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Dirk Serries — Nocturnal Discord
(Bandcamp no#, 2023, MC / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2023-06-18

Nocturnal Discord Cover art

Belgian sound sculptor Dirk Serries should know a thing or two about how to produce effective ambient industrial sounds in a long-form setting — after all he is the artist formerly known as vidnaObmana, who released over 60 full-length releases, both solo and in collaboration with other like-minded travellers, between 1985 and 2009. In the 15 or so years since he retired the vidnaObmana moniker, Serries’ output hasn’t abated one bit; in fact he has probably produced more music than ever in the years since, under his own name and a number of others. Nocturnal Discord is one of seven releases he has produced so far this year (as of June), originally in a limited edition of 40 cassettes; those are all long gone, but it’s still available as a download from Bandcamp, and hopefully will remain so for some time to come. On the five long experimental tracks (4/5 of which break the ten minute mark easily), Serries explores sound textures using electric guitars, effects, loops, and further effects, pushing all boundaries beyond the breaking point, although as irregular as the sound sometimes flows, the result is one of slow peaceful decay, never pretty or particularly polished, the textures are full of jagged irregularities that often remind of a tape that has been chewed, with split-second dropouts but not always, with splattered fragments of melodic color cycling about in loops. The listener is forever reminded that the next cycle could be the last, as the sound churns into the gentle abyss. What Serries has produced here is far more akin to a minimalist industrial style than the gentle floating ambient sounds of folks like Steve Roach or Jarguna.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Dirk Serries / Vidna Obmana / Fear Falls Burning

More info
http://dirkserries.bandcamp.com/album/nocturnal-discord

 

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