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“Dirk Serries continues his exploration of ambient soundscapes, crafting a sonic journey that is both immersive and introspective. Recorded live in his home studio in November 2024, this album showcases Serries’ mastery in manipulating electric guitar tones through a complex array of analog pedals“
Part of a five album project, Polish ZOHARUM RECORDS is set to release DIRK SERRIES’ ZONAL DISTURBANCES III on December 21st, 2025. Its predecessor was received with praise from listeners and critics for its bold direction and uniqueness. Number III continues to push, provoke and pull the attentive listener in with complex, multi-layered but still quite minimal real-time treatments of the electric guitar through a board of carefully selected gear. All treatments are done by hand, turning knobs of each soundtool at the cadence of how the guitarsound twists, twirls and floats.
Check out the youtube teaser in awaits of its official release.
Last Thursday, October 16th, DIRK SERRIES performed one of his rare ambient concerts, and one of his last ones for a longer time. In the ‘kapel sessies’ series organised by the city of Brecht, Dirk played an hour long set in the beautiful setting of the Oude Klooster chapel in Brecht (Belgium). Photos are courtesy of Jan Kees Helms.
MOORS MAGAZINE REVIEW : Zonal Disturbances II is het tweede deel van de reeks ambientalbums die de Belgische gitarist Dirk Serries in zijn eentje in zijn homestudio opneemt, met enkel zijn elektrische gitaar en een aantal effectpedalen. Ik zeg nu wel “ambient” maar deze muziek is niet helemaal in dat vakje te plaatsen, want dit is ambient die je goed wakker houdt als luisteraar. Donker, melodieus, melancholiek, zwaar ook, maar tegelijk vol subtiele details die je steeds doen opveren en weer bij de les houden, om het zo maar te zeggen. Het album duurt een uur en een kwartier, en na afloop ben ik blij dat er meer delen zijn, want dit hoeft niet te stoppen, als ik eenmaal samen met Serries in de flow zit wil ik eigenlijk alleen maar dat het nog een hele tijd doorgaat. Er worden ons vijf delen in het vooruitzicht gesteld, en ik zit in ieder geval al handenwrijvend klaar. Geweldige muziek.
KRAUTNICK REVIEW: Verrückt: Allein mit seiner E-Gitarre und einem unüberblickbar hohen Stapel an Effektgeräten, verliert sich Dirk Serries selbst und lässt dazu das Aufnahmegerät laufen. Seine „Zonal Disturbances“ enthalten eine Art Ambient, die Musik mäandert ohne rhythmische Konturen durch den Raum und nimmt die Hörenden mit zwar dunklen, aber durchaus entspannenden Sounds auf eine Reise. Die auch was länger dauert: Aktuell liegt „Zonal Disturbances II“ vor, und der Antwerpener kündigt an, dass dies eine Serie aus fünf Teilen werden soll. Nur zu!Dunkelheit dominiert diese „Störungen“, die Töne sind tiefer gehalten, lediglich im Hintergrund oder in Ausnahmen schimmert es mal etwas heller, als Riss in den Wolken – oder auch als Ankündigung von noch mehr Dunkelheit. Serries lässt seine Gitarre dröhnen, er entringt ihr durchgehende Sounds, die er leicht variiert, aber von anderen Sounds begleiten lässt. So hat man nie das Gefühl, permanent nur ein Geräusch zu hören, sondern etwas Lebendigem, aber Langsamem zu folgen. Der erste von vier Tracks schunkelt wie ein dunkelgraues Meer aus flüssigem Metall in der Nacht, dessen Wellen Geräusche abgeben, die nicht nach Wasser klingen, sondern fester, wenn auch nicht greifbar. Eine Viertelstunde lang wogt dieses handzahme Ungetüm und schafft es, gleichzeitig den Eindruck von unterschwelliger Bedrohlichkeit und deren behutsame Abwendung auszustrahlen. Etwas mehr Helligkeit begleitet den zweiten Viertelstünder, dessen Basis-Drone angenehm fuzzy erklingt und der mehrere Begleitgeräusche transportiert. Von denen sind einige tatsächlich in hoffnungsvoll höheren Lagen gehalten, binden sich aber mit allen Sounds zu einem Geflecht zusammen, so dass keine der Stimmungen dominiert, sondern man von diesem Fluss einfach irgendwie behütet getragen wird. An dritter Stelle wird es beinahe klassisch, das Stück klingt anfangs nach Streichinstrumenten, die über einen Drone kratzen, wischen, geistern, und danach wie gehauchte Blasinstrumente, ein Saxophon oder Didgeridoo, in das jemand ohne Kraftanstrengung hineinpustet. In diesem Zweiungdzwanzigminüter finden mehr atmosphärische Wechsel statt als in den beiden Tracks davor, die in sich geschlossener ein Thema abbilden. Hier verändern sich die Sounds beständig, denn bald schon bedient Serries seine Gitarre so behutsam, dass ihr lediglich ein milder Ton entfleucht, in dem man sich betten mag. Was er dem hinzufügt, lässt die Ahnung von Synthesizern aufkommen, die jemand zaghaft bedient, nur einen Ton, vielleicht zwei, ein bisschen herumprobiert, vorsichtig, dass es auch ja niemand mitbekommt. Ab und zu rutscht der Experimentierende dann und wann aus, dann dröhnt ein intensiver Ton, aber hey, das verleiht dem Bild nur Konturen und bindet die Aufmerksamkeit der Betrachtenden. Der letzte Track, abermals 22 Minuten lang, erhöht wieder den Fuzz-Anteil im Drone. Mancher Sound knarzt gar wie ein alter analoger Synthesizer, dadurch bekommt der gesamte Track eine angenehme Wärme, trotz der eher aufgekratzten Sounds, denn die setzt der Gitarrist stressfrei ein, wellenartig, sinuskurvig. So sind Wiederholungen und Loops ohnehin ein fester Teil dieser „Zonal Disturbances“. Zudem variiert er auch hier die Geräusche, er entlockt seiner Gitarre unter anderem gelegentlich den Klang einer Orgel und zuletzt sogar den einer Sirene. Damit holt er die Hörenden freundlich aus der Trance wieder heraus, in die er sie in den 70 Minuten davor versetzte. Rätselhaft sind die Titel der vier Tracks: Sie lauten „594ZEY8P“, „KG209NCF“, „XDY8756C“ und „AHOFS58Z“. Was auch immer sie bedeuten, sie sind originär, eine Internetsuche führt direkt auf dieses Album zurück. Auch scheinen es keine codierten Koordinaten zu sein, Google Maps wirft da nichts aus. Zeitangaben sind es nicht, Hexadezimalzahlen nicht, allenfalls ein kryptischer Dialog mit Richard D. James fällt dazu ein, dessen Tracktitel sind ja bisweilen ähnlich nebulös. Auf dem ersten Teil der „Zonal Disturbances“ begannen alle Tracktitel mit dem Buchstaben I, gefolgt von weiteren Buchstaben und Zahlen, aber selbst solch eine minimale Konstante bietet Teil II nicht an. Auch ergeben Online-Decodierer keine sinnvollen Ergebnisse. Drei weitere Teile der „Zonal Disturbances“ will Serries noch folgen lassen. Die spielt er vermutlich ein, während man den zweiten Teil noch hört, und dazu gleichzeitig noch 161 weitere Projekte mit Freunden, die dann im Mai als Mitschnitt erscheinen. Verrückt!
JAZZ’HALO REVIEW : Niet elke gitaar klinkt als een gitaar. Dirk Serries bewijst dit nogmaals op deze nieuwe opname. Dat hij daarbij gretig gebruik maakt van “effects” helpt om een heel aparte klankenwereld te creëren. Het was ergens in november 2024 dat gitarist “hors pair” Dirk Serries zich terugtrok in zijn thuisstudio en aan het improviseren ging enkel met gitaar gekoppeld aan wat analoge pedalen. Alles wat op band belandde, werd in “real-time” ingespeeld. Na de mixing en mastering door Serries zelf is ‘Zonal Disturbances II’ het eindresultaat. Zoals titel en kunstzinnige zwart-withoes aanduiden gaat het om een uiterst donkere soundtrack te omschrijven als “industrial ambient”. Welkom in een gitzwarte matrix waar cijfers en letters door elkaar als referentie gebruikt worden, net als op de vorige release trouwens. Vandaar benamingen voor de vier hoofdstukken als ‘594ZEY8P’, ‘KG209NCF’, ‘XDY8756C’ en ‘AHOFS58Z’. Tweeënzeventig minuten lang wordt de luisteraar ondergedompeld in een huiveringwekkend decor waarin duistere texturen overheersen. Soundscapes schuiven als tektonische platen over elkaar heen en leiden tot een heus trance-effect. Dirk Serries werpt zich wederom op als de obsessieve muzieketnoloog van dienst gespecialiseerd in sonische weefsels van het schimmige type. Zeker voor fans van Tim Motzer. Dit is het tweede hoofdstuk van een vijfdelige reeks. Uiteindelijk zal een verzamelbox volgen. U bent verwittigd.
VITAL WEEKLY REVIEW : During his long career, there have been some interesting changes for Dirk Serries and his music. I am sure I started previous reviews with similar words. In recent years, he has done many releases with improvised music, but there has been a slight side interest, which is more up my alley. This is an extension of his old work as Vidna Obmana, Fears Fall Burning and Microphonics, but it is also a new direction for him. The guitar remains his instrument of choice, but in his current handling, it sounds pretty different from the deep ambient of Vidna Obmana or the rockist drones of Fears Fall Burning. I have no idea how he plays his guitar these days, with his hands, objects, or a bow (or a combination), but Serries manages to retrieve a ‘dirty’ sound from his instrument. The results are crumbled sounds, muffled, alien, and sustaining oddly, like ambient music. In some ways, I’d say Serries connects with those dystopian lo-fi noise mongers, working with cheap instruments to alter field recordings so they sound like a field recording of a post-nuclear blast, but doing something similar. However, it’s less lo-fi, or at least I assume so, and there’s a long line of shiny effects pedals to create this sound. The only other guitarist to play similar music is Manuel Mota (I am sure there are others, but I don’t know them). The music fits Serries’ long career in ambient music, but he now takes a new path, one that leads to more industrial results, as depicted on the cover. There are four pieces, between 14 and 22 minutes, and none feels long or too much. Maybe it’s the somewhat sombre Good Friday, slower than your average, and I am in no hurry either, that made me play this on repeat three times, before even wanting to get up and think about a review. Dystopian never felt this good! (Unlike the unfolding dystopia in real life, I might add)
MEDIENKONVERTER REVIEW : Wer glaubt, Ambient sei nur Klangtapete fürs entspannte Kräutertee-Schlürfen, dem wirft ‘Dirk Serries’ am 7. April 2025 mit Zonal Disturbances II eine düstere Klanglandschaft vor die Füße, die eher nach post-apokalyptischem Gewächshaus klingt als nach Esoterikladen. Die vier Stücke, live eingespielt im heimischen Studio im November 2024, sind der zweite Teil einer fünfteiligen Reihe, die nach und nach auf Zoharum erscheinen und schließlich in einer Box enden wird – ein musikalischer Langzeitplan mit Tiefgang. Serries, der mit seiner Gitarre und einem analog-pedalgesteuerten Arsenal schon seit Jahrzehnten das weite Feld zwischen Ambient, Industrial und experimenteller Musik durchpflügt, zeigt sich auch hier wieder als Klangarchitekt mit Hang zur brodelnden Unruhe. Zonal Disturbances II klingt dabei so, als hätte jemand Minimalismus mit einer Prise Nihilismus gewürzt – organisch, düster, langsam wachsend, aber stets mit einem subtilen Zittern unter der Oberfläche. Tracktitel wie 594ZEY8P oder XDY8756C wirken wie Passwörter in ein klangliches Paralleluniversum, das mit traditionellen Songstrukturen nichts am Hut hat. Stattdessen gibt es langsam wuchernde Droneflächen, tiefe Schwingungen und eine Atmosphäre, die sich eher zwischen verlassenem Industriekomplex und endlosem Weltraum bewegt als im Wohnzimmer. Wer also auf Ambient steht, der nicht einfach nur plätschert, sondern unter der Oberfläche brodelt, sollte sich dieses zweite Kapitel von Zonal Disturbances auf keinen Fall entgehen lassen. Es ist Musik für jene, die in der Stille das Chaos hören können – und für alle, die nicht glauben, dass man mit einer Gitarre die Realität verbiegen kann. Dirk Serries kann es.
AMN REVIEW : Despite its title, Zonal Disturbances II is the first of five planned releases. The album presents Dirk Serries in a raw form that combines two of his areas of focus: guitar-based free improv and ambient music. Spanning four long tracks (14-23 minutes) recorded live in the studio, Serries employs just electric guitar and a rack of effects. Through delay, loops, and other processing, there are multiple voices present most of the time, adding unsettling ambient washes to spiky distorted guitar. When not plucking abrupt or jolting individual notes, his fretwork blends into a fuzzy background that shift, moves, and evolves over time. Occasionally this background takes on a harsher presence, with feedback and static-laden passages that resemble a loose electrical connection. For those familiar with the multiple faces of Dirk Serries, Zonal Disturbances II is a interesting amalgam of his styles. But this release should have appeal to any adventurous listener, as he explores a sparsely-populated area of ambient music.
ANXIOUS MAGAZINE REVIEW : Po ostatnich albumach Dirk Serries kontynuuje eksplorację różnych przestrzeni dźwiękowych. Przy użyciu gitary elektrycznej, sprzężonej z licznymi efektami zarejestrował 4 utwory na Zonal Disturbances II, wyznaczające nowy kierunek w jakim zmierza Dirk, konstruując charakterystyczny dla niego stylu ambientu. Organiczny, ponury i niesamowity. Całość zarejestrowana została na żywo, na miejscu, co przełożyło się na muzykę, zdradzającą zamiłowanie artysty do minimalizmu oraz powolnych, repetytywnych klastrów dźwięków, odnosząc się tym samym do swoich korzeni, tkwiących głęboko w muzyce industrialnej i eksperymentalnej. Po blisko czterech dekadach na scenie, podczas których nieustannie rozwijał, udoskonalał i wypracował wreszcie unikalną i prowokującą metodę komponowania muzyki ambientowej, często wyłamującej się poza schemat tego gatunku. Dirk Serries to wreszcie, osobowość, która dzięki konsekwencji i uporowi, nierzadko zderzając się z oporem ze strony branży muzycznej, osiągnęła sporo, odciskając swoje piętno na ten gatunek. Trudno dzisiaj rozmawiać o ambiencie, nie odnosząc się do twórczości Belga. W międzyczasie, gdy przygotowywaliśmy niniejszą edycję, projekt “Zonal Disturbances” rozwinął się do kilku woluminów. Zatem jeżeli dacie porwać się tej muzyce, wypatrujcie niebawem kontynuacji…
ANXIOUS MAGAZINE REVIEW : Dirk Serries na muzycznej scenie obecny jest już blisko cztery dekady. Artysta znany choćby z legendarnego dla wielu projektów Vidna Obmana trwale wpisał się w kanon ambientowej klasyki, która w jego wykonaniu bardzo często wykracza poza utarte ramy gatunku. Nie inaczej jest na nowym albumie Dirka, tym razem wydanym pod jego własnym nazwiskiem. Zazwyczaj wszelkie ambientowe eksperymenty kojarzą się z dźwiękami generowanymi i przetwarzanymi za pomocą stricte syntetycznego instrumentarium. W przypadku nowej płyty Serriesa jest jednak zgoła inaczej. Muzyk postanowił oprzeć wszystko na bazie brzmienia gitary elektrycznej, instrumentu, po który bardzo często sięga w swojej twórczości. Oczywiście gitara jest tylko punktem wyjścia, ponieważ dźwięki przez nią generowane przepuszczone są przez masę efektów i procesorów. Co ciekawe, całość została nagrana na żywo, przez co brzmi niezwykle surowo i organicznie. Zonal Disturbances to również dzieło bardzo obszerne. Składa się z czterech kompozycji, z których najkrótsza trwa blisko kwadrans. Nie sposób tym samym słuchać tego albumu w biegu. Wymaga on zarówno czasu skupienia, aby we wszystkich zawartych tu niuansach usłyszeć całe bogactwo dźwięków. A jest tu co odkrywać… Od repetatywnych partii zanurzonych w przesterach i sprzężeniach po przestrzenne plamy dźwięku, które nakładając się na siebie tworzą zamglone, dźwiękowe krajobrazy. Jest tu miejsce i na surowość, chropowatość, jak również na spokój i łagodność. Słuchanie tego ponad godzinnego albumu na pewno może być nie lada wyzwaniem, jeśli jednak stylistyka muzycznego eksperymentu jest komuś bliska to nie przejdzie koło tej płyty obojętnie.
VER SACRUM REVIEW : Zonal Disturbances II non è un disco, ma un’interferenza cosmica: una trasmissione opaca proveniente da un confine instabile tra il suono e il silenzio. Dirk Serries, da solo con la sua chitarra elettrica e un arsenale di pedali analogici, si ritira dal mondo per improvvisare in tempo reale una topografia sonora senza coordinate, senza direzione, senza centro. Ne nasce un’opera che non guida ma disorienta, che non racconta ma si lascia abitare come un territorio astratto — o un sogno ricorsivo. Quattro lunghe tracce dai titoli alfanumerici (“594ZEY8P”, “KG209NCF”, “XDY8756C”, “AHOFS58Z”) funzionano come traslitterazioni acustiche di un codice indecifrabile. Come in una matrice nera attraversata da tensioni residue, la chitarra non è mai solo una chitarra: è rumore latente, voce che si scioglie nel riverbero, feedback che pulsa come una vena elettrica appena sotto la pelle. È una musica che serpeggia e resta, simile a una macchia di umidità sul muro: lenta, persistente, inesorabile. Qui torna lo spirito dei lavori più oscuri e sperimentali di Vidna Obmana, il precedente alias di Serries. Non la world ambient meditativa di alcuni suoi cicli etnici, ma i paesaggi più ridotti, granulosi, profondamente texturali — pensiamo a The Spiritual Bonding, Crossing the Trail, o ai primi lavori per Projekt. Zonal Disturbances II condivide con quei dischi l’approccio rituale all’improvvisazione, la preferenza per i suoni che emergono dal margine e l’esplorazione come unica forma di struttura. L’oscurità domina, ma è un’oscurità senza dramma. Non è tragedia: è condizione. A tratti le frequenze si alzano in un mormorio industriale, come un impianto in dismissione che continua a ronzare da solo nella notte. Altre volte, brevi lampi armonici squarciano il tessuto audio, come crepe in una lastra d’ardesia. Ogni elemento pare sospeso in un vuoto pressurizzato, come se ci trovassimo all’interno di una camera stagna in cui ogni gesto ha il peso della distanza. Il risultato è un suono vivido, ma quasi disabitato, come se si ascoltasse ciò che resta dopo che la musica ha cessato di interessarsi all’umano. È ambient, certo, ma nel senso di un ambiente che ti guarda senza riconoscerti. Una lenta mutazione in loop, dove le stratificazioni non costruiscono climax, ma profondità. Una caverna elettroacustica dove il tempo viene assorbito invece che scandito. Zonal Disturbances II è un invito a sottrarsi, a osservare da dentro la deriva. È un’opera isolazionista per eccellenza: non chiama, non accoglie. Ma chi è disposto a perdersi troverà qui un altrove sonoro senza nome — un luogo in cui riconoscere la propria sparizione come forma ultima di ascolto. Serries non si limita a suonare la chitarra: la dissolve.
SPONTANEOUS MUSIC TRIBUNE REVIEW : Dirk Serries jest tak częstym gościem na tych łamach, iż nie wymaga choćby słowa wprowadzenia. Zauważmy wszakże, iż muzyk, od ponad dekady silnie zanurzony w post-jazzowej muzyce swobodnie improwizowanej, coraz częściej powraca do swojej dawnej, ambientowej estetyki. Niektóre z nowych albumów są dla gatunku typowe, inne zdają się wnosić nowe elementy do ukształtowanego lata temu idiomu. Choćby At Future Down, nagranie, które śmiało posadowiło się na liście najlepszych nagrań ubiegłego roku, czyli wedle nomenklatury Trybuny, było jednym z 50 powodów, dla których warto było ów rok zapamiętać. Przed nami kolejna ambientowa nowość Serriesa, znów doposażona w elementy, które winny szczególnie przykuwać naszą uwagę. Dodajmy, iż krążek dostarcza krajowe Zoharum, które na ogół śle nam reedycje starszych nagrań belgijskiego gitarzysty. A tu nowość, do tego w zapowiadanej serii i od razu z … rozdziałem drugim. Tych ostatnich będzie kilka, a ów pierwszy epizod na nośniku fizycznym otrzymany … dopiero na samym końcu. Zapraszamy w kolejną samotną podróż Dirka ze wspaniałego cyklu the way of no return. Druga odsłona Zonal Disturbances składa się z czterech rozbudowanych ekspozycji, z których dwie pierwsze trwają po ponad kwadrans, dwie kolejne każdorazowo przekraczają dwadzieścia minut. W spektrum nagrania pojawiamy się jakby znienacka. Coś już trwa, coś nas ominęło. Gęsty, szorstki, wielowątkowy strumień – niektóre pasma falują, inne są efektem szarpnięcia za struny, obleczone kurzem antycznego ambientu. Background zdaje się mroczny, nosi znamiona zdekonstruowanego wieki temu rocka, słychać odgłosy iście loftcraftowskich przestworzy grozy. Wątek prymarny wydaje się poszarpany, skundlony, zagniatany ciężarem upływającego czasu. Początek drugiej części brzmi niemal post-industrialnie. Gitara charczy, rzęzi jak stary gruźlik, brzmi niczym zdezelowany syntezator. W tle już tradycyjnie mości się mroczny, wielowątkowy ambient. Teraz przypomina złowrogi chór wieszczący nieoczekiwaną nowinę. Flow popada w prawdziwie diabelskie rozkołysanie. Z czasem wydaje się, że ulega rozrzedzaniu, niczym plamy farby, na którą kapią łzy skazańców. Na zakończenie na nieistniejącej scenie pozostaje już sam ambient, obleczony spazmami smutnych piechurów. Trzecia opowieść sprawia wrażenie najspokojniejszej, szytej większymi połaciami czystszego ambientu. Wątek główny przypomina mglisty śpiew syntezatora zasilanego coraz mniejszymi porcjami prądu. Ta cisza przed burzą nabiera tajemniczej syntetyczności, a każdy z wątków zdaje się gubić gibkość na rzecz gęstości. Pojawiają się ukradkowe melodie, strzępy fonii poddawane nieuchronnemu upływowi czasu, niczym proces powolnej korozji. Opowieść ma różne fazy intensywności, ale i tak pozostaje nadspodziewanie kojąca w brzmieniu. Na ostatnich metrach gitara delikatnie sprzęga, wpada w boleść, umiera wyjątkowo długo. W ostatniej opowieści wątek główny jest kłębkiem basowych nerwów. Jego flow jest poszarpany, rozmywa się pod ciężarem własnym, tembr jest brudny, masywny, obleczona zakurzonym ambientem. Wszystko kołysze się na umiarkowanie silnym wietrze, brzmi syntetycznie, znów bardzo boleśnie. W tle pojawia się czyste pasmo ambientu, niczym światełko w tunelu, lepione z brzmienia nieobecnych strun i nieistniejących organów. Basowy strumień nie odpuszcza, dygocze, szczerzy zęby na dźwięk kolejnego pasma czystej fonii. Coś w tle delikatnie wyje, jakaś tajemnicza syrena alarmowa.
EXPOSÉ REVIEW : These are a couple of releases that Dirk Serries released on other labels (meaning other than Projekt, the label that has released most of the titles we have reviewed in these pages), though they are no less worthy, covering a wide range of styles; no songs, no singing, no jazz or rock in evidence, these are both extended sound sculptures of the highest order. Zonal Disturbances II picks up where 2024’s Zonal Disturbances left off, except this time out it’s available as a compact disc as opposed to a download-only, for those who like their music on a convenient physical medium. Again, the four very cryptic titles clock in at around an album side each, and could best be described as hard core ambient industrial sound sculptures created in real time using electric guitar and a motherboard of effects pedals, resulting in a sort-of minimalist chamber of chaos and clusters of gritty sounds, always interesting — though your average song-oriented listener might be running away with their ears covered after just a few minutes — this is definitely not for the faint of heart; it’s provocative, noisy, and highly experimental, one never knows what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. That said, each one of the pieces is a beautiful creation, a unique chain of sonic events that appear, expand, coalesce, decay and self-destruct in real time, each idea turning inward on itself or exploding into a supernova, with threads of amazing sounds flowing between each of the sub-constructs. There is no cadence, only a droning flow of energy and ideas. One can imagine hearing this being created in a live setting, loops of pure sonic madness moving in and out of the listener’s consciousness. This is the second installation of what Serries plans as a five volume set on the Polish Zoharium label.
ROCKERILLA REVIEW : L’ultimo progetto del prolifico musicista belga è un’opera in cinque parti, ZONAL DISTURBANCES. La prima uscita discografica è il secondo capitolo, appena pubblicato dalla solita Zoharum, l’etichetta polacca che ha recentemente ristampato alcuni imperdibili lavori di Vidna Obmana. Zonal Disturbances II è a sua volta diviso in quattro parti, ognuna rappresentata da un codice alfanumerico. Dirk Serries improvvisa con chitarra elettrica e feedback, inseguendo i fantasmi nascosti nei cantieri e nelle periferie della città in demolizione/ricostruzione. L’abisso della società post-industriale nascosto nell’ ombra di drone elettrici. Tenebroso.
DE SUBJECTIVISTEN REVIEW : Mijn eerste kennismaking met de muziek van de Belgische artiest Dirk Serries is met zijn Vidna Obmana project (waarvan de schrijfwijze nog wel eens verschilt). Hier heeft hij van 1984 tot 2007 een meer dan indrukwekkende discografie opgebouwd. Maar dat is lang niet alles, want er volgen vele releases met projecten als Fear Falls Burning, YODOK III, 3 Seconds Of Air, The Sleep Of Reason, Continuum, Akhet, Kodian Trio en Streams Of Consciousness en tevens onder zijn eigen naam. Hij is terug met denk ik zijn vierde of vijfde album van dit jaar Zonal Disturbances II, dat volgt het in 2024 verschenen eerste deel. Zoals altijd verkent hij nieuwe, dikwijls onontgonnen gebieden in de muziek, die meestal wel ergens in de ambienthoek finisht. Met zijn elektrische gitaar met een moederbord vol analoge pedalen heeft hij 4 stukken live opgenomen. Het zijn dus niet per se improvisaties, maar denk ik wel op dat moment ingekleurde stukken. Dat maakt ook dat de muziek organisch en ongepolijst overkomt. In totaal serveert hij er hier 4, maar dan wel met een totale lengte van 74 minuten. Je hoeft niet je veiligheidsgordel om te doen voor deze trip, want Serries pakt het zoals altijd rustig en minimalistisch aan. De stukken zijn wat meer grofkorrelig en unheimisch. Hij lardeert de muziek met drones en industriële en experimentele elementen. Met dit alles weet hij op biologerende wijze je steeds te verrassen met geluid die komen en gaan. Ook zitten er geluiden door die een soort zang doen vermoeden, al zou dat ook door de effecten kunnen komen. Het is wederom onderscheidend en meeslepend goed.
CHAIN D.L.K. REVIEW : In Zonal Disturbances II, Dirk Serries continues his exploration of ambient soundscapes, crafting a sonic journey that is both immersive and introspective. Recorded live in his home studio in November 2024, this album showcases Serries’ mastery in manipulating electric guitar tones through a complex array of analog pedals, resulting in four expansive tracks that blur the lines between ambient, drone, and experimental music. Each track, intriguingly titled with cryptic alphanumeric codes – “594ZEY8P”, “KG209NCF”, “XDY8756C”, and “AHOFS58Z” – serves as a portal into a distinct auditory realm. These compositions, ranging from 14 to 22 minutes, unfold with a deliberate pace, allowing listeners to become enveloped in evolving textures and subtle tonal shifts. Serries’ approach is characterized by minimalistic structures and repetitive clusters of sound, creating an atmosphere that is both brooding and eerie. The live recording process adds an organic quality to the music, capturing the spontaneity and raw emotion of each performance. This album is part of a planned five-volume series, with Zonal Disturbances II laying the groundwork for the subsequent releases. The Polish label Zoharum has committed to releasing the entire series, culminating in a comprehensive box set that encapsulates Serries’ vision for this ambitious project. For those seeking an ambient experience that challenges conventional boundaries, Zonal Disturbances II offers a compelling exploration of sound and emotion.
SALT PEANUTS REVIEW : The first collection of Zonal Disturbance extended ambient pieces was released by Serries (as a download-only release) and was recorded at his home studio in October 2025. The second one was recorded a month later, again, in Serries’ home studio (and released as a disc by the Polish Zoharum label) and injects an unpredictable, provocative spin to these disorienting, restless pieces. The four distinct, minimalist pieces are carefully layered, looped, manipulated, and distorted in real time. They use slow repetitive clusters of sound, with many effects that reference Serries’ sonic alter-egos as Vidna Obmana and Fear Falls Burning, with their strong industrial and experimental veins. They sound as if Serries sculpts their enigmatic, melancholic sound out of dark and highly resonant, extraterrestrial materials.
GONZO CIRCUS REVIEW : Bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan. Dirk Serries slaagt er nooit echt in zijn verleden in het industriële circuit helemaal los te laten. Dat ambieert hij hoogstwaarschijnlijk niet. De antecedenten geven het muzikale heden immers mee vorm. De foto op de hoes van ‘ZONAL DISTURBANCES II’ – zogenaamde schachtbokken van een steenkoolmijn – spreekt wat dat betreft boekdelen. Harmonische spiralen van gitaargeluiden, vaak in de vertrouwde gedaante van diafane drones, kronkelen weliswaar om elkaar heen, maar louter etherisch is het nergens. Er zijn altijd weerhaakjes; er is altijd wel een (welgekomen) vorm van gruizige dissonantie waardoor de spanningsboog en aandachtspanne netjes in evenwicht blijven.
MUSIQUE MACHINE REVIEW : Zonal Disturbances II finds long-term experimental mood setter and improviser offering up four slices of brooding to raw ambient guitar scaping. The CD release appears on Poland’s Zoharum, whom have been a long-term supporter/releasers of Mr Serries’ work. The CD come presented in a gloss monochrome six-panel gatefold. This features a selection of dusk/ shadowy pictures of industrial sites, with minimal silver texts over the top. So, a minimal, simple, but moodily effective bit of packaging. The four tracks here have runtimes between fourteen and twenty-two minutes. We open with “594ZEY8P” which features a central locked & bounding guitar tone, which hums of doomed country music. Think a more fuzzed-up, ground-down, and looping into itself take on Earth, and you get an idea of what’s on offer here. As we move on, we come to the tolling ambient glow meets raw rolling flow of “XDY8756C”, which is the longest track here at just over twenty-two and a half minutes. The track manages to keep in that hypnotic sweet spot, between wavering bright shimmer and crudely purring brood. The album plays out with “AHOFS58Z”, here we find a blend of on-the-edge of all-out feed fuzz and graceful hovering harmonics. You keep thinking the whole thing is going to collapse into a crude feedback pile-up, but it never fully does- remaining somewhere between grace and sear. Zonal Disturbances II feels like something a little different from Mr Serries, so it’s great to see an experimental sound maker who is nearing his 4th decade of operation trying something new. If you enjoy where the raw meets the atmospheric, then this is something you’ll want to check out.
AUDIOVISUAL OHLSEN OVERKILL REVIEW : Unter ähnliche Voraussetzungen – wieder nur Serries mit Gitarre und Effekten – entstanden die vier komplett live eingespielten Longtracks (zwischen vierzehn und dreiundzwanzig einhalb Minuten) auf dem auch insgesamt deutlich längeren Album “Zonal Disturbances II”. Wie man auch hier aufgrund des Coverfotos (diesmal vom Künstler selbst) bereits erahnen kann, ist der Grundton düsterer und zivilisationsmelancholischer. Was durchaus of harmonisch sein könnte wird stets durch andere Reize gestört. Die Vielzahl an an knarrenden, schabenden, kratzenden, nebelhornig dröhnenden, bohrenden, schleifenden Klängen, die hierbei parallel erzeugt werden, ist bemerkenswert. Ebenso wie den Tracktiteln (“XDY8756C”, “594ZEY8P” etc.) ist der unruhige Spannung verbreitenden Kaskade an Nebengeräuschen in Serries‘ Musik hier oft schwer zuzuordnen, was Absicht und was kontrollierter Zufall ist. Das Resultat ist in jedem Fall ein wirkungsvoller, ausdrucksstarker und doch sehr ambivalenter Soundtrack zur surrealen Grundstimmung der Gegenwart. Wenn ich mir dann noch vor Ohren führe, dass dieses Album im Prinzip auch eine Liveaufführung hätte sein können, fühle ich mich bei hochgedrehtem Volumenregler und geschlossenen Augen auch bald, als würde ih direkt vor einer Bühne in diesem meisterhaften Dark Ambient/Drone wogen. Es gibt ja diese meme-berühmten Fensteraufkleber, welche jeden Ausblick einen Sinn gebend “Directed by David Lynch” sagen. Mit diesem Album in Sinn müsste es eigentlich auch die Variante “Musical score by Dirk Serries” geben.
ONLYDEATHISREAL REVIEW : Vidna Obmana, who we’ve covered a number of times, may have been laid to rest about 20 years ago, but the creative mind behind it gets no rest. Testament to this is the sheer volume of releases Dirk Serries has released under his own name. Discogs lists an impressive 141 albums under that name. How relevant is it to mention a long past project right from the bat? Perhaps not very, and perhaps it’s even a slight injustice towards Serries to so prominently link his current output to an old project. But it’s also the only thing I have to work with, never having listened to any of Serries’ other numerous projects. Less than surprisingly, Dirk Serries anno 2025 sounds a lot different than the older Vidna Obmana releases we’ve covered before. Zonal Disturbances II takes several steps into a more industrial territory, and even a somewhat more dark and sinister timbre whilst still remaining in the field of ambient. To put it simply: Zonal Disturbances II looks like its cover artwork. It’s got that characteristic abstraction of ambience all about it, but there’s a far more industrial, electric nature about the music. What sounds like an electric guitar takes center stage in many of the compositions, complemented by elements familiar from darker strains of ambient, such as layers of slowly droning metal structures groaning under weight. Eerie murmurations and echoes haunt the background. There’s a sense of beautiful desolation to the music, like abandoned industrial complexes bathed in the benevolent light of a summer morning’s sunrise. Zonal Disturbances II is one of those albums that refuses to be easily pigeonholed. Whilst it contains plenty of elements familiar from dark ambient, I wouldn’t lump it under that descriptor. At times, the music engages the listener far too proactively to entirely snugly fit into stereotypical definitions of ambient. Drone it is not, despite heavily leaning towards long, droning passages of electrical tones. And industrial, broad as the genre is… well, not that either. And in a way it’s all of those. At least insofar as “if you are into this, you might like Zonal Differences II.” If any of the genres ticked above belong to your steady musical diet, Zonal Differences II will find a place on your plate. And therein is the beautiful paradox of Zonal Disturbances II. In many ways, it continues Serries’ style of understatedness and minimalism both in composition and arrangement – without being explicitly minimalist music. But at the same time, it’s industrial ambience draws from a vast array of styles to create something in which numerous genres overlap. This is not something one usually associates with minimalism. Reading Zoharum’s promo sheet, apparently Serries has been so inspired by the soundscapes he explores on this (and, presumably, the first Zonal Disturbances album) that continuation is imminent. Well, let this be my verdict of the album: I’ll welcome a Zonal Disturbances III with open arms!
DARKROOM REVIEW : Dopo la mole imponente di materiale realizzato come Vidna Obmana da metà anni ’80 lungo tre decadi (che si alimenta tuttora con numerose uscite postume di varia natura, fra inediti, raccolte e ristampe), il decano belga Dirk Serries ne ha creato e pubblicato a bizzeffe anche firmandolo col proprio nome e cognome. Un nuovo e già lungo viaggio che ne segue un altro lunghissimo e importante, in cui Dirk ha continuato ad esplorare la materia ambientale, addentrandosi in meandri più oscuri dai riferimenti industriali, armato della sua chitarra e di una vasta schiera di pedali analogici. Come suggerisce il “II” nel titolo, vi è già stato un primo volume, autoprodotto in download all’incirca un anno fa, ma sono al momento ben cinque i lavori completati per questa serie, pronti ad essere rilasciati via via dalla Zoharum in formato fisico. Caratteristica di questa serie di dischi è quella di essere stati registrati in presa diretta, con un carattere d’improvvisazione che ben si sposa col minimalismo oscuro alla base delle varie tracce, tutte rigorosamente intitolate con astruse sigle alfanumeriche. I quattro lunghi brani dell’opera in esame, che assieme sfiorano i 75 minuti complessivi d’ascolto, sono un’istantanea in movimento di scheletri industriali che si deteriorano giorno dopo giorno in perenne stato d’abbandono, tra ruvide pennellate elettriche al crepuscolo, cupe ambientazioni d’industriale rumorosità di fondo, abrasive sfumature metalliche, cupe e rarefatte ambientazioni, aperture verso scorci meno arcigni ed un’ampiezza contemplativa nel suo dilatare tempo e spazio, fra derive para-melodiche ben adatte al contesto. Alta qualità complessiva e visione non mancano, come sempre nelle uscite firmate da questo autentico veterano della scena, ancora ammirevolmente desideroso di esplorare e di spingersi verso nuovi orizzonti.
I had the pleasure and honour a few weeks ago to talk on my weekly radio show, “Between the Grooves,” with Belgium-based Dirk Serries — a sonic artist of longstanding.
I play Dirk’s music quite regularly on my overnight show, “Night Lights with Malcolm Burn” on Radio Kingston in Kingston, New York. If you don’t know Dirk’s work and you enjoy ambient and experimental music that has the ability to transport you to another state of mind, you need to look him up and explore his discography.
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Dirk has experimented with music on the border between avant-garde, industrial, experimental and ambient for close to 40 years now. He released his earliest work (1984) behind the pseudonym vidnaObmana up to 2007 when he closed the book on this project (realizing an extensive discography). In October 2013, Dirk Serries re-booted his classic vidnaObmana ambient sound from the mid-1980s/early 1990s. In contrast to his original music that was mostly synth-based, this ambient music is constructed on electric guitar. Dirk also runs the A New Wave Of Jazz label, dedicated to free improvisation and minimal avant-garde.
Through his experience in the free improvisation Dirk transformed his solo ambient music, originally constructed meticulously by writing strict motives before performing, to being able to improvise 200% and still create his trademark ambient music for which he is recognized worldwide.
“All of this started from the time I was a kid and enjoying early film soundtracks, which fascinated me to the extent that I thought, this would be really cool to make myself,” says Dirk. “It somehow sparked sort of an obsession… it’s not a hobby, it’s not a profession. For me, it’s an obsession — it’s part of who I am, part of my DNA, so to speak.”
We talked about the creative process. “For me, despite how you have to describe your music, for me it’s always been part of an ongoing search for that refinement in sound, and how it would trigger me as a musician to go deeper into something I would love to listen to myself,” says Dirk. “It’s part of an external world that you create for yourself and that’s where I love to be [in].”
Every musician has his ups and downs in realizing — who am I, what am I doing here, is this worthwhile to do? — and I do have that, as well,” says Dirk. “But each time I’m drawn back into it just because of the fact that it just feels comfortable with sitting in that world of sound whatever it is — if it’s an ambient record, an experimental jazz record… it’s all part of one continuing organism that grows, that expands and changes over time as I am, as a person.”
I think it’s fascinating that Dirk puts it this way because I experience the same thing. It’s the same kind of compulsion that I have, if one can call it that. There are a lot of other things that I could be doing in a day but this is what feels like it matters the most. Whether anybody else cares or not it’s not relevant.
Dirk agrees: “It’s a pretty egocentric situation you’re in but it’s also a very therapeutic situation — I feel good about it because there are a lot of things going on in the world, unfortunately, which are not that positive. The music, the sounds, the little space you create for yourself — these are things which I feel comfortable sitting in and from the moment you’re really in there and it works and the music gels, you feel really nicely despite the fact, indeed, whether you will share it with people or not, with the audience.”
“The Stars Sublime” — Dirk Serries — The Might of Stars Sublime (April 2025)
“As a musician you go through phases although it’s all in the same genre but still you have these kinds of variations on the aspect of recording soundscape music. This piece really resembles a little bit of everything I have been doing over these past 40 years. It’s a really beautiful introduction to who I am now,” says Dirk.
“There are different rules to creating such a soundscape although you could easily record it or compose it in a shorter time,” says Dirk. “I always admired Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois when they did their ambient works together. A couple of those songs are pretty short but they still work, and keep the slow pace, as well, so that nothing is abrupt, nothing is really produced in sort of its own level that really changes the entire mood of the songs. It’s artistry.”
This brought back the memory of when I was young and was listening to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” When I listen to that record now years later, having made albums and knowing how they’re made, I realized that record was made like a pop record. It wasn’t a pop record, per se, but all the pieces, for instance, even “Us and Them” and some of those tracks are six minutes long but somehow they seem longer. I think there’s an art form to that.
I asked Dirk how he would describe the relation between a keyboard instrument and a guitar in terms of the two instruments’ expressiveness. “That’s a good question and also a difficult question to answer,” says Dirk. “It took me a long time to actually get to the guitar. I started out as a young kid. My first synthesizer was a Korg MS-20 — great sounds and unpredictable, as well. That was all part of my discovery of sound and I stuck to that for a long time. I moved onto digital work stations like the Korg M1 and the wave station and your recording equipment evolved from the 2-track cassette (and 4-track cassettes). Younger listeners will probably never know what happened back then.”
“Also there was the saturation of it when you bounce it because your sound changes over time and back then you had to know that up front,” says Dirk. “Because you knew there was no way back. All these things evolved for me and created such a huge machine to operate because when the computer came, the multi-track and all the editing … and all the synthesizers together … it actually burned me out.
“At that point, I had already introduced the guitar a little bit in my music,” says Dirk.
“After I had recovered from the burn-out…, I sold all my synthesizers. And left over was one very cheap electric guitar and I started from scratch,” says Dirk. “Could I play guitar? No. I couldn’t really play it well then and I still don’t at this point call myself a guitar-player.”
I think that’s the beauty of the guitar. I use a lot of open tunings. I never change my strings. There are a lot of weird, funny things that I do that are very individual; and we invent those things for ourselves. Think of Jimi Hendrix with his guitar upside down and strung the other way up and playing, etc. These are all things you can do with a guitar. Whereas with a keyboard, you press the key and that’s the note that comes out.
Dirk agrees. “The guitar is very organic whether it’s an acoustic or electric guitar,” says Dirk. “Of course, there are big differences. It’s how you apply it, how you take it into your hands. The guitar is an extension of who you are at that point and I learned despite the fact that I was kind of an anti-guitarist. It made me discover a tool (I prefer to call it a tool) that I got so comfortable with over time. I’ve more and more started to play actual real chords on the guitar and incorporate it in my music but keep it experimental. Keep it not really too tonal.”
“This opened a different kind of spectrum for me,” says Dirk.
Photo by Shaun Cullen
I asked Dirk how he would describe his music — that is, the kind of music that he’s generally the most enthusiastic about creating. “This goes in phases,” says Dirk. “I also have a label for free jazz and experimental improvised music which I do with a lot of sound colleagues from London, Germany, Holland and from Belgium. That’s a different part of me. If somebody would ask me what kind of music I make, I would prefer to say just experimental music, which I think really covers a lot.”
“Who I am as a musician is that I’m also a huge listener of music and always want to discover new music,” says Dirk. “That’s how I learned about musicians, such as Hirotaka Shirotsubaki, classical music … and Emmylou Harris, who I discovered later because of the “Wrecking Ball” album, and that’s our connection.”
“This is what opened up my ears and my mind to other music; you discover that a lot of other people doing other music also listen to your music, which you would never expect,” says Dirk.
“If you would ask me now about my five favorite musicians, that would be impossible to do because you listen to so much music and in every little corner of a particular genre you will discover a new musician or an old musician who was already there for a long time but you never knew before and then they become part of your playlist, so to speak,” says Dirk.
I believe if there is one musician that we could all despite our musical tastes agree on it would be Jimi Hendrix. He was someone who changed music forever. Nobody was playing loud like that, bending the notes, etc. It’s hard to think about music before Hendrix. That sense of musical adventurism, I think, is something that he left behind for all us to learn from. Keep pushing wherever you can go with it and experiment. John Coltrane is another good example.
“Yes, this is very interesting and also signifies, I think, how important these musicians were back in the day, although they lived short lives,” says Dirk. “They touched upon something so unique you can’t really think about the pre-Jimi Hendrix or pre-John Coltrane, it’s mind boggling.”
Passage Dawn — Dirk Serries — Streams of Consciousness (A Series of Works by Dirk Serries, 2025)
I asked Dirk what format he works in as there are so many options available now. “I work with an Apple computer,” says Dirk. “I used to work with Pro Tools. But it’s not really compatible with all the plug-ins. I work now with Reaper, a software that’s very intuitive, very user-friendly and is compatible with all the plug-ins you want to use.”
“For young musicians who just stumble into the music scene, I think it’s also pretty overwhelming because I’m afraid they will lose the sense of the beauty of creating music because you’re so absorbed by the huge possibility of [too many] options,” notes Dirk.
I personally think that having too many options is the death of art. For example, the Abstract Expressionist American artist Jackson Pollock did something original in his art when he threw cans of paint on his canvases. Many people have tried to recreate that but they don’t and can’t. What Pollock did was unique and original. He was the first. It’s the same with music. You can make all kinds of fancy sounds but there still has to be some kind of heart and soul in there that comes from being a musician.
“Art itself has always been approached as being the more intellectual, especially the visual arts,” notes Dirk. “You have music as entertainment. But there is way more to music.”
“the ultimate drone album. My bible of inspiration from two amazing artists : Brian Eno with his legendary 80s ambient records (foremost ON LAND) and Robert Fripp’s own Frippertronics (think of LET THE POWER FALL and A BLESSING OF TEARS). NO PUSSYFOOTING still underrated, to my humble opinion.”
The Heavenly Music Corporation II — Robert Fripp, Brian Eno — No Pussyfooting (1973)
The best way to find Dirk is at his website: https://dirkserries.com/. His music is on many platforms, including Spotify and Bandcamp. Many of his live performances are on YouTube. Dirk also has a new, magnificent release — “YODOK III – NIDAROSDOMEN.” It will be officially out on September 19 but pre-ordering is now available through Consouling Sounds. After September 19, copies will be sold on Bandcamp. Check out the album teaser on YouTube.
Dirk chose a few more excellent tracks for our talk that we didn’t have the time to play on the show. I’ve included them here for your listening pleasure.
“from his vast and impressive catalog it’s difficult to choice, but this piece is one of my absolute favorites as it resembles everything I got to know Steve for, when I met him personally becoming good friends and collaborators. This piece blends in just a pitch-perfect manner the esoteric and spacious character of his music with the tribal-infused phase in his oeuvre.“
The Origin of Artifacts — Steve Roach — Artifacts (1994)
M.B. 55 T.D. 56 — Maurizio Bianchi — The Plain Truth (1983)
Listen to our entire one-hour talk here. Start at 1:01:17.
DIRK SERRIES was interviewed by renowned producer MALCOLM BURN (Emmylou Harris, The Neville Brothers, Bob Dylan, and his work with Daniel Lanois) on his BETWEEN THE GROOVES radio show on Radio Kingston (Kingston, NY). In this episode of his radioshow they talk about music, the world around us and more. Quite different and spontaneous. Do check it out.
On April 28th the German AUDIOPHOB label released Dirk Serries’ newest ambient album THE MIGHT OF STARS SUBLIME. Available through the label and directly from the artist over at his bandcamp here. Reviews will be added below the photo and bandcamp link. Enjoy.
VITAL WEEKLY REVIEW : This time, I will refrain from expressing my surprise about Dirk Serrries returning to ambient music, playing guitar with lots of effects, and such, because there are a few of these albums, and it’s a steady stream. If Serries is on a roll, there’s no stopping him. His improvised music side is nice, even when, most of the time, not my thing. I always preferred his work as Vidna Obmana and Fears Falls Burning, and these days doing a crossover between those previous projects. There are the highly atmospheric, sustaining patterns of Vidna Obmana, without the refinement, coupled with the rock-like guitar drone approach of Fear Falls Burning, but without the rock context, if you get my drift. The previous release had a bit more of a crumbled approach, almost like aliens playing the residue of a guitar, but on ‘The Might Of Stars Sublime’, the guitar returns to being a guitar and even howls like a drone-rock guitar e-bow solo. Here, too, the element of sustaining plays a significant role in the music, with the five pieces ranging in length from seven to ten minutes. Each of these is a well-rounded composition, and the five pieces are alike, yet different. They’re from the same composer, who nailed his approach down and sticks to the plan. Of course, Serries understands the need for this approach; to make an atmospheric album most enjoyable, it is essential to have no distractions, no out-of-place elements, and to do what he does best: play this kind of music. Whereas the previous release reminded me of Manuel Mota, this new one reminds me mostly of Dirk Serries, and that’s also (!) a great connection. Another refined work!
AFRICAN PAPER REVIEW : Mit “The Might of Stars Sublime” veröffentlicht der belgische Musiker Dirk Serries sein erstes Album auf dem Leipziger Label Audiophob. Aufgenommen mit elektrischer Gitarre und Effektgeräten, bewegt sich das Werk im Spannungsfeld zwischen warmer, vielfarbiger Klangschichtung und rauen, körnigen Texturen, oft mit einem spürbar melancholischen Unterton. Die Stücke folgen einer reduzierten, aber harmonisch fein abgestimmten Struktur, in der melodische Elemente zwar angedeutet, aber nie vordergründig ausformuliert werden. Stattdessen entfaltet sich eine Musik, die gleichermaßen geerdet wirkt und doch in eine andere Dimension zu führen scheint. Der Titel, inspiriert von einem Zitat Goethes, scheint auf diese Spannung zwischen Größe und Zerbrechlichkeit, zwischen Sternenglanz und Stille zu deuten.
NITESTYLEZ REVIEW : Put out on the circuit via the German Audiophob label on April 25th, 2k25 is “The Might Of Stars Sublime”, the most recent album by long standing producer Dirk Serries who has – according to Discogs stats… – more than 130 solo album releases under his belt using his real name alone, with a multiple of multiple involvements in groups, bands and projects as well as other aliases used since the 80s not accounted for. An impressive discography which sees its latest sequel, a five tracks and roughly 45 minutes spanning CD album, venturing into emotional, highly dramatic Synth Ambient landscapes with the opening tune “A Soft Glow” which moves to and fro like bright beams of sunlight over harsh, mountaineous terrain on a stormy, semi-clouded day followed by the deeper, more nocturnal, yet not less dramatic “Evocation” which, despite being less spiralling, for us evokes faint memories of Tangerine Dream’s score work for the 1977 movie “Sorcerer”. Furthermore “Carved Into” Oscillation” brings forth a calm take on post-apocalyptic Dark Ambient melancholia with fine morning mists floating over scarred landscapes and future battlefields whereas “Form Reversal” enters a realm of shimmering Ambient hopefulness and ethereal beauty before the final cut that is “The Stars Sublime” waves goodbye in a most comforting, and probably most classic and soothing Ambient manner with its soft ebb and flow of tonal shifts and a basically naturalistic overall feel which also might speak to fans and followers of (Neo)Classical music for a reason. A highly recommended journey into Ambient and Deep Listening Music as well as classic Synth compositions for those who know. Go check!
KRAUTNICK REVIEW : Heimlich wie die Kraft der Sterne bedient sich Dirk Serries für den Titel seines neuesten Albums (obwohl das zum Zeitpunkt der Niederschrift bei dem vielbeschäftigten Antwerpener vermutlich nicht mehr zutrifft) „The Might Of Stars Sublime“ bei Johann Wolfgang von Goethes Gedicht „Glück der Entfernung“. So poetisch wie der Titel ist auch die Musik, möchte man sagen. Dieses Mal hat sein mit der E-Gitarre erzeugter Ambient mehr Modulation als auf anderen Veröffentlichungen dieser Art, man ist beinahe geneigt, zu sagen: mehr Tempo, was bei beatlosem Ambient natürlich etwas schwierig zu ermitteln ist. Strahlende Schönheit liegt ihm ebenso inne wie beklemmende Spannung. Die Musik auf diesen fünf Tracks bewegt sich mehr, die Modulationen geschehen wahrnehmbarer. Auf vergleichbaren Alben strecken sich die Tonlagenänderungen bisweilen in den mehrstelligen Minutenbereich, hier geschehen sie wahrnehmbarer, expliziter. Rasanter wäre das falsche Wort, weil man den Bereich des Ambient hier nicht verlässt, dennoch hat sich das Tempo hier erhöht. Aufgrund der Sounds, die Serries hier und überhaupt generiert, erwartet man das komplett Verlangsamte, und fühlt sich dann, wenn er sich etwas flotter bewegt, quasi überrumpelt. Es entsteht eine Art Beklemmung, ein Unbehagen, wenn das, was den Hörenden ansonsten entspannen soll, unerwartet Spannung erzeugt. Und schon ist man gefangen von den Sounds hier. In „A Soft Glow“ klingt Serries‘ Gitarre wie zwei Orgeln: eine generiert eine deckende Soundscpae im Hintergrund, die zweite im Vordergrund in anderer Tonlage eine Melodie. Hier entsteht der Eindruck erstmals, alles sei zu schnell, obschon es immer noch sehr langsam vonstattengeht, wie Serries seine Gitarre und die Effektgeräte bearbeitet. Man ist verunsichert, fürchtet einen Angriff, als bäume sich da etwas in der Musik auf, um den unbedarften Hörenden zu attackieren, doch dies geschieht nicht, Serries hat das Biest unter Kontrolle, vermutlich windet es sich deshalb so vergleichsweise ungestüm. Für „Evocation“ wechselt Serries die Ausprägung der Sounds, hier klingt die Gitarre wie ein unbestimmtes Instrument in einem nebligen Hallraum, ebenfalls leicht beschleunigt variiert. Anders in „Carved Into Oscillation“, da nimmt Serries das Tempo erstmals heraus. Hier klingt die Gitarre wie dunkler Atem, bald cineastisch, warm, weich, beruhigend, und die Anflüge von Unbehagen sind verschwunden. Mit „Form Reversal“ kehren sie zurück, denn das Stück erhebt sich bedächtig schlängelnd aus dem Abgrund, es entwickelt einen Rausch und ist beinahe melodiös, so wie der Auftakt. Das Quasi-Titelstück „The Stars Sublime“ kommt komplett ohne den Fuzz aus, ohne das Diffuse, ohne Drones: Die Gitarre ist weitgehend klar gespielt, die zweite Ebene erinnert abermals an eine Orgel. Bill Murray erzählt den Teetrinkern RZA und GZA, dass er vor dem Schlafen Kaffee trinkt, damit er dann schneller träumt, und so wirkt „The Might Of Stars Sublime“ ebenfalls ein wenig: Es ist alles etwas beschleunigt, damit man schneller entspannt. Aber wie gesagt, lediglich im Vergleich zu anderen Arbeiten von Serries, für sich gehört ist dies immer noch chillig-schleppendes Gitarren-Drone-Ambient. Schön und entspannend, wenn es im Hintergrund läuft, und umso spannender und detailreicher, wenn man die Konzentration darauf lenkt. Und während man dies liest, hat Serries 393 neue Alben herausgebracht.
EXPOSÉ REVIEW : Like its title implies, The Might of Stars Sublime is less a disturbance and more of a step into the floating ambient direction, yet still full of fascinating textures and beautiful looping structures, created using a similar template of electric guitars and a massive number of effects. This one found release as a CD on the German Audiophob label, which specializes in ambient / industrial / experimental music. Like ZDII, the five tracks herein have no cadence or beat, they just flow from one idea to the next, though in a softer more discrete way; there’s nothing really abrasive here, just a gentle flow of sculpted dreamy sonic loops that the listener can immerse themselves in. The five tracks are around ten minutes each give or take a few, and have legible titles that are at once descriptive and inviting, like “Carved into Oscillation,” “Soft Glow,” “Evocation,” or the title track, each perhaps a journey unto its own, offering patches of light and shadow, flowing and muted tonal colors, all within a swirling eddy of textures and graininess. One might find The Might of Stars Sublime to be an easier journey with less of an overt industrial feel, a bit more melodic perhaps, expressive though still shrouded in mystery.
VER SACRUM REVIEW : Con The Might Of Stars Sublime, il suo debutto per l’etichetta tedesca Audiophob, Dirk Serries firma un ritorno che è anche un’uscita: un allontanamento dall’umano per abitare la rarefazione cosmica dell’ascolto puro. Qui la musica non racconta nulla, ma assorbe tutto. Limitato a 300 copie, il disco stesso è già un oggetto di ritiro, un frammento per iniziati. In un’epoca ossessionata dalla moltiplicazione, Serries sceglie la sottrazione radicale: una serie di brani che non cercano il centro, ma orbitano pazientemente intorno a un vuoto generativo. È ambient, sì — ma non come sottofondo: come orizzonte. Un orizzonte che si muove lentamente, troppo lentamente per lo sguardo frettoloso, ma perfettamente visibile a chi ha smesso di cercare. Il titolo stesso, The Might Of Stars Sublime, non è una metafora: è un invito a perdersi in una vertigine luminosa che non abbaglia, ma seduce con lentezza. Serries lavora per erosione. Ogni suono pare levigato dal tempo, come se provenisse da una fonte che ha suonato per eoni, fino a diventare pura presenza. Non ci sono accensioni, non ci sono cadute: c’è una stasi che pulsa, che respira con un ritmo disumano e necessario. Il minimalismo che pervade l’album non è scelta stilistica, ma atto esistenziale. I suoni si distendono come linee di forza invisibili, tra tensione e abbandono, tra l’eco e l’origine. La grandezza evocata non è teatrale: è cosmologica. Una vastità che si fa prossimità intima, come quando il buio di una stanza coincide con la notte stellata. E proprio qui si annida la forza del disco: nella capacità di evocare un altrove che non è fuori, ma sotto la pelle. Il brano finale, “The Stars Sublime”, è più che un culmine: è una soglia definitiva. Lì Serries chiude il cerchio, o forse lo dissolve. Si tratta del suo brano più trasparente e profondo, un eco affettuosa a quel Microphonics XXIII – there’s a light in vein, ma con una luce più rarefatta, meno terrestre. Non è nostalgia, ma trasfigurazione. Non memoria, ma riemersione di un sentire arcaico, assoluto. In The Might Of Stars Sublime non c’è spazio per la comunicazione, né per la relazione. È un disco per chi ha scelto di non partecipare, per chi ascolta non per sapere, ma per sciogliersi. Serries non ci accompagna: ci abbandona gentilmente in un paesaggio dove tutto è lento, distante, eppure inesorabilmente vicino. È musica che non chiede attenzione, ma sottrazione. Che non vuole essere capita, ma contemplata. Un’opera isolazionista, radicalmente aliena al tempo comune. Una preghiera muta verso un cielo che non risponde. Ma che continua, ostinatamente, a brillare.
