[ Hypnos Forum ]

for those who love their ambient minimal :-)

HAKOBUNE & DIRK SERRIES - Obscured By Beams Of Sorrow
http://chiheihatakeyama.bandcamp.com/album/obscured-by-beams-of-sorrow

CHIHEI HATAKEYAMA & DIRK SERRIES - The Storm Of Silence
http://glacialmovements.bandcamp.com/album/the-storm-of-silence

happy to unleash some new tunes and themes, enjoy : http://tonefloatikon.bandcamp.com/

UNSEEN DESCENDING AND LAMENTATIONS (CD/LP or CD, Consouling Sounds 2015)
now available as pre-order - https://consouling.be/product/dirk-serries-unseen-descending-and-lamentations-lp-cd/
listen to the teaser : https://soundcloud.com/thetriptych/dirk-serries-unseen-descending-and-lamentations-teaser

BUOYANT collaboration with RUTGER ZUYDERVELT (MACHINEFABRIEK) (CD/LP or CD, Consouling Sounds 2015)
now available as pre-order - https://consouling.be/product/dirk-serries-rutger-zuydervelt-buoyant-lp-cd/
listen to the teaser : https://soundcloud.com/consouling-sounds/dirk-serries-rutger-zuydervelt-buoyant-preview

DISORIENTATION FLOW (CD, Projekt Records) - follow up to THE ORIGIN REVERSAL
now available as pre-order - http://www.projekt.com/store/product/pro00316/
listen to the 'secret' teaser : https://soundcloud.com/thetriptych/dirk-serries-disorientation-flow-teaser/s-hnELu

I returned to Projekt Records with a new solo album under my own name, referring to the 'classic' vidnaObmana albums from the mid eighties, early nineties, but executed solely on guitar... for those who might be interested...
available through Projekt http://www.projekt.com/store/product/pro00309/ or on bandcamp http://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-origin-reversal

Slowly but with stronger focus and refinement I've been returning with joy to my classic vidnaObmana ambient music ('88 to '96), in concert and in the studio.  At our tonefloatikon bandcamp we've published 3 new digital albums in the Streams Of Consciousness series and later this year Projekt Records will release a CD with newly recorded music in the same vein.
Listen/order tonefloatikon.bandcamp.com

Read what Tokafi wrote about the first set of Streams albums.

"Dirk Serries – Streams Of Consciousness 130806 / 131006 / 131106 (3xLP). In a new series of releases, sound sculptor Dirk Serries has reached a new phase in his work. Some artists have a penchant for grand, sweeping statements, summing up several years of work within a single album. Dirk Serries, meanwhile, has always preferred taking small, incremental steps, documenting his work in a multitude of gradually progressing releases. With the first entries in the Streams of Consciousness series, he has now reached a new plateau, a moment where one phase of work ends, blending into and initiating another. The analogy with painting, always implicit through his hands-on sculpting, shaping and coloring of sound, has become strikingly explicit here: On six expansive twenty-minute canvases, he is working with a minimum amount of timbres, techniques and brushes, confidently applying slender strokes of black, gray and blue water paint like the imaginary Japanese visual artists in Bill Evans's liner notes to Kind of Blue. "These artists must practice a particular discipline, that of allowing the idea to express itself in communication with their hands in such a direct way that deliberation cannot interfere", Evans wrote at the time, and while Serries is too much of a ponderer to put his reason to sleep entirely, it is true that he has let go of pre-conceived expectations more completely than ever before here. Rather than moving into a particular direction, these yearning guitar meditations are quietly resting in time, replacing development with ambiance, horizontal movement with space, complexity with intuition. It took William Basinski twenty years to understand that his long loop pieces didn't need any embellishments and with these LPs, Serries appears to have arrived at a similar realisation: The more he is taking away, the richer his music is becoming. His floating webs of interconnected lines shift with the grace of a prism in slow motion, its components repeating, yet never returning to the same point twice. Commentators have noted the calming effect of these compositions, but that impressions depends on your perspective. In the absence of grand, sweeping statements, intricate details keep the attentive observer on the edge of his seat, minute refinement transcending into breathtaking suspense." Tobias Fischer/Tokafi

Never got a question so therefor couldn't respond...

