EYAL HAREUVENI has been reviewing our releases almost since day one, for which we are really grateful. We need these voices out there to share the word that this music is alive. For SALT PEANUTS he just wrote two short reviews on LEMADI TRIO’s Canonical Discourse and TRANSITION UNIT’s Face Value in a feature on José Lencastre’s recent albums, collaborations and works.
TRANSITION UNIT – FACE VALUE “Transition Unit is a newly-founded trio of Lencastre, Series and fellow Portuguese pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro (who plays in Lencastre’s Nau Quartet and of RED Trio), recorded at Estúdio Timbuktu in Lisbon in May 2023. Serries traveled to Portugal to play a few duo performances with Lencastre but then Pinheiro, who runs with Lencastre the Phonogram Unit label, surprised him and initiated a recording. Lencastre was a logical addition to this session, as he and Pinheiro are kindred souls and feel at home in such a free improvised format as on free jazz dynamics. The dynamics of this trio turned out to be mostly introspective and patient, almost chamber one, as Lencastre, Series and Pinheiro also correspond with the spacious Estúdio Timbuktu, but alternate with a few eruptions that experiment with thorny and tense frictions.”
LEMADI TRIO – CANONICAL DISCOURSE “Lemadi Trio features Lencastre with Belgian pianist Martina Verhoeven (a gifted photographer who took the cover photo) and guitarist Dirk Serries (he and Verhoeven are partners in life in music). Canonical Discourse is the trio’s sophomore album, following Tryptophan Suite (A New Wave of Jazz Axix, 2023), and was recorded at Serries and Verhoeven’s home studio in Brecht in March 2024. The atmosphere is different from the trio’s debut album where Verhoeven played the vintage electric Crumar piano and leaned toward a chamber one. The four extended, free-improvised pieces deepen the slow-cooking, often fragile and sparse, but attentive and tension-filled dynamics of the trio, attuned to each sound and the most abstract timbres of the alto sax, archtop guitar and grand piano, with all the extended, breathing, bowing and percussive techniques. Lencastre provides the melodic core of these improvisations, contrasting the spiky guitar lines of Serries and the inside-the-piano percussive-resonant sounds of Verhoeven. A challenge and a treat for the ears.”
Frans De Waard’s VITAL WEEKLY just reviewed our 4 new releases. Traditionally in his own perculiar way, granted VITAL WEEKLY isn’t a webzine for free jazz or improvisation in general, but at least he keeps on giving the music a platform. This we can only appreciate. Our four releases are of course available through our bandcamp store.
Not for the first or last time, there is a lot of free improvisation coming our way. If we stop at Vital Weekly 1500, which is still very possible, that is no doubt one of the reasons. It can be sooner if I come across ‘Vital Weekly – leading publication for all things jazz’. What was never our primary interest, seems to have become one. There’s a label whose releases I like very much, and I started a modern composition division, which is not my thing and who asked me: ‘Why don’t you review all my releases?’. Suppose they’d open a country & western division. Would they expect me to move along? Would the readership of Vital Weekly expect this?
For a long time, Dirk Serries’ music was very much Vital Weekly music, with the likes of Vidna Obmana and Fears Falls Burning, but also some recent solo releases. However, for about ten years, Serries is also heavily into free improvisation and free jazz, and I reviewed many of his releases, if not all. This recent bunch sees him further down that road with many musicians he works with. I don’t think I heard his trio Transition Unit before, with Serries on archtop guitar, Jose Lencastre on alto, tenor saxophone, and Rodrigo Pinheiro on a grand piano. This is a conventional release in terms of instrument approach; each instrument sounds as it should be, especially the saxophone and the piano. The guitar is the oddball here, with Serries going all wild on the strings and the other two’s hecticness and nervousness. The saxophone takes the lead, and that’s not for the first time. Maybe it’s the way this instrument or the player’s personality (I don’t know Lencastre, so I am taking a wild guess here), but his playing is dominant all around, with Serries sometimes being a bit lost. Very free jazz, as much as I can make (the traditional liner notes by Guy Peeters no longer grace the covers of these releases) of this, and sound at 51 minutes enough for one day – I am taking these, as the doctor ordered, one a day. Each of the six pieces has an individual title, but they were challenging to tell apart.
Because Lencastre is also on another CD with Serries, it’s time for the Lemadi Trio on the second day. Lencastre only brought his alto saxophone to the Serries’ home studio on Match 9, 2024, with Serries on guitar and his partner Martina Verhoeven on piano. The saxophone is also the leading instrument, but the music is a bit different. Sure, there is a lot of improvisation here, too, but it’s sometimes with a different amount of chaos than with the Transition Unit. Especially Serries and Verhoeven do some spooky stuff on their instruments and what that is, I am not sure of, but it sounds good. The domineering saxophone is sometimes in the way of their playing, too loud, too much foreground. I say there isn’t the same amount of chaos, but that doesn’t mean it’s absent, it still is very much part of the fabric of the music. It’s the difference with Transition Unit, which I enjoyed most, mainly with the playing of Verhoeven and Serries.
Verhoeven and Serries, this time on grand piano and archtop guitar, play with various people in an ad hoc ensemble called Tonus, incidentally, also the only one I saw live. On ‘Analog Deviation’, they play with Benedict Taylor on viola and broken fiddle. Spoiler alert: it is also the only CD without a saxophone. Also, a home recording from 2023, and they recorded two pieces, in total, 52 minutes of music. The concert I heard (in 2019) was an enjoyable, quiet affair, which might be what Tonus is about. After the at times violent chaotic moves of the previous two releases the silence of Tonus is a wealth to hear. Also, the non-domineering role of any instrument is interesting. This release has more of a conversation between three equal players. And, like any good conversation or discussion, there are moments in which things get heated, and people don’t listen, which leads to inevitable chaos. But with this trio, such a discussion works quite and there and they return to a safer ground of instrument exploration. There is little free jazz going on here and more free improvisation, with the instruments not always sounding as they are supposed to, which I always enjoy.
The most extensive lineup (or the only non-trio release) is the Martina Verhoeven Quintet, with Verhoeven on grand piano, Serries on guitar, Colin Webster on alto sax, Goncalo Almeida on double bass and Onno Govaert on drums. They played in Paradox, Tilburg, on 12 February 2023. Scratch what I said earlier about chaos, as this quintet takes chaos to the next level. Each of the instruments is played as it is supposed to be, and some of the players use other techniques – inside piano is something I may have heard here. They played 43 minutes, or perhaps that’s what is left after editing, and occasionally, they leave some room for the listener (present in concert and at home, listening to the CD) to grasp for breath before kicking off again with some more mayhem and destruction. I am sure jazz musicians don’t use these words, but that’s how it comes across. It is not my cup of tea, but once every now and month, this is something suitable and nice, offering another perspective on noise music.
Ken Waxman of JAZZ WORD (Canada) just wrote a lovely combined review on two releases (on A New Wave Of Jazz and Klanggalerie) which both features Dirk Serries on guitar. For best effect we’re keeping the review here intact. LEMADI TRIO’s Tryptophan Suite is available here, SERRIES/AMADO/LISLE’s The Invisible here.
Expanding his collaborations with other creative musicians here, Belgian guitarist Dirk Serries is part of two trios which each feature a different Portuguese saxophonist. Equally compelling, though recorded almost two years apart, The Invisible couples the guitarist with tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado, an Iberian veteran in numerous international combinations, plus regular Serries associate UK drummer Andrew Lisle. Tryptophan Suite on the other hand links Serries with alto saxophonist José Lencastre, who has performer with the likes of Carlos Zingaro, plus on electric piano, the guitarist’s long-time associate and spouse Martina Verhoeven.
The presence of a percussionist defines how each session evolves. Lisle’s drum ruffs, rumbles and rebounds plus cymbal clanks and scratches give the other two a shifting but solid foundation on which to express themselves. Even Lisle’s brief unaccompanied solo on the title track adds to the overall structure rather than focusing attention on itself. Often knitting together simple and repeated notes and patterns, the saxophonist and guitarist also create their own motifs, reflecting tempos and connections. Amado’s expressions range from the technical to the traditional. Throughout he stretches timbres with multiphonic slurs, doits and spiraling vibrations. while there are points where his output is more languid and linear. During those interludes half-swallowed tones. pauses and straight-ahead elaborations of songbook standards hover, but never long enough to be fully defined.
Still these characteristics are elaborated on the lengthy “Tapestry” , which also provides space for the string strategies Serries pursues throughout. Positioning himself between Lisle and Amado, his playing veers from powerful drones and metallic clanks to string-ringing and horizontal comping. On “Tapestry” these devices serve as challenges to reed motifs. As Amado’s slides from note-bending tonguing and emphasized honks to almost vibrato-less trills and nearly inaudible timbral smears, Serries provides the proper rejoinder, or pushes the other musicians with jagged frails or vibrant string stings to dedicated theme variations.
Without a percussionist, but adding a chordal instrument, 19 months later as the Lemadi Trio, it’s Serries whose tough strums provide the rhythmic bottom during two untitled improvisations. With Lencastre’s reed constructs encompass similar, if not more intense bitten-off split tones, altissimo cries and pinched whines as Amado, it’s often the guitarist’s string shredding and chunky strums which keep the broken octave program developing without the saxophonist dominating the aural real estate.
Not that he’s alone. Verhoeven main contributions may pivot towards gentle keyboard ripples, isolated note plinks and bright tonal patterns, but she sometimes breaks up the others dense expositions with energetic glissandi and staccato emphasis.
By the second part of the concert without lessening dynamism, the sequences become more reflective and settled, including multiplying brief silent pauses. The pianist adds stop/start bounces and wider, more regularized arrangements, allowing the guitarist to ease out of the rhythmic role, setting aside continuum creation for string rubs, twangs and woody frails. Reed emphasis is still harsh and aggressive, but as the pianist and guitarist reach a similar mixture of andante projection the resulting narrower focus unites strands at the conclusion. Serries seems determined to expose his guitar techniques in numerous situations. Yet these discs show how diverse the result from nearly instrumentally similar trios can be.
Ben Taffijn’s NIEUWE NOTEN just reviewed our brand-new releases. All four albums are available through our bandcamp store. All reviews are in Dutch.
TRANSITION UNIT – FACE VALUE (cd) José Lencastre : alto & tenor saxophones Rodrigo Pinheiro : grand piano Dirk Serries : archtop guitar
“Het lijkt alsof we aan het begin van ‘Idea Assumption’, de opening van ‘Face Value’ te maken hebben met een contrabas, maar het is toch echt Serries, in de weer met zijn strijkstok. Het begin van een opvallend abstract stuk, zeker in vergelijking met de muziek op ‘Canonical Discource’. Pinheiro strooit zijn noten in het rond, terwijl we Lencastre, nu op tenorsax, de gaten horen vullen. Een weerbarstig stuk deze vrij korte opener. ‘Grasping’ klinkt dan aanvankelijk weer zeer melodieus, met langgerekte bewegingen van Lencastre en goed geplaatste noten van Pinheiro en verderop Serries en bijzonder hoe de abstractie hier verderop zijn intrede doet en die melodie volledig wegdrukt. Ronduit onstuimig gaat het eraan toe in ‘A Western Decorative Pattern’, Lencastre scheurt hier de rust finaal aan flarden met zijn tenorsax, mooie duetten vormend met Pinheiro, terwijl Serries het geheel op stoom houdt. In het duet tussen Pinheiro en Serries, verderop gaat het er rustiger aan toe, maar niet minder abstract. ‘Face Value’ is een zeer spannend stuk, met name door de vrij duistere, minimalistische pianoaanslagen en de gruizige klank van Serries. Uiterst ingetogen klanken aanvankelijk in ‘A Theme of Myth’, wat terloops aandoend. Al snel loopt de spanning echter weer op, met name door de krachtige bewegingen van Lencastre en Pinheiro. We eindigen dit album met ‘The Utopian Dadaist’, een bijna clownesk springerig stuk, met mooie ritmische patronen, in perfecte samenhang.”
