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.
https://radiokingston.org/en/broadcast/between-the-grooves/episodes/dirk-serriesthe-eternal-artist
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.
streamsofconsciousness.bandcamp.com/subscribe
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.
Drawing from his oeuvre and experience in ambient and experimental music, projects like his acclaimed Microphonics project, ‘THE MIGHT OF STARS SUBLIME‘, Dirk Serries‘ debut for German label AUDIOPHOB, feels familiar, close to home, but simultaneously creates another dimension in his realm of ambient music. This album leads the listener through a trip of minimalism, a sense of grandeur, a specific harmonic quality and beautiful ambient music which becomes full circle in ‘The Stars Sublime’, probably his most iconic and striking piece of music he made so far while it resembles a feeling that’s mutual with another iconic and acclaimed piece ‘microphonics XXIII – there’s a light in vein’ from his 2013 album.
‘The Might Of Stars Sublime’ is slated for release on April 25th
DIRK SERRIES – ZONAL DISTURBANCES II (cd, ZOHARUM 2025)
Following DIRK SERRIES’ recent albums the composer continues to explore different sonic terrain. Still on the electric guitar with a motherboard of analog pedals, the 4 tracks on ZONAL DISTURBANCES II start to give signs of a new signature style of ambience Dirk is constructing. Organic, brooding and eerie. All recorded live on the spot creating music that still showcases the artist’s fondness for minimalism and slow repetitive clusters of sound while tying connections with his roots in industrial and experimental music. Foremost he continues, after 4 decades in the scene, to etalate his artistry in creating provocative, unique and genre-bending ambient music. Dirk Serries is a musical force to reckon with and to be finally rewarded for his wilful and unique voice in an ever increasing superficial music industry.
In the meantime, while this one is ready to be released, the “Zonal Disturbances” project has developed into several volumes. So if you let yourself be carried away by this music, look out for the continuation soon…
Purchase your copy here through our personal bandcamp shop or directly from the label.
DIRK SERRIES’ compilation of music from his STREAMS OF CONSCIOUSNESS series on Projekt digital has gained a lot of attention and praise. Here’re a few reviews.
The album is still available through the PROJEKT bandcamp site. And mark February 25th in your agenda for ‘TREASURE OF STARS’, a new exclusive Streams Of Consciousness album, for PROJEKT.
AMN reviews :
“In 2007, Dirk Serries wrapped up his long-standing vidnaObmana project, which began two decades earlier as an ambient electronic endeavor influenced by synthesists of the Berlin School. But a few years later he began quietly putting out recordings of this ilk once again, under the moniker Streams of Consciousness. There are a total of 17 albums released so far, including eight in the last year. This compilation consists of about 3 hours of these pieces. The sounds here are gentle ambiance, with slow-moving chord patterns, airy textures, and a peaceful mood. Created spontaneously on guitar run through effects, the music fits the album title. Serries plays in a stream-of-consciousness style and his output can be absorbed in that manner as well. The eight tracks are in the 18-25 minute range and feature lilting tones and expansive – yet mysterious – atmospheres. Individual notes and reverberating guitar washes are immersive but not suffocating. Despite the apparent simplicity of the music, it resonates deeply on an emotional level, inviting the listener to engage in relaxed, thoughtful introspection. Through this prolific project, Serries constructs serene soundscapes that facilitate moments of solitary reflection. He engages with the notion that the notes you do not play can be just as important as the notes that are played, thus using space as an auxiliary instrument. The album comes highly recommended for fans of vidnaObmana, Steve Roach, and the like. Streams Of Consciousness Compiled also serves as an unassuming antidote to an increasingly crazy world.”