SALT PEANUTS REVIEW : The Might Of Stars Sublime is Serries’s solo electric guitar album that expands his minimalist ambient music, now with a motherboard of analog pedals and often colored with delicate, noisy, and distorted effects. The album was recorded at Serries’ home studio between July and August 2024, and its title is taken from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem «The Bliss of Absence» («…Powers eternal, distance, time, / Like the might of stars sublime,…»). The five pieces were created spontaneously and are expansive, accumulate to a bigger whole, and enjoy a rare kind of nocturnal, deep space harmonies. The last one, «The Stars Sublime», suggests the most beautiful and peaceful territory of this journey.
AMBIENT LANDSCAPE REVIEW : Dirk Serries’ latest excursion serves up soft, layered, sculpted loops combined with floating textures which meld into deeply flowing melodic tones as five distinct aural pathways forge an ambient landscape along a serendipitous sonic journey. It presents the listener with a calming and sustaining collection of beautiful atmospheres (with an occasional, subtle, feedback-oriented growl). Mr. Serries, while still (undoubtedly) striving for the next rung on the ethereal ladder, has perfected the craft of guitar drone-scaping (along with layering effects) and has cemented his “star, sublime” into the annals of outstanding ambient axe-men. Standout tracks (for me): Carved Into Oscillation & A Soft Glow. In a word . . . “Wonderful!”
SPONTANEOUS MUSIC TRIBUNE REVIEW : Tego artystę i dark ambientowy wątek jego twórczości nie trzeba na tych łamach komukolwiek przedstawiać. Muzyk, który kilka lat temu twierdził, że ambient to przeszłość, zdaje się w ostatnim czasie dostarczać coraz więcej nagrań w zadanej estetyce. Wszystkie je namiętnie śledzimy i rekomendujemy trybunowym fanom. Dziś produkcja domowa z lata ubiegłego roku. W kategorii dark ambientu taka, którą zwykliśmy określać mianem wzorcowej dla tej stylistyki. Pośród pięciu opowieści żadna nie ma oczywiście początku ani końca, płynie soczystą strugą gitarowego ambientu. Pierwszą z nich tworzą trzy wątki – krystaliczny ambient, warstwa codziennego kurzu i brudu, wreszcie basowa struga o zaskakująco kojącym zabarwieniu. W drugiej odsłonie narracja zdaje się być bardziej mroczna, płynie z głębin bezkresnego oceanu. Z czasem rozmywa się, odsuwa w cień. Otwarcie trzeciej historii jest ciepłe, niemal relaksacyjne. Rozbudowana warstwa szumu stawia jednak znak zapytania i skutecznie dominuje w dalszej części utworu. Czwarta część wydaje się sprasowana, matowa, przefiltrowana przez grubą kotarę teatralną. Szorstki flow ma jednak nieoczywistą intensywność. Wreszcie finałowa, łagodna, pożegnalna meta ballada, z nowym wątkiem, który brzmi jak nagie struny gitary. Smutna opowieść jednocześnie narasta i rozlewa się coraz szerszym korytem. Potem umiera w dalece metafizyczny sposób.
GONZO CIRCUS REVIEW : Op ‘THE MIGHT OF STARS SUBLIME’ (fraaie titel overigens) zijn ritmes absent, en volstaan een elektrische gitaar en analoge effectpedalen om grootse, epische kathedralen van geluid, laag per laag, op te trekken. Het eindresultaat is niets minder dan gelukzalige trance.
AUDIOVISUAL OHLSEN OVERKILL REVIEW : “The Might of Stars Sublime” ist ziemlich genau, was das Coverartwork von Serries‘ Gattin Martina Verhoeven verspricht: eine traumhaft schwebende, sanfte Entrückung in atmosphärische Ambient-Transzendenz. An- und abschwellende Flächen aus Gitarren- und Effektklängen, pur und schnörkelos schön, schmeicheln das Ohr und die Seele. Scheinbar simpel und doch voll profunder Tiefe. Dirk ist hier ganz in seinem Element und erinnert an einen lichteren Zwilling von Justin Broadricks Soloprojekt Final. Wunderbar!
JAZZ’HALO REVIEW : Regelmatig duikt materiaal op van Dirk Serries bij andere labels. Dit is zijn debuut voor het Duitse Audiophob. ‘The Might Of Stars Sublime’ staat voor scenografische soundscapes zonder extreme actiemomenten maar met eerder introspectief karakter en een tikkeltje magisch realisme. Een bijwijlen sombere toonaard hoort daarbij. Kortom, een eigen systematiek van Serries om verhaallijnen met minuscule wijzigingen op te bouwen. Ook te omschrijven als gitaar ambient maar wel degelijk à la Dirk Serries. Opgenomen in zijn “home studio” vorige zomer in de loop van de maanden juli en augustus en uitgebracht als digipack met foto’s van Martina Verhoeven.
ROCKERILLA REVIEW : L’estate del 2024 Dirk Serries l’ha passatta a guardar le stelle. Quindi con la sua inseparabile sei corde ha cercato di di descriverne la natura. Il risultato è raccolto nelle cinque lunghe tracce del suo ultimo Cd, The Might Of Stars Sublime, appena pubblicato dalla tedesca Audiophob. Un suono elettrico che si trasforma fino a rendersi irriconoscbile: tra le mani del musicista belga il feedback controllato diventa una sinfonia di microsuoni. Le cinque tracce del cd sono legate quasi senza soluzione di continuit. Minime variazioni inducono in stati di meditazione che trasportano i neuroni su orbite stellari. Cinque brani di ESTATICA AMBIENT MUSIC.
On October 16th DIRK SERRIES will perform one of his rare ambient concerts. In the ‘kapel sessies’ series organised by the city of Brecht, Dirk will play in the beautiful setting of the Oude Klooster chapel in Brecht (Belgium). Tickets you can order here.
We’ve debated among ourselves about this for a long time and even checked in with some of the die-hard fans but it’s time to unleash a subscription option for Dirk Serries’ Streams Of Consciousness series.
This is what Dirk Serries wrote on the subscription series :
Welcome to the home of my Streams Of Consciousness music series. An assemblage of my ongoing drive to compose, perform and record the ambient music I’ve been known for under main pseudonym Vidna Obmana and more recently under my own name. What distinguishes the Streams Of Consciousness series is that this is the purest form of creating the ambience. The constant factor in my expansive oeuvre and the artistic hunger to keep on growing and learning. Those who know me and have been following me over these past 4 decade can confirm that there are almost no artistic boundaries in my musical experiments. From the harsh industrial music early on to the free improvised live events throughout Europe and releases on A New Wave Of Jazz. Even when a new ‘ambient’ album appears on a label, it still holds enough twists and turns. However there isn’t a month that passes without having the need to go full into the purest form of soundscaping. The set-up is simple : an electric guitar, a very small pedal board of four effects. Each idea/theme/motif is performed live into my DAW and mixed/mastered for instant release here.
No edits, no additional layering. Music that is part of my DNA, the heartbeat of my passion for the purest form of what I call my vintage ambient music. Music that I once, long time ago, performed on synthesizers and a lot of outboard gear during the early ambient years of Vidna Obmana. Think of Gathering In Frozen Beauty (1989), Near The Flogging Landscape (1990) or my trilogy uniting Passage In Beauty (1991), Shadowing In Sorrow (1992) and Ending Mirage (1993). Of course now, thanks to the digital evolution, upgraded and trimmed down to the most minimal set-up to re-imagine that minimalism and introspective quality in my music. A set-up that allows me to just sit down, take a breath and create/perform/record.
Subscribing to this collection will help me to sustain this creativity, to bring a bit of comfort to the technical side of things like instrument maintance, upgrading the studio and giving me the space, time and foremost artistic freedom to continue to create this streams of consciousness. On top of that is the annual subscription price of 55 EUR way below the amount of albums that will be published and when bought individually. Annually there’ll be at least 10 albums.
dirkserries.com 