Magnetar by Dirk Serries & Trösta
Available through Projekt Records :
https://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/magnetar
Credits
released August 27, 2024
Belgians Dirk Serries & Trösta (the nom de plume of Nicolas Lefèvre) release their second album of ambient drone. What sets MAGNETAR apart from many others in the genre is Trösta's melodic alto saxophone. Warmly phrased, the saxophone spreads its serene and graceful melody, washed in reverb, flowing in long, engulfing phrases. Don’t think about the jazz use of the sax but consider it as a warm analog wind instrument that moves above, underneath and along with the expansive guitar soundscapes.
Serries began the project with electric guitar and effects; performed live in the studio, he received a duet in return. The results are elaborate soundscapes: a symphony of lyricism, depth and nuance. It’s a solace drenched in melancholy and light, organically made by the hands of talented musicians. The 102-minute album expands their unique sonic universe, creating a beautiful, harmonic and moody blend. Music created on the spot showcases how naturally their two worlds blend.
AVANT MUSIC NEWS wrote of their debut, "Serries, who has also recorded and performed under his VidnaObmana and Fear Falls Burning pseudonyms, returns to his signature sound on this duo effort with Trösta on alto sax. Credited with electric guitar, Serries provides… layers of soft drones that gently reshape themselves. To this, Trösta adds plaintive and exploratory themes. Whether merging with the drones or serving a contrast thereto, these melancholy lines evoke a wistful and peaceful sadness... The result is not quite ambient, and neither dark nor light. Instead, it is a strangely moving set of long-form pieces that capture the emotions of the moment.”
LUMINOUS DASH wrote of their debut, “The two musicians produce a rich and compelling sound palette... Trösta colors the sonic swells in an impressive way with his saxophone. The duo immerses the listener in beneficial cosmic atmospheres that convey a soft timbre of melancholy."
A subtle contrast is created between the fine, graceful brushstrokes of the saxophonist and the ever-transforming surfaces of the electric guitarist. Within a subtle cloud of sound, Trösta feels at home with his light, intimate playing as these two artists keep each other in balance walking together on a tightrope across a deep, dark chasm.
CREDITS: Recorded live, including all spatiotemporal effects at Sunny Side Studios between 2021-2023. Electric guitar, alto saxophone and electronics by Dirk Serries and Trösta. Mixed and mastered at Sunny Side Studios, Anderlecht.
Photography by Martina Verhoeven
martinaverhoeven.com
dirkserries.com
trosta.bandcamp.com
"A magnetar is a neutron star with an incredibly powerful magnetic field, such that as it decays it powers the emission of high energy electromagnetic radiation, and in particular x-rays and gamma rays. No need to worry about that here, this magnetar is completely safe and won’t harm your hearing, vision, or internal cell structure — no danger at all. In fact, being in the vicinity of this Magnetar is a relatively gentle and calming experience, though it is warm, a combination of ambient and melodic elements that cover the listener like a warm blanket on a cold autumn night under the stars. Dirk Serries should be well known to Exposé readers — we interviewed him years ago when he was using the moniker VidnaObmana to release his own work, as well as many collaborations with the likes of Steve Roach, Stratosphere, Asmus Tietchens, PBK and numerous others over a 40-plus year career. Trösta is Belgian saxophonist Nicolas Lefèvre, an outstanding player but relatively unknown, though we did review his 2021 collaboration with Serries titled Island on the Moon. On the ten improvised tracks at hand, Serries provides a heavily effected ambient guitar backdrop to the proceedings, while Trösta provides the melodies on alto sax with a mild amount of studio reverb. The sax is always clearly audible as such, while the same can’t be said for the expansive guitar sweeps, which often sound more like a wall of synthesizers, but the combination that they present together is always graceful, forceful, and melodically striking, though never harsh or abrasive in any way. For those who need categorizations, one might say it’s a mix of floating ambient and melodic jazz working together seamlessly, weