NEW RELEASES

April is the month of several DIRK SERRIES-related releases. This is what you can expect, pre-order and immediately order.

DIRK SERRIESNOCTURNAL DISCORD (cassette, Cloudchamber Recordings)

NOCTURNAL DISCORD is the next phase in DIRK SERRIES’ long running ambient trajectory. Known since the early eighties for his trademark ambient music under the VIDNA OBMANA pseudonym, Dirk now boldly crosses into new territory creating a willful, eccentric and new album that still holds ingredients from his past but incorporates new elements. Still executed on the electric guitar in combination with an array of stunning pedal effects, treatment and processing, recorded straight to stereo. NOCTURNAL DISCORD is a nightly excursion into darker, more abstract and stranger timbres. 5 weeping songs that are melancholic, alienating, intense and soothing at the same time. An album that is definitely its own and shows the craftsmanship of Dirk and his strong ongoing pursuit to cover new terrain, challenge himself and to make once again a statement as one of the most innovative and adventurous modern musicians. NOCTURNAL DISCORD is also his debut for Cloudchamber Recordings.

This album is released on cassette in a very limited run of 40 copies !  Order directly from us here: 
https://dirkserries.bandcamp.com/album/nocturnal-discord

Through the label go here.

DIRK SERRIES FLUCTUATION OF BEING (cd, Midira Records)

Dirk Serries returns to MIDIRA RECORDS with his first solo album in our catalogue, after working together with us quite frequently on collaboration records.

“Fluctuation Of Being” is the first solo ambient album by Dirk Serries since his critically-acclaimed last solo record “Epitaph” in 2018. The album is a continuation of his trademark “vintage” ambience on the electric guitar, performed and recorded in real-time with the help of a handful of pedal effects.

The album comes in an offset printed 4 panel digisleeve with matte finish and is limited to 250 copies and features the breathtaking photography of MARTINA VERHOEVEN.

Dirk Serries about the album:
“Cycles of tonal phrases, washes of guitar drowned in a vast sea of sustain to create a surreal sonic mood to dwell in on repeat.”

You can pre-order the album directly from the label MIDIRA RECORDS here.  The CD itself will be available at the day of the MOVING NOISES festival, April 22nd 2023 where Dirk Serries will perform a solo ambient set.

To order directly go here.
To order through Midira Records go here.

For all information on the festival, visit the website here.

LOUD AS GIANTSEMPTY HOMES (cd & lp, Consouling Sounds)

Talking about the nature of Loud As GiantsDirk Serries marks that for both him and Justin K. Broadrick the project is more like ‘a trip down memory lane.’ Thirteen years after their collaboration as Fear Falls Burning and Final, these two kindred spirits return with an album that symbolizes their mutual fascination for the 80’s culture in which they grew up and all the relevant and groundbreaking genres Justin and Dirk were influenced by. 

LOUD AS GIANTS is our collaboration not to invent new music but just to bring together the music we grew up with, were/are inspired by and we just like to do ourselves.” – explains Dirk talking about his creative partnership with Broadrick: “So the appreciation has been there since the beginning, and I also think this is the foundation of our collaboration.”

While been musically in sync since the early eighties when they both were active in the underground cassette network. Both with the highest appreciation for each other’s work for almost two decades, they finally met during a joined tour where Serries, as Fear Falls Burning, supported JESUJustin comments on the beginning of the long partnership with Serries saying: We had the concept of this project on the back burner for some years. It’s taken some time for it to take shape, but now we feel the time is right, and we have the right record in place.”  

Pandemic, the isolation and global nostalgia became crucial factors that affected both artists carefully uniting together the release that became ‘Empty Homes’. “I love isolation, but only when chosen by me, but I love the night, again, empty streets, quiet, I feel like I can exist then. I hate mornings; I hate low sunlight. It immediately depresses me. This album for me embodies a world I personally feel happier in.” – explains Broadrick talking about a dream-like state, far from busyness of big cities and overcrowded streets. While the image of empty homes united the musical and esthetic part reflected in the music: “Homes fascinate me; the rooms we dwell in and spend our existences in, I can’t quite compute it nor articulate it, but I feel it’s all full of loss and emptiness…” 

Empty Homes’ the debut release from LOUD AS GIANTS is coming out this April, 28th via Consouling Sounds. Pre-order the LP via the website of the label (CD/ LP). 

 Or digital here.

VIDNA OBMANA DANTE TRILOY : TREMOR, SPORE, LEGACY (3xcd, Zoharum)

In his 25 year existency as VIDNA OBMANA Dirk Serries never shied away from challenges, sometimes to the regret of many of his fans, but it’s when he was offered a record deal with the renowned metal label RELAPSE RECORDS/RELEASE ENTERTAINMENT Vidna Obmana took his boldest step ever. With his DANTE TRILOGY he created his most ambitious, daring and unique set of albums which, for good, made him to be one of the most unique voices in the ambient and experimental scene. 

Not only brought he VIDNA OBMANA to a definite conclusion but executed for him that perfect fusion of everything his project stood for since the first release in 1984. 
His industrialism, the minimal ambience, the fourth world explorations and his electronic processing experiments went into blender. Utterly surreal, intense and expansive, the 3 albums TREMORSPORE and LEGACY showcase VIDNA OBMANA at his creative peak while conceptually the trilogy expresses Dirk Serries’ frustration, disappointment and creative turmoil as his role as VIDNA OBMANA in the ambient scene. This trilogy became that end of the road for probably his most critically-acclaimed and world-wide appreciated project but a change was necessary. 
Having these 3 albums out on RELAPSE RECORDS/RELEASE ENTERTAINMENT solidified his connection to the metal and heavier guitar scene and the next chapter in DIRK SERRIES’ obsessive quest for that sublime in sound and mood was born: FEAR FALLS BURNING

Now fully remastered, making every complex detail stand out even more, ZOHARUMis releasing the trilogy as a 3CD set with the related breathtaking photography by MARTINA VERHOEVEN. Music that according to VIDNA OBMANA was especially recorded to experience on a qualitive set of headphones.  

To order directly go here
To order through ZOHARUM go here.

REGENERATION

Despite his prolific ambient period in the eighties and nineties, with a huge back catalogue of music and several tours in Europe and the United States, Dirk Serries never played his solo ambient music live on UK soil.  Until November last year when he played a solo ambient concert at his favorite place in London : Hundred Years Gallery. 

Through his experience in the free improvisation Dirk transformed his solo ambient music, originally constructed melticulously 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.  Now released on HUNDRED YEARS GALLERY’s home label in a very limited run of 50 copies ! Available here

VIDNA OBMANA

Bob Rusche’s X-RAY (kindred to his excellent long-running X-RATED) featured an interesting choice from VIDNA OBMANA‘s vast discography. Going back to 1993 with VIDNA OBMANA’s acclaimed ENDING MIRAGE (originally released on ND, now reissued by Zoharum), a piece from his collaboration with organist WILLEM TANKE and a track from his semi-classic SOUNDTRACK FOR THE AQUARIUM. Listen here.

LOUD AS GIANTS

LOUD AS GIANTS is the ongoing exchange between longtime friends & comrades JUSTIN K BROADRICK and DIRK SERRIES. After the many guest appearances, remixes, and touring, LOUD AS GIANTS is the real duo. Their debut album EMPTY HOMES will be released on Consouling Sounds prior to our unique appearance on the 2023 edition of Dunk!festival.

MOVING NOISES FESTIVAL 2023

DIRK SERRIES will return to the magnificent Christuskirche in Bochum for a new MOVING NOISES FESTIVAL. After the unavoidable hiatus due to the corona pandemic MIDIRA RECORDS is once again hosting this fabulous festival of the drone on April 22nd, 2023. DIRK SERRIES will perform his solo ambient music. Check out the facebook event here and visit their website here.

MONUMENT OF EMPTY COLOURS + DEPRESSION AND IDEAL

ZOHARUM in their ongoing series of VIDNA OBMANA reissues just released this double disc of the 2 albums VIDNA OBMANA and PBK recorded in 1989.  Originally released on their own labels : The Decade Collection and PBK Recordings, MONUMENT OF EMPTY COLOURS and DEPRESSION AND IDEAL are prime examples of how their both musical worlds blended.  VIDNA OBMANA, back then with one feet in expanding his ambient oeuvre and PBK, as one of the strongest American experimentalist of that time, merged genres in this organic maelstrom of ambience, industrialism and isolationism.  Fully remastered for this re-release with new photography by Martina Vehoeven. Available in our bandcamp shop.

WELCOME

It took a while but here’s to welcoming you to the new website of DIRK SERRIES. Naturally, building the legacy is a work in progress. The website will continuously be updated with news, new releases, and reissues on solo, Vidna Obmana, and all related projects. Enjoy your stay.

For the free impro side of his ongoing creative endeavors please visit the A NEW WAVE OF JAZZ website.