Very proud to finally lift up the curtain on this well-kept secret : Tonefloat and I are about to exhume their joint venture tonefloat:ikon imprint. Originally founded for off the map releases in ultra limited quantities, tonefloat:ikon will continue to do exactly that. Dirk serries' homage and return to the pure harmonic sonic dwellings, reminiscent to his vidnaObmana ambient phase will be caught on strictly limited one off vinyl releases in runs of 99 copies only,  beautifully housed in a special embossed custom sleeve, numbered insert card and instant download when (pre)ordering.  Check it out :
http://tonefloatikon.bandcamp.com/

Here're the confirmed 2012/2013 concerts, more to come :

27.11.12 : gebaeude9, cologne, germany – support to MONO
28.11.12 : vooruit, gent, belgium – support to MONO
11.12.12 : rockhal, esch-sur-alzette, luxembourg – support to MONO
12.12.12 : jubez, karlsruhe, germany – support to MONO
07.02.13 : arena, vienna, austria – support to MONO
08.02.13 : randall club, bratislava, slovakia – support to MONO
09.02.13 : a38, budapest, hungary – support to MONO
10.02.13 : daos club, timisoara, romania – support to MONO
11.02.13 : club fest, Belgrade, serbia  – support to MONO
12.02.13 : park, zagreb, croatia – support to MONO
13.02.13 : posthof, linz, austria – support to MONO
14.02.13 : locomotiv, bologna, italy – support to MONO
15.02.13 : teatro moderno, agliana, italy – support to MONO
16.02.13 : traffic, rome, italy – support to MONO
17.02.13 : bloom, mezzago, italy– support to MONO
19.02.13 : epicerie modern, lyon, france – support to MONO
20.02.13 : la 2, barcelona, spain – support to MONO
21.02.13 : moby dick, madrid, spain – support to MONO
22.02.13 : paradise garage, lisbon, portugal– support to MONO
23.02.13 : hard club, porto, portugal – support to MONO
16.03.13 : trix, antwerp, belgium  – OFFICIAL RELEASE SHOW – with paul van den berg, stratosphere
31.03.13 : fluister, dordrecht, the netherlands –  with loscil
04.04.13 : world minimal music festival 2013, muziekgebouw, eindhoven, the netherlands  – with kronos quartet

Yes, Jim, there'll be a CD-only release as well.

a bit of self-plugging here, from the upcoming new studio album :
http://youtu.be/Q8LRiPturXc

on tour with MONO :
Nov 27, 2012 - Gebäude9, Cologne - Germany
Nov 28, 2012 - Vooruit, Gent - Belgium
Dec 11, 2012 - Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxemburg
Dec 12, 2012 - Jubez, Karlsruhe - Germany

2013 tour dates to be announced soon...
http://www.microphonics.be

Thank you, Mike.

Quote from: mgriffin on December 07, 2010, 08:19:26 AM
OK, we need to stop the personal stuff, the finger-pointing, and the format wars. This topic is for Dirk's announcement of the new Vidna Obmana retrospective box set, and discussion of that release.  Feel free to debate the relative merits of vinyl in a new thread elsewhere. In fact, if you want to show your support for the CD format, we have a bunch of VO compact discs for sale -- feel free to order several of each.

Indeed, I don't know where this all comes from.  My use of 'thanks' at the end of the posting wasn't sarcastic at all.
I'm not defensive either but I just don't see this posting, as Mike clearly stated, as a forum to discuss who or what can be released on vinyl. That's why the music of my friends and colleagues, and on which format they are released, is not essential here.

To share my personal opinion one more time, I personally prefer vinyl because it gives me, as an artist, a much better focus and strict timeframe to work in. When I rediscovered vinyl in 2005, through tonefloat realising that it became so much better in their pressing quality, I realized that this was the medium to actually close the book on vidnaObmana for me personally.  Having this strict timeframe per side of an lp, gave me the 'discipline' to actually choose differently for the 'drone' music I made. Yes, most of my music is still available on cd and therefor I didn't see any reason to have this collection out on cd.  Secondly, there's a whole different and new league of listeners who do have turntables and rate vinyl above cd and who don't know the music of vidnaObmana and this box-set is a good way to start or have something that represent everything.  Thirdly, I just like the format much more because it gives you much more freedom to work towards a visually stunning release (again my personal opinion for my own music).  And indeed it also solves the piracy a bit as well.

That said, sorry to Forrest to get dragged into a rather unnecessary discussion and all other forum dwellers...

PS. Indeed, the postage is unfortunately rather high but that's also the reason why we kept the sale price on the box-set quite low in order to compensate that for the listener. 

Quote from: drone on on December 05, 2010, 01:51:05 PM
I don't know about music being "so much more" on vinyl than CD.  If that were the case, where are all the Steve Roach, Robert Rich, and Alio Die records?   8)

I meant for myself that vinyl offers me much more in terms of warmth, dynamics, the way how you present your music, the limited timespan per side which is to my humble opinion much better for the attention span of the listener.
What Steve, Robert, Stefano or others do is not up for discussion here.
Thanks.

Quote from: drone on on December 05, 2010, 03:03:50 AM
Sounds great, except I don't own a rekkird player anymore.  Any chance the material on LP 7 & 8 would be released on CD? Or maybe it was released previously on compilations?  Would be nice to have some unreleased VO live tracks or compilation tracks show up on CD at some point. Thanks.

No, this is the definite last release, no reason whatsoever to release this on cd as most of it has been out on cd and still available.
The live material is exclusively part of the 8LP box-set and to be honest this is how the music of vidnaObmana should have been presented anyway.  Music is so much more on vinyl, to my humble opinion.  The circle is complete.
Thanks.

This is the complete tracklisting :

tf053
vidnaObmana : 1987-2007 Chasing The Odyssee

record 1 and 2: selections (1987-2000)
01. encountering terrain (8:03)
taken from crossing the trail (projekt, usa, 1997)
02. mute grief (6:53)
taken from the contemporary nocturne (hypnos, usa, 2000)
03. in hollow embraced (4:39)
taken from memories compiled 2 (projekt, usa, 1988)
04. guarding souls (5:46)
taken from shadowing in sorrow/the trilogy (decade collection, belgium, 1991)
05. mission ground (8:18)
taken from crossing the trail (projekt, usa, 1998)
06. charm mystique (5:01)
taken from twilight of perception (projekt, usa, 1995)
07. twilight came (8:01)
taken from twilight of perception (projekt, usa, 1995)
08. the first coil (8:29)
taken from the surreal sanctuary (hypnos, usa, 1999)
09. the ominous dwelling (5:53)
taken from the river of appearance (projekt, usa, 1996)
10. forest arrow (8:37)
taken from crossing the trail (projekt, usa, 1998)
11. until the glowering space (4:00)
taken from revealed by composed nature (decade collection, belgium, 1989)
12. before mutual grace (7:12)
taken from gathering in frozen beauty (decade collection, belgium, 1987)

record 3 and 4: opera for four fusion works (2000-2007)
13. iv – echoes of steel (17:07)
taken from act i: echoes of steel (hypnos, usa, 2002)
14. vi – phrasing the air (10:05)
taken from act ii: phrasing the air (hypnos, usa, 2004)
15. iv – phrasing the air (9:47)
taken from act ii: phrasing the air (hypnos, usa, 2004)
16. iii – reflecting on scale (14:01)
taken from act iii: reflecting on scale (hypnos, usa, 2006)
17. iv – reflecting on scale (8:28)
taken from act iii: reflecting on scale (hypnos, usa, 2006)
18. iii – the bowing harmony (22:07)
taken from act iv: the bowing harmony (hypnos, usa, 2007)

record 5 and 6: the dante trilogy (1999-2004)
19. skin strip (8:45)
taken from spore (relapse/release, usa, 2003)
20. cycle of agony (7:54)
taken from legacy (relapse/release, usa, 2004)
21. the insane brightness (5:08)
taken from tremor (relapse/release, usa, 2001)
22. impious rising (10:44)
taken from legacy (relapse/release, usa, 2004)
23. simulate (6:55)
taken from tremor (relapse/release, usa, 2001)
24. spore (4:50)
taken from spore (relapse/release, usa, 2003)
25. the seeker and the spell (6:58)
taken from tremor (relapse/release, usa, 2001)
26. torment and resolution (9:13)
taken from legacy (relapse/release, usa, 2004)
27. the nihilist (7:29)
taken from spore (relapse/release, usa, 2003)
28. creep (5:23)
taken from spore (relapse/release, usa, 2003)
29. mind tunnel (5:44)
taken from tremor (relapse/release, usa, 2001)
30. the virtual insomnia (11:16)
taken from legacy (relapse/release, usa, 2004)

record 7 and 8: references (1997-2003)
31. agony (12:37)
recorded live at wdiy's emusic, allentown, usa, april 2003
32. pulse transcription (8:19)
recorded live at echoes living room concerts, upper darby, usa, november 2000
33. a scenic fall (5:51)
recorded live at due acqua, rome, italy, june 1997
34. legacy (7:42)
recorded live at the icehouse, bethlehem, usa, april 2003
35. the eternal (8:16)
recorded live at wxpn's star's end, philadelphia, usa, november 2000
references (1989-2003)
36. out from the garden reminded (8:10)
jesu remix
37. out from the garden reminded (11:42)
final remix

This is arguably the biggest project ever released on tonefloat. first announced as early as 2006, Chasing The Odyssee comprises 37 tracks on eight vinyl discs and an oversized 24-page booklet featuring exclusive liner notes. Covering the years 1987 to 2007 and following in the footsteps of an earlier set dedicated to the project's obscure tape years, it documents Dirk Serries's gradual development from an industrial sound sculptor to an artist equally at home in the world of electronica and contemporary composition.
Over the course of these 20 years, he would influence the gradual growth of ambient from nothing but a fleeting idea by Brian Eno to an established and challenging genre, sell 10,000 copies of his classic The River Of Appearance, write a soundtrack for the giant aquarium of the Antwerp Zoo and work with the likes of Steve Roach, Steven Wilson and a symphonic orchestra. Most of all, he would efficiently demonstrate that stylistic limitations are purely rooted in a lack of imagination.

To make these developments and changes transparent, Chasing The Odyssee has been divided into four chapters. While two records present a selection of pieces recorded and originally released before 2000, four sides have been reserved for a variety of previously unreleased Justin K. Broadrick remixes and live tracks providing for a hands-on impression of how powerfully the vidnaObmana studio sound studio sound translated to the stage.  Meanwhile, highlights from two unique cycles make up the extensive middle section of the box: the Dante Trilogy,a collaboration with ground breaking extreme metal label Relapse, as well as Serries's Opera For Four Fusion Works (for Hypnos), an uncompromising stint into the world of the avant garde. Many of these pieces have long been out of print, but merely compiling oddities is not the aim of Chasing The Odyssee. Rather, it intends to present the music on the format they would have been released on in an ideal world in the first place and at premium acoustic quality – vidnaObmana has certainly never sounded better. Rather than resting on his laurels for the rest of his career, Serries decided to end the journey at its peak. Now, you can relive the experience.

From the liner notes: "listening to these records from beginning to end will take you on a personal journey, which, despite its occasional twists and turns, is devoid of stereotypical cliches and mythical transfigurations. Chasing The Odyssee is not just a collector's item. Cinematic, evocatively physical and full of memories, it is a perfect representation of everything that vidnaObmana has stood for over the last 23 years."

Chasing The Odyssee, pressed on eight 180 grams black vinyls discs, is packed in a hardback box with lid, and comes with 1 24-page booklet.
The release date for the box (which is limited to 400 copies) is January 24, 2011, and is available for pre-orders from the tonefloat store at the introductory price of only 49.99 euros (plus postage).

For those interested in my Microphonics series, here's the full-length stream of one of my most recent concerts.
Made available by the fantastic Fluid Radio from the UK and expected as a limited live lp (yes indeed on vinyl once again) in December 2010, but for now here's the stream : http://www.fluid-radio.co.uk/2010/07/dirk-serries-microphonics-xiv/

Hope you'll enjoy the next phase after vidnaObmana and Fear Falls Burning, this one is for keeps...

Somehow I never valued John Diliberto's views, opinions and work on Echoes as important or vital.  For me it has an elite, wise-guy mentality that didn't stroke with my vision at the time and it still does.
His unfounded thoughts on how music needs to be performed is another proof on how he values and looks at music from his state of mind.
That said, time for some constructive thoughts  ;)

I too in my vidna years, along with Steve, worked (when computers were still too unreliable to use in live settings) with pre-recorded sources (on cd, using several cd players at once) which we then treated live through a maze of effects and processing devices.  Rhythms were most of the time multi-track constructions and therefor impossible to reproduce live.
Even then you had to rely on your focus and instinct in the heat of the moment because a lot of things could go wrong.
It was still fascinating though to work with this kind of set-up as you could easily realize every time a different flow, structure and atmosphere.  Live it was while you were able to reproduce your music world as closely as possible to the albums and the music you were known for.

I must admit as well that I myself in the past couple of years returned to the most basic, personal and minimal with my Microphonics project.  Stripping down the tools and going back to the core has been for me personally a true liberation.
In the context of playing live, creating the music on the spot, this has been all the more relaxing and focused as it gave the ability to limit my set-up to only just one guitar, a few pedal effects and a small tube amplifier.  And amazingly the music I've been able to carve out has more expression, atmosphere and emotion that on some of the most complicated vidnaObmana works from the past.

I personally never have been intriguied and motivated to work with a laptop on stage but I do can relate to the idea that artists need that tool in order to shape the specific tonality their music needs to have.
Even with a laptop, although I'm completely out of the loop on these software possibilities, I'm sure you can do a lot of great things live without being static or giving the audience the impression you're just checking your emails during the live set  ;)

Well, I surely have plans to return to the States with my Microphonics project and I can only hope to persuade a few promoters to jump on the wagon in organising a few gigs.  If it happens I'll surely let you know.  Thanx.

I think it's mostly a sign of the times.  We may not forget that we're not getting younger and it seems the the next generations of music lovers are quite different from our generation.  I do see this happening to my own and other gigs throughout Europe.  Quite unpredictable as with my recent Microphonics tour throughout Europe I played before audiences of 120 people or just even 4 people.  Nevertheless on both occassions they were impressive and very respectful.  I just don't mind playing for a gathering of 100 people or 4, I can't take it for granted that I do these concerts and that I'm able to share my passion with others.  I just love the fact of playing intimate and very small-scaled concerts more and more.  It's a fact that our kind of music nowadays gets more and more 'underground' than even before in our high days of electronic music scene of the 80's and 90's.

Of course there's a huge difference between Robert and myself, I think Robert still tries to live from his music while I have a 9 to 5 dayjob, which gives me, apart from the frustration now & then, the extreme freedom to do whatever I want with my music - whether it's commercially accepted or not.
I'm sure the decreasing interest in our music scene must put a lot of pressure on Robert's shoulders.

For those who are interested in reading the blog on my Microphonics tour, about the hi and lows, the seedy venues and promoters, the respectful audiences and the satisfaction of playing your music before audiences : www.dirkserries.com