TONUS – ANALOG DEVIATION (cd) Dirk Serries : archtop guitar Benedict Taylor : viola, broken fiddle Martina Verhoeven : grand piano
““‘Analog Deviation’ is opgenomen in de studio, bij Serries thuis. Twee stukken bevat het, ‘Inbound’ en ‘Outbound’. Hét kenmerk van Tonus is de aandacht voor ingetogen klanken, iets dat we ook op dit album volop meekrijgen. In eerste instantie horen we de drie in opperste harmonie met fragiele bewegingen van het snarenspel en ja Verhoeven beroert soms een enkele toets. Een wonderlijk klankspel waarin hoegenaamd niets gebeurd, muziek zonder enige vorm van progressie. Iemand krast over een snaar, de ander plukt eraan, iedere keer weer een andere klank. Het kraakt, wringt en sputtert naar hartenlust. Spel dat je dwingt tot geconcentreerd luisteren, om geen nuance te missen. Vrij duistere muziek ook in dat ‘Inbound’, de spaarzame noten die Verhoeven aanslaat zitten vrijwel altijd in het lage register en ook Serries en Taylor zoeken de wat meer donkere klanken. Mooi ook die door Taylor geïnitieerde gelijknamige bewegingen verderop in dit eerste stuk, waarna er toch even iets meer dynamiek in de muziek kruipt, zelfs iets van een gemankeerde ritmiek. ‘Outbound’ begint al even ingetogen, maar bezit direct al wat meer structuur. En in dit deel is de piano sterker aanwezig dan in ‘Inbound’ en is het klankpatroon minder duister. Al kan het hier soms ook goed wringen en knarsen, mede met dank aan Taylor. Als mooi voorbeeld van dat laatste kan die passage rond de twaalfde minuut dienen, ik trek mijn opmerking over “minder duister” direct weer in. En soms, zoals even hierna, lijken we meer met percussie van doen te hebben, dan met de combinatie altviool – gitaar – piano, duidelijke gevolgen van een wederom onorthodoxe instrumentbehandeling. Dan bewegen we ons reeds richting het einde van dit stuk, met een opvallende ritmiek van Verhoeven in het hoog en stroef spel van de beide snaren bezitters.”
LEMADI TRIO – CANONICAL DISCOURSE (cd) José Lencastre : alto sax Dirk Serries : archtop guitar Martina Verhoeven : grand piano
“‘Canonical Discourse’ begint met een patroon, bestaande uit afwisselend lage en hoge noten van Lencastre’s altsax, afgewisseld met spel onder de klep van Verhoeven en wat scherp aangezette accenten van Serries. Geleidelijk loopt het tempo op en klinken op piano ook de eerste klanken van de toetsen. De klank van het trio heeft hier wel iets van een vreemd apparaat dat langzaam op stoom komt. Dan valt het stil, waarna donkere klankwolken door Serries’ studio trekken, gevolg door trillend hoge klanken van Lencastre, voorzien van een flinke dosis weemoed. Verderop gekraak en geritsel – of we door het bos lopen – en een enkele afgestopte pianoaanslag. Fijnzinnigheid ten top. En wanneer Lencastre er verderop meerdere keren doorheen breekt is dat wederom met een diepgravende en krachtige klank. In ‘Tenets of System’ blaast Lencastre een opvallend melodieuze solo, één waarin hij zich een prima verhalenverteller betoont, terwijl Verhoeven en Serries hier zorgen voor onderliggende spanning. Spanning die verderop tot alarmerende hoogte stijgt en de melodie wegdrukt. Opvallend zijn die omtrekkende bewegingen van Serries en Verhoeven in ‘Disjuncture’, abstracte klankuitingen, waarin het toeval overheerst en die een mooie voedingsbodem bieden voor ook hier weer opvallend melodieuze wendingen van Lencastre. Het stuk eindigt met een prachtige, bijzonder introspectieve solo van Lencastre, subtiel begeleid door de twee andere leden van dit trio. Nog subtieler klinkt het laatste stuk, ‘Little Emphasis’, met wederom prachtig saxofoonspel van Lencastre, een harmonieus geheel vormend met de klanken van Serries en Verhoeven, vooral die laatste valt hier op met haar regelmatige patronen in het hoge register.”
MARTINA VERHOEVEN QUINTET – INDICATOR LIGHT (cd) Gonçalo Almeida : double bass Onno Govaert : drums Dirk Serries : archtop guitar Martina Verhoeven : grand piano Colin Webster : alto sax
“Mooi dat het enerverende concert dat het Martina Verhoeven Quintet op 12 februari vorig jaar gaf in het Tilburgse Paradox nu ook op Cd verkrijgbaar is. Een soort van vervolg op het optreden dat hetzelfde kwintet gaf tijdens het Roadburn Festival in 2022 en dat later dat jaar onder de titel ‘Driven’ verscheen bij Klanggalerie. Heel uitgebreid stil staan bij dit album doe ik dan ook niet, dat deed ik immers reeds. Maar het is voor mij natuurlijk wel leuk om nu de Cd er is nog eens het verslag bij het concert door te lezen, met de vraag in het achterhoofd: hoe goed heb ik toen geluisterd? Nou, best goed, zo blijkt – en nee, ik heb achteraf niets aangepast. Een inderdaad onstuimig concert, wel wat lijkend op dat van het tentet in Londen, alleen nu met maar één blazer, in plaats van vijf. De enige die wat meer aandacht had mogen krijgen is Verhoeven zelf, die met name in die dynamische passages voor flink wat reuring zorgt. Bij deze rechtgezet.”
HAPPY RELEASE DAY : TRANSITION UNIT – Face Value cd TONUS – Analog Deviation cd LEMADI TRIO – Canonical Discourse cd MARTINA VERHOEVEN – Indicator Light cd
it’s also your last chance to save some nice money with ordering the 4CD bundle (minimum 12 EUR on domestic orders, 21 EUR for all European shipments to 22 EUR for all overseas orders). Last day for this bundle. Thanks for your support.
Don’t forget the bundle pre-order of our 4 new releases ! It will save you minimum 12 EUR (domestic orders), 21 EUR for all European shipments to 22 EUR for all overseas orders ! Valid through October 15th 2024.
It’s quite rare, and a fact, that THE WIRE hardly takes the trouble to feature anything of our label and affiliated artists, despite the strong UK connection. But thanks to kindred spirit, and brilliant guitarist/sound explorer, MATTHEW GRIGG two songs (from COLIN WEBSTER’s Textural Studies and DIRK SERRIES’ Solo Acoustic Guitar Improvisations II/III) are now featured on their Adventures In Sound And Music radioshow on Resonance FM. Thank you.
Super happy to announce four new releases in the A New Wave Of Jazz/Axis series. Now available as pre-order as a bundle, to coincide with a new Bandcamp Friday. Go here to pre-order the bundle for a very attractive price of only 45 EUR (incl. worldwide postage).
TRANSITION UNIT – FACE VALUE (cd, A New Wave Of Jazz Axis 2024)
TRANSITION UNIT is the brand-new trio of RODRIGO PINHEIRO (piano), JOSé LENCASTRE (alto and tenor sax) and DIRK SERRIES (archtop guitar). When Dirk Serries flew to Portugal in 2023 at the invitation of José for a number of concerts in duo, he received an surprise invitation from Rodrigo for a studio session. Rodrigo Pinheiro is a class act, a fantastic pianist who has earned his place in both classical free jazz and contemporary music with, among others, his magnificent RED TRIO and the collaborations with Rodrigo Amado, Hugo Costa (see also our release of the GARUDA TRIO featuring Rodrigo Pinheiro), etc. José Lencastre was a logical choice to join Rodrigo and Dirk on this studio session. José Lencastre is a kindred spirit of Rodrigo and also a strong musician, on saxophone, who feels at home in both free jazz and free improvisation. They both run the PHONOGRAM UNIT label. TRANSITION UNIT is a trio that musically balances beautifully on the fine line between free improvisation, the more classic free jazz and even chamber music.
TRANSITION UNIT celebrates the release of their debut at jazzclub PlusEtage (Baarle-Nassau, The Netherlands) on December 14th, 2024. All info and tickets go here.
TONUS – ANALOG DEVIATION (cd, A New Wave Of Jazz Axis 2024)
Connaisseurs of the label are most likely familiar with TONUS, the minimalist rotating ensemble curated by Dirk Serries. 6 years after TEXTURE POINT (find the album here) the trio configuration of MARTINA VERHOEVEN (piano), BENEDICT TAYLOR(viola) and DIRK SERRIES (archtop guitar) returns with a new album. This session was performed and recorded at the home studio. Still playing with the trademark pacing of TONUS, this album definitely takes a dive into more abstract and intense phrases as well – bringing a more musique-concrete and avant-garde feel to the timbre of Analog Deviation. A must-have for all minimalist / abstract music admirers.
LEMADI TRIO – CANONICAL DISCOURSE (cd, A New Wave Of Jazz Axis 2024)
This is LEMADI TRIO‘s 2nd album for A New Wave Of Jazz. The trio consists of JOSÉ LENCASTRE on alto sax, MARTINA VERHOEVEN on piano and DIRK SERRIES on archtop guitar. On contrary to its debut on which Martina plays the electric Crumar piano, she plays the grand piano here. Truly a game changer as the timbre is quite different from tis predecessor, with the clear and pristine acoustics at the home ‘Canonical Discourse’ is an album that furthermore expands the communcation between all 3 musicians into world of its own. LEMADI TRIO is definitely setting the bar for a trademark sound of the trio. A challenge and a treat for the ears.
MARTINA VERHOEVEN QUINTET – INDICATOR LIGHT (cd, A New Wave Of Jazz Axis 2024)
“Almost a throwback to the glory days of 1970s Free Jazz, Driven’s one lengthy improvisation is played with fire and determination by a pan-European quintet. But with several generations of creative musicians now exploring that style, New Thing excesses have been pared to mature interaction. Consisting of Belgians, pianist Martina Verhoeven and guitarist Dirk Serries, Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida, Dutch drummer Onno Govaert and British alto saxophonist Colin Webster, the five, who are each part of numerous bands, frame the narrative in sections, some of which are prestissimo and pressurized; while others are andante and acquiescent. More than an historical aberration, Free Jazz improv has become part of the Jazz continuum. Here Martina Verhoeven’s quintet shows how well it can be done.” Jazzword
Better than Ken Waxman’s thoughts on the quintet’s debut DRIVEN we can’t introduce MARTINA VERHOEVEN‘s quintet here. After their incredibly powerful passage at the Roadburn Festival in 2022, the quintet played a release show (for this album) at the same venue, jazzclub Paradox in Tilburg (The Netherlands). The quintet consists of MARTINA VERHOEVEN (grand piano), GONÇALO ALMEIDA(double bass), COLIN WEBSTER (alto sax), DIRK SERRIES (archtop guitar) and ONNO GOVAERT (drums).
Equally powerful as the quintet’s initial live performance but the jazz aspect dripped in a bit more, making the quintet more groovy and thematic. What a live band !
Tomorrow, October 4th, we’re launching for 4 new releases in our A New Wave Of Jazz/Axis series, to coincide with another bandcamp Friday. From 9am on you’ll be able to pre-order these 4 new albums as a bundle for only 45 EUR (incl. worldwide postage). We’ll post the link to order tomorrow at 9am. Get ready.
After a succesful ‘name your price’ campaign on Projekt’s bandcamp, DIRK SERRIES & TRÖSTA’s MAGNETAR remains available at a small price for such expansive collection.
EXPOSE REVIEW : “A magnetar is a neutron star with an incredibly powerful magnetic field, such that as it decays it powers the emission of high energy electromagnetic radiation, and in particular x-rays and gamma rays. No need to worry about that here, this magnetar is completely safe and won’t harm your hearing, vision, or internal cell structure — no danger at all. In fact, being in the vicinity of this Magnetar is a relatively gentle and calming experience, though it is warm, a combination of ambient and melodic elements that cover the listener like a warm blanket on a cold autumn night under the stars. Dirk Serries should be well known to Exposé readers — we interviewed him years ago when he was using the moniker VidnaObmana to release his own work, as well as many collaborations with the likes of Steve Roach, Stratosphere, Asmus Tietchens, PBK and numerous others over a 40-plus year career. Trösta is Belgian saxophonist Nicolas Lefèvre, an outstanding player but relatively unknown, though we did review his 2021 collaboration with Serries titled Island on the Moon. On the ten improvised tracks at hand, Serries provides a heavily effected ambient guitar backdrop to the proceedings, while Trösta provides the melodies on alto sax with a mild amount of studio reverb. The sax is always clearly audible as such, while the same can’t be said for the expansive guitar sweeps, which often sound more like a wall of synthesizers, but the combination that they present together is always graceful, forceful, and melodically striking, though never harsh or abrasive in any way. For those who need categorizations, one might say it’s a mix of floating ambient and melodic jazz working together seamlessly, weaving in and out of a cosmic atmospheric fabric, each track around ten minutes in length, give or take a few minutes, and all together the album comes to well over 100 minutes. While there is definitely too much going on here to make it suitable for slumber, it’s a perfect soundtrack for relaxation and meditation.”
FREEJAZZ BLOG REVIEW : “Magnetar takes Serries to his formative ambient era, then working under VidnaObmana and Fear Falls Burning pseudonyms, in a second duo album with fellow Belgian alto sax and electronics player-sound engineer-producer Trösta (aka Nicolas Lefèvre), following Island on the Moon (Consouling Sounds, 2022). The album was recorded live between 2021 and 2023 at Serries’ favorite Sunny Side Studios in Brussels, operated by Lefèvre. This 102-minute album offers atmospheric and peaceful yet quite melancholic, free improvised dreamscapes and drones of Serries’ expansive, effects-laden guitar lines, resonating with great reverb the subtle melodic phrases of Trösta. A highly immersive listening experience that highlights the close and powerful magnetic fields Serries and Trösta share.”
dirkserries.com 