EXPOSE reviews :
“We all remember VidnaObmana from the last years of the 20th Century, a floating ambient project alias created by one Dirk Serries, Belgian composer and instrumentalist in 1984, who recorded nearly 100 albums, both solo and in collaboration with like-minded travelers like Steve Roach, Jeff Pearce, Brannan Lane, PBK, Sam Rosenthal, and many others. In 2007 Serries officially retired the VidnaObmana moniker and moved forward using his given name and some new aliases like Fear Falls Burning. One of those new aliases was Streams of Consciousness, which began in earnest in 2013 and continues to this day (2024), bearing an explorative deep ambient drone style created using electric guitar and guitar effects in his home studio, with slow flowing evolutionary washes of sonic color full of warmth and emotion, not at all unlike the works he produced as VidnaObmana. As of this writing, Serries has released 18 albums in the Streams of Consciousness series, all with cryptic numeric titles that seem to indicate the date on which they were recorded. Each of the albums contain two tracks, each roughly the length of an LP side, and those tracks do have English titles, so with 18 albums with two tracks each, to date there should be 36 tracks total, though you won’t find any of them on Serries’ Bandcamp page — instead one needs to search for Streams of Consciousness to find them. Streams of Consciousness Compiled contains eight tracks selected from the ongoing series (only a few were ever produced on physical media in the beginning, and have since been download only), it’s something of an introduction to his ongoing project, which as it turns out is more like a homage to VidnaObmana than most of the other projects that Serries has running currently, so for any listeners who were tuned into his work back in the VidnaObmana days, this eight track sampler (almost three hours of music) should go far to quench your thirst for his brand of dreamy, meditative sounds, and point you in the direction where more can be found.”
IYEZINE reviews :
La qualità del deep ambient e drone di Dirk è sempre molto alta, le composizioni arrivano da pubblicazioni diverse, ma fanno parte di un unico continuum e lo si percepisce benissimo. Dirk Serries è un artista belga, compositore e musicista, uno dei produttori ambient e drone fra i più influenti e capaci della scena europea. “Stream of consciousness compiled” è un progetto per Projekt Records che racchiude una selezione di otto lunghi brani per circa tre ore di deep ambient, drone e viaggi siderali. Gli otto brani sono stati scelti da Dirk facendo una selezione delle diciassette uscite pubblicate su https://streamsofconsciousness.bandcamp.com/ . Tutte le composizioni sono state composte e prodotte dal vivo da Dirk nel suo studio usando una chitarra e tantissimi effetti, e il risultato è davvero notevole. La serie è cominciata nel 2013, e delle prime tre uscite sono stati pubblicati dei vinili in quantità estremamente limitata, per poi continuare la sua vita nella forma digitale. Questa raccolta mostra cosa sia questa meravigliosa collana di uscite deep ambient e drone.
Seguendo da anni la collana ogni uscita prodotta da Dirk è notevole e questa selezione è sicuramente un ottimo punto di ingresso in un qualcosa che vi avvolgerà e si insinuerà dentro la vostra mente, cambiandola in meglio. Serries è uno sperimentatore sonoro da oltre quarant’anni, avendo iniziato nella scena do it yourself belga degli anni ottanta, cominciando nel 1984 il progetto Vidna Obmana con il quale ha cambiato la storia ambient e drone europea e non solo.
Come si può ascoltare qui, la frequenza musicale di Dirk eleva l’animo umano, è un sostrato di luce e di bellezza, e anche le tenebre illuminano. Seguendo linee di chitarra totalmente inusuali ed estranee alla comune nozione della sei corde, si entra in altra quota, fra le nuvole che attraggono e al contempo respingono la luce che arriva dal vuoto, in un vero e continuo flusso di coscienza che abbraccia il tutto partendo dalle parti che lo compongono, arrivando a rompere la divisione e la diversità delle parti. Questo disco non va ascoltato, ci si deve immergere ad occhi chiusi, è quasi una meditazione nel senso più altro della parola, un essere qui ed ora ma a diecimila metri da terra, distantissimi da dove ci troviamo ora. La qualità del deep ambient e drone di Dirk è sempre molto alta, le composizioni arrivano da pubblicazioni diverse, ma fanno parte di un unico continuum e lo si percepisce benissimo. Profondità, bellezza e anche magnificenza, per un’opera che lievita ad ogni ascolto, e che come le cellule germina in continuazione producendo nuove cellule, in un afflato che non è solo musica ma tendenza all’infinito e a risvegliare una parte di noi che è infinita e che fluttua, lontana dal nostro corpo. Non è un lavoro per chi cerca nicchie di genere o appartenenze a qualche genere o scena, qui c’è l’universo nella sua totalità che pulsa.
CHAIN D.L.K. REVIEW :
There are albums you listen to, and then there are albums that listen to you. Dirk Serries’ “Streams of Consciousness Compiled” belongs to the latter category – a collection of ambient driftworks that doesn’t demand attention but rewards surrender. These nearly three hours of shimmering, slow-motion soundscapes are less a “best of” and more a portal into Serries’ post-VidnaObmana meditations, a distilled essence of his decade-long “Streams of Consciousness” series, built entirely in real-time with just an electric guitar and a handful of effects. Serries has spent over 40 years sculpting sound, often navigating the liminal space between presence and absence, between what is played and what is left to dissolve in its own wake. His approach here is a masterclass in restraint. Notes don’t so much ring out as they breathe; they rise and hover, contemplating their own existence before fading into the ether. It’s music in which time itself slows to a near standstill, like sunlight refracting through water, catching brief, fleeting patterns before they are swallowed by the current. The track titles – “Meandering”, “Harmonious Flare”, “The Whispering Scale” – serve as vague coordinates, but they don’t prepare you for the immersive depth of each piece. “Remote Delight” is a lesson in how delay and reverb can bend perception, stretching a single note into something more resembling a memory than a sound. “Solstice of Murmur” unfolds in waves, each one softer than the last, as if it were erasing its own past. “Glow Horizon” feels like floating through the liminal zone between wakefulness and sleep, where recognition and abstraction blur. For those who miss Vidna Obmana, this release is a gentle assurance that the spirit never truly left. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to exist as a cloud for an afternoon, “Streams of Consciousness Compiled” is your answer. A weightless, introspective dream of an album, built for those willing to embrace slowness – not as a limitation, but as a form of transcendence.
DIRK SERRIES – TREASURE OF STARS
A Streams Of Consciousnes album
(Projekt Records)
ARC333 • 617026233321 • Digital • Projekt’s Bandcamp : Tuesday Feb 25 •
Release at all DSPS: Friday Feb 28
The Streams Of Consciousness series is home for Dirk Serries’ gleaming solo ambient work. With over 40 years of sonic experimentation — including his many albums as VidnaObmana — Dirk’s Treasure Of Stars is a return to his trademark melancholic ambient dwellings. Created in real-time on electric guitar and a handful of effects, it’s a shimmering slowflow exploration of textures and emotional states. Transcendent and esoteric soundscapes facilitate moments of solitary reflection.
Projekt’s 2024 release, Streams Of Consciousness Compiled, was such a success with the label’s fanbase that the decision was easily made to return with a new album exclusively recorded for Projekt. The serene tones and expansive – yet mysterious – atmospheres are constructed live, solely on the electric guitar. Individual notes and reverberating washes ebb and flow over the course of these longform pieces.
For those who wished VidnaObmana was still around releasing albums, the wait it over. This release invites repeated listenings as one is gently rocked by warm, starlit washes of sound.
Press excerpts from 2024: • A slowflow inner exploration of sonics and emotional states… Dirk Serries’ homage and return to pure harmonic sonic moments. This music is purely ‘in-the-moment’ ambient.
• The sounds here are gentle ambiance, with slow-moving chord patterns, airy textures, and a peaceful mood.
• Despite the apparent simplicity of the music, it resonates deeply on an emotional level, inviting the listener to engage in relaxed, thoughtful introspection.
• Serries constructs serene soundscapes that facilitate moments of solitary reflection. He engages with the notion that the notes you do not play can be just as important as the notes that are played, thus using space as an auxiliary instrument.
• At time while listening I feel like I’m floating in deep space, at others that I am a piece of driftwood being gently rocked by ocean waves, and at still others it’s as if I’m lying stretched out in the grass, the sun gently warming my face as I watch puffy white clouds slowly drifting by.
• Slow flowing evolutionary washes of sonic color full of warmth and emotion
Now temporarily available as a ‘name your price’ purchase over at Projekt Records’ bandcamp :
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/treasure-of-stars-streams-of-consciousness
Watch and enjoy this youtube teaser, with photography of Shaun Cullen, featuring one of the songs from ‘Treasure Of Stars’…
https://youtu.be/S_3Ny_tI2OM
BANDCAMP REVIEW :
“Listening to this album offers one an opportunity to practice non-attachment; to attend carefully to each moment that passes, exploring its unique contours and textures with the wide-eyed wonder of beginner’s mind; but then to let it pass into the next, as it must, without grasping at it frantically. Listening here one simply floats, serene and complete; a part of it all, but shackled to none.” Dave Aftandilian
AMBIENT LANDSCAPE REVIEW :
Dirk Serries has once again figured out a way to pull our [ambient] strings!
His latest offering, ‘Treasure of Stars’ (releasing February 28th), creates a sonic mosaic of intricate ambient sound. Serries at once presents dreamy, melancholy waves of ethereal isolation; wielding his ambient “axe” to build an intangible wall of delicious quietude and dividing intentional spareness from the larger elemental body of enveloping ambience. “Other Transformations” is the standout track for me personally; with the entire album embodying a sublime reflection of Dirk’s ability to transport the listener’s attention into a personal space of solace.
Beautiful and . . . evocative
ROCKERILLA REVIEW (translated from Italian) :
A mantra that accompanies the mind in the most intimate hours of the night. A game of mirrors between sleepy reverberations and chords that melt in the moonlight like incandescent lava. The latest chapter of the Streams Of Consciousness series, Treasure Of Stars, is yet another journey into the dreamlike and evanescent universe of dark-ambient, built over many years of career during the era in which Dirk Serries called himself Vidna Obmana. Today, when the Belgian musician is focused on finding the exit from the labyrinths of free-jazz, it is nice to find him still absorbed in contemplating the stars.
KRAUTNICK REVIEW :
Im Rahmen seiner Reihe „Streams Of Consciousness“ entführt der Antwerpener Ambient-Gitarrist Dirk Serries mit „Treasure Of Stars“ dieses Mal an den Strand, ins All, unter Wasser und auf hohe See, alles allein mit der Gitarre und einigen Effektgeräten generiert, alles unendlich langsam und alles unendlich schön. Serries nahm dieses Album solo und am Stück für das Label Projekt Records auf. Eine wärmende Flucht aus dem Alltag.Die Anwesenheit am Strand allein betäubt bereits. Die Sonne geht unter, blutrot, ewig, unendlich lang andauernd. Die Wellen bewegen sich im gleichen Tempo, wie eine massive Masse, die draußen, jenseits des Strandes, in eine endlose Bewegung gerät, eine Masse, deren Absicht es gar nicht ist, an den Strand auszurollen, sondern die schlichtweg hin und her wogt, extremst verlangsamt. Einige Surfer sind bereit, sich dieser Bewegung auszusetzen, sie verharren auf ihren Boards auf diesen Wogen und zelebrieren die Langsamkeit. Möwen und Pelikane stehen in der Abendluft, deren Hitze nur allmählich abnimmt, gesättigt, allein zur inneren Freude zu so etwas wie einer Levitation aufgebrochen. Der eigene Atem passt sich der Langsamkeit an, man ist komplett heruntergefahren, blickt aufs Meer, blickt in die Sonne, lässt ihre Wärme auf seiner Haut, in seiner Lunge wirken, man fühlt sich völlig befreit. Irgendwo nah genug, um nicht verloren zu gehen, schlägt ein Musiker karibische Akkorde an, alle halbe Minute mal einen, schickt sie durch ein weichzeichnendes Effektgerät und zaubert den am besten passenden Soundtrack zu dieser komplett entschleunigten Lebenssituation.
„Soft Rain“ nennt Dirk Serries seinen viertelstündigen Opener, dessen Gitarre indes mit sonnigem, karibischem Surf-Twang eine strahlendere Entspannung vor die inneren Augen führt als ein weicher Regen. In „Other Transformations“ leitet Serries anschließend für 14 Minuten über, seine Gitarre klingt jetzt zweigeteilt, in eine höhere, beinahe orgelartige, sowie eine dronige, in mittleren Lagen angesetzte Variante. Das Tempo bleibt gleich langsam, ein Metronom hätte hier Schwierigkeiten, überhaupt anzuschlagen, ganz abgesehen davon, dass es auf dem gesamten Album gar keine Takte gibt. Mit Hall und Leichtigkeit wähnt man sich in der Schwerelosigkeit, indes nicht im stockdunklen All, sondern im gleißenden Licht, umgeben von einer wohlwollenden, seelenwärmenden spirituellen transzendentalen Entität.
Mit „Weathering The Gale“ verführt Serries die Hörenden dazu, die nächsten 20 Minuten unter Wasser zu verbringen. Die Töne sind gedämpft, die Sonne schickt ihre Strahlen sanft durch die salzige Flüssigkeit, aus der unbedrohlichen Tiefe schlängeln sich Algenbäume empor und konkurrieren in Zeitlupe mit dem Glanz des Lichts. Es dauert eine Weile, bis man begreift, dass man ja unter Wasser atmen kann, dass diese Situation, in der man gerade schwebt, ein Geschenk ist, eine Gabe, dargebracht allein dadurch, dass diese Musik erklingt. Abermals meint man, anstelle einer Gitarre eine Orgel wahrzunehmen, als spielte sie jemand in einer versunkenen Kathedrale, deren Hallraum vom Meer verstärkt, verwischt, verteilt wird. Sind es zunächst noch Schulen kleinerer Fische, die in minimalster Geschwindigkeit durch diese abgedunkelte Kathedrale ziehen, werden diese alsbald durchkreuzt vom Leviathan; aus den unterschiedlichen Strömungsverhältnissen ergeben sich Dissonanzen, das Licht nimmt weiter ab, doch keine Angst, der Leviathan zieht vorbei, von ihm geht keine Bedrohung aus.
Der Leviathan ist nicht nur nicht bedrohlich, sondern sogar ein Freund – er nimmt die Hörenden mit zurück an die Oberfläche, zur letzten Viertelstunde, die dem Titelstück gehört. Auf der offenen See wogt das gigantische Urtier, man wogt mit ihm. Die Sonne dringt hell durch sich gemächlich verflüchtigenden Nebel, man wähnt sich in Breitengraden, auf denen der Frühling naht. Die Luft wird frischer, heller, womöglich befindet sich festes Land irgendwo in der Nähe, sieht man da am Horizont nicht behäbig mit den Flügeln schlagende Schmetterlinge im Dunst des Morgens? Serries‘ Gitarre erklingt einmal mehr mehrstimmig, aufmunternd dieses Mal, aber immer noch nicht wachrüttelnd, sondern positiv stimulierend.
Nach einem solch umfangend schönen Album mag man sich gar nicht an Fakten wenden. Aber muss ja: „Treasure Of Stars“ ist eine Sonderausgabe der Reihe „Streams Of Consciousness“, die Serries seit 2013 in unregelmäßigen Abständen mit solchen One-Offs füttert, in der Regel betitelt lediglich mit dem Aufnahmedatum, einzig die Tracks tragen greifbare Namen. Der letzte Teil „240112“ erschien nachträglich am 1. Januar 2025, der vorliegende entstand ja außer der Reihe. Zudem spielt diese Veröffentlichung auf Serries‘ Ambient-Alter-Ego VidnaObmana an, das er 1985 aus der Taufe hob und offiziell 2007 dorthin wieder zurückbrachte. Ein Blick auf jene Discographie lässt Sammler die Hände über dem Kopf zusammenschlagen: Der hat unter vielem anderem mit Klinik und Asmus Tietchens zusammengearbeitet! Bevor man sich nervös daranmacht, sein Kleingeld zusammenzukratzen, sollte man besser zur Ruhe kommen und nochmal „Treasure Of Stars“ auflegen.
EXPOSE REVIEW :
A while back I wrote a few words about Dirk Serries release Streams of Consciousness Compiled on Projekt Archive, a double-length download of eight recordings he made in this ongoing series. Now, one year later, he has released another installment, Treasure of Stars, an introspective, meditative collection of four new pieces of deep listening magnificence. For those who tuned into Serries’ work back in the 90s, when he went by the moniker VidnaObmana, the music in the Streams of Consciousness series approaches the work he did at that time, a very dreamy sound that floats freely in spaces unknown, with some textures held within, one might find these works comparable to Steve Roach’s floating ambient material, at least in a general stylistic sense — Serries’ work is mostly created using guitar, though one may not know unless you listen closely. All four tracks clock in between fourteen and twenty minutes, leaving the listener with plenty of space for the imagination to wander deep inside the inner spiral or out among the farthest stars. “Soft Rain” opens the program, a warm, beautiful drifting piece that splashes colorful walls of sound on all sides of the listening experience as it proceeds forward; it doesn’t change a lot during its fifteen-plus minute existence, but that’s exactly what soft rain should be — and it’s a perfect title. Next in line is “Other Transformations,” a somewhat darker, knurled piece with strong textural elements that float by in passing; there is a must-see video of this track on Projekt’s Bandcamp page (link below), it’s certainly not what one might expect. In the near-twenty minute “Weathering the Gale,” the feeling is expansive and mysterious, a powerful fountain of night music that flows over the spirit, while the closing title track certainly lives up to its title — one can visualize the stars in the night sky while very subtle insect sounds fill the imagination. The four pieces fit together perfectly, guiding the listener through a sound world that one might find surreal, something suitable for meditation or slumber.
MOORS MAGAZINE REVIEW :
Een elektrische gitaar en wat effectpedalen, meer heeft de Belgische gitarist Dirk Serries niet nodig voor zijn in één keer opgenomen “streams of consciousness”-albums, waarvan Treasure of Stars de laatste is. Het is bijna ongelofelijk hoe weinig er lijkt te gebeuren en hoe onvoorstelbaar spannend deze muziek tegelijkertijd is. Ambient, melancholiek, zacht verschuivend en meeslepend, het is allemaal waar, maar het mysterie is vooral hoe het kan dat deze op het eerste gezicht “saaie” muziek toch zo boeiend kan blijken te zijn. Want als je ook maar een beetje aandachtige luisteraar bent hoef je je hier geen minuut te vervelen en word je al snel volledig meegesleept in de ambient wereld van Serries en zijn magische gitaar. Luister maar eens naar de fragmenten die ik hier laat horen en beluister ze dan vooral nog een paar keer. Dan hoor je wel wat ik bedoe
DIRK SERRIES contributed a fine ambient piece (which incorporates the purr sounds of his house cat Kuro) to the beautiful compilation – all profits go to the aid of older shelter cats.
★ NAME-YOUR-PRICE DOWNLOAD ★
For Charity!
This collection stars our beloved cats whose purrs fill the heart of each track. Fourteen artists in the electronic, ambient, space music, and drone genres weave their kitty’s purrs into the mix highlighting the warmth and unique presence our feline companions add to our lives. Though some of these magnificent beings have passed on, their essence runs throughout. With all royalties and profits going to an elder-cat charity, PURR24 is nearly 100 minutes following sonic tangents and red dots of light created with our furbabies in our thoughts.
Projekt-founder Sam Rosenthal’s 18-year-old collaborator Nova Cat passed away in April. “When Nova died,” he reflects, “I lifted my spirits thinking of the five years she spent with me, enjoying our friendship in her final forever home. I emailed Michael Stearns as we previously chatted about a kitten he found in Los Angeles in the 80s who lived to 23 (108 in human years!) I knew he could empathize with my attachment to older cats who need more care yet offer a wealth of wisdom and love. With ideas of a benefit album and royalties donated to an elder-cat charity, I asked Michael if he’d create a song incorporating his kitty’s purrs. I’d already released two collaborative albums with my Nova (as ‘Nova Cat Purring Sounds’). I was interested in what other artists would create within the purr + music concept.”
Rosenthal continues, “Collectively, we’ve been in the music business for more than 400 years; over those centuries many felines have shared our lives. They hang out in the studio, run around like madmen in the other room while we’re trying to create, and sometimes lie at the feet of our cellists curled up and purring to the deep tones. There’s a lot of ASMR of cat purrs available, but not much where the purrs are incorporated into music. The results here are loving, lovely and warm. My new kitties like listening to everyone’s purrs.”
In 1999, Rosenthal compiled (and released on Projekt) the darkwave collection A CAT-SHAPED HOLE IN MY HEART, raising over $10,000 for charity. With some help from feline-loving fans on social media and today’s streaming economy, there’s no telling what this album might raise! All artists royalties and profits are contributed to charity, starting with Senior Cat Action Network seniorcatnetwork.org/donate (and changing over time).
Out for a little bit over a week is this digital-only solo album of DIRK SERRIES. Following his recent albums AT FUTURE DAWN (Cloudchamber Recordings) and DEFIANCE OF SELF(Silentes) the composer continues to explore different sonic terrain. Still on the electric guitar with a motherboard of analog pedal, the 4 tracks on ZONAL DISTURBANCES start to give signs of a new signature style of ambience Dirk is constructing. Organic, brooding and eerie.
You can purchase the album here :
AMBIENT LANDSCAPE REVIEW:
“This is an amazing, semi-ambient excursion from Mr. Serries. At once caustic & experimental, Dirk deviates into a sonic world of sublimely drone-scaped melancholy contained within an ambient substructure that resonates not so subtle undertones of deliberate aural chaos. The sounds that Serries pries from his guitar are astounding; if you dig your #ambient with an edge, you owe it to yourself to give Zonal Disturbances an intentional listen!”
MOORS MAGAZINE REVIEW: “Dirk Serries is een buitengewoon veelzijdige Belgische gitarist die meestal op een archtop gitaar met anderen geïmproviseerde jazz maakt, maar hij heeft ook een zwak voor ambient, en dan haalt hij zijn elektrische gitaar tevoorschijn, en zijn effectenpedalen, en dan gaat hij los op een onnavolgbare manier. Denk dan niet aan kalme drones en rustgevende ambient, want wat je hier te horen krijgt is ambient met een ruw randje, regelmatig aanschurend tegen wat wij hier wel genietend “heerlijke pokkeherrie” noemen. Zonal Disturbances heeft Serries in één keer in zijn eigen homestudio opgenomen in oktober 2024, gemixed en gemastered en meteen uitgebracht. Bij een eerste beluistering mag het wellicht wat weerbarstige muziek lijken, maar als je vaker luistert (de drie fragmenten die ik je hier laat horen zou ik zeker drie keer beluisteren) hoor je de details en de kleine finesses die er in verstopt zitten, en kom je er achter hoe spannend en tegelijk melancholiek deze muziek is. Het is overigens bijna ongelofelijk dat Serries alles wat we hier horen aan zijn gitaar weet te ontlokken. Verbazingwekkend.”
dirkserries.com 