. Each of the seven pieces takes considerable time to develop – close to eight is the shortest and over fourteen minutes the longest. Glancing back at other Vidna Obmana works from this period, I can say the musical style is instantly recognisable. Somewhere along the way, Vidna Obmana picked up using rhythms, and he uses them to great effect: slow, majestic, and a bit exotic. There are rainmakers and shakers, a Djembe (at least that’s what it sounds like to me), and all along, there are these big washes of spacious synthesiser sounds. By sequencing these, the music gets a slightly more ‘mechanical’ feeling, in which
everything feels quite streamlined. At the same time, the whole thing comes across as very organic, and it’s easily a space to get lost in (which I would think is Vidna Obmana’s goal exactly). With the enormous output of such a project, it is never easy to say if one specific work is the ultimate masterpiece between lesser ones. Moreover, that would very much be a personal thing. In the end, I think I heard only a tiny portion of the work, but can I sincerely say ‘Crossing The Trail’ is one I enjoyed? But then again, I did so with many of the other albums.” VITAL WEEKLY
“Viaggio nelle atmosfere eteree della nostalgia La ristampa di Crossing The Trail di Vidna Obmana rappresenta un tuffo nella raffinata dimensione dell’ambient music, un viaggio sonoro che cattura l’anima e la trasporta attraverso paesaggi emozionali e atmosfere eteree. Questa edizione, parte della serie di ristampe informali del musicista belga, offre una preziosa occasione per riscoprire un capitolo significativo della sua carriera.
L’album, originariamente pubblicato nel lontano 1998 da Projekt, è il risultato di sessioni di registrazione svoltesi tra il 1996 e il 1997, un periodo in cui Vidna Obmana ha affiancato al proprio genio artistico la collaborazione di talentuosi ospiti come Steve Roach, Jeff Pearce e Martina Verhoeven. Questi nomi di spicco dell’ambient music si uniscono per creare un’opera straordinaria, una sinfonia di suoni eterei che si fondono in sette composizioni intrise della magica atmosfera tipica dell’epoca.
La scelta di rimasterizzare il materiale per questa edizione è stata affidata a Dirk Serries nel 2023, e il risultato è stupefacente. La rinnovata nitidezza dei suoni conferisce nuova vita alle tracce, permettendo di percepire ogni sfumatura e dettaglio con una chiarezza cristallina. Il tocco di Serries si rivela un omaggio accurato al genio creativo di Vidna Obmana, valorizzando il materiale originale senza snaturarne l’essenza.
La grafica leggermente rinnovata, basata sulle fotografie di Martina Verhoeven risalenti allo stesso periodo della pubblicazione originale su Projekt, contribuisce a creare un ponte visivo con il passato. Le immagini evocative catturano l’atmosfera dell’epoca, rendendo la ristampa non solo un’esperienza uditiva ma anche visiva.
La confezione digipack a 6 pannelli che racchiude il CD è un’elegante cornice per l’opera, aggiungendo un tocco di classe all’esperienza complessiva. L’attenzione ai dettagli è evidente anche in questo elemento, confermando la cura dedicata alla presentazione di un’opera così preziosa. In conclusione, la ristampa di Crossing The Trail di Vidna Obmana è una rivelazione per gli amanti dell’ambient music. Un viaggio emozionale attraverso il tempo, questo album mantiene la sua rilevanza e il suo fascino, grazie alla combinazione di talenti straordinari e alla cura attenta dedicata a questa edizione del 2023.” Ver Sacrum
“Dan kan jezelf wel klaar zijn met je project Vidna Obmana, maar dan is de wereld nog niet per se. Zoals reeds gemeld bij de recensie van Rapoon hierboven (zwaai maar even naar elkaar), graaft het fijne Poolse label Zoharum middels de Archive serie met enige regelmaat goud uit het verleden op, om weer beschikbaar te maken. Na zijn leven als Vidna Obmana dan wel vidnaObmana is de Belgische muzikant Dirk Serries doorgegaan met andere minsten zo indrukwekkende projecten als Fear Falls Burning, The Sleep Of Reason, 3 Seconds Of Air, Terrace Of Memories en Yodok III. En tevens onder zijn eigen naam. Met Vidna Obmana heeft Serries er lustig doch met gepaste bescheidenheid op los geëxperimenteerd in de dark ambient, waaraan hij dikwijls tribale geluiden toevoegde. Een heel mooi voorbeeld daarvan is het album Crossing The Trail, dat al in 1998 op het Amerikaanse label Projekt is verschenen en waarvan ik ook het origineel in de kast heb staan. Naast elektronica en loops werkt hij hierop met framedrums, shaker, regenstok, bellen, fluiten, ocarina en allerlee effecten. Daarmee weet hij een net zo vol als desolaat geluid neer te zetten; alsof je helemaal alleen door een Tropisch regenwoud trekt. Het levert een werelds en weergaloos album op. Maar om kort te gaan, heeft Zoharum deze beauty en must have voor de fan nu opnieuw uitgegeven.” Het Schaduwkabinet
“Crossing The Trail is the next in the series of Vidna Obmana album reissues on Poland’s Zoharum. Originally released in 1998 on Projekt- it’s a seven-track album that shifts from the bright & texturally active tribal ambient. Onto the slightly darker/ more introspective side of the genre, before shifting to the brighter & glowing side of the ambient form- so very much of a journey-like album. The finished/ wholesale release comes in a six-panel digipak- though I can’t comment on this/its artwork, as we were just sent a card slip promo version of the album. This features what looks like a monochrome close-up picture of some seedpods, and it nicely fits in with the look of the rest of this series of reissues. Each of the seven tracks featured runs between seven & fourteen minutes- with each nicely creating its own story/ vibe, though the whole album works as a whole going from bright lushness to more shadowy places, before reappearing in glowing/ warming wonder. We open with “Encountering Terrain” which blends together a mid-paced ethnic percussion & flowing water tone, with a bright weaving/ mellow flute-like melody. It certainly feels hopeful & lush, though with its growing textural depth( of shakes, slithers, scratches ) and percussion fade it does start to become slightly more ominous. By track three “Forest Arrow” things have certainly become more shadowy & mysterious – as we find we slowly jiving ethnic percussion blended with swooping & sweeping mid-ranged drones, and subtly foreboding textural shifts ‘n’ ebbs. By track five “The Esoteric Source” we’re most certainly in darker/ brooding sonic water- as we get a blend of sliding & shadow-like drones, slowly gliding ambient sweep, and a hint of moody percussive shift. The album plays out with the fittingly titled “This Splendid Place” which pares a warm & slowly sweeping string-like ambiance, with gentle textural trickle & rub. The main string element rather brought to mind a brighter/ more life-affirming Stars Of The Lid, with the textural detail really adding to the track’s harmonic pull. Crossing The Trail is masterfully conceived ambient ride. Personally, I’m less keen on the brighter/ lusher elements here, but that’s just a personal preference- though that said I do enjoy the golden & rising wonder of the final track. An album for those very much looking to go on an ambient journey. ” Musique Machine
dirkserries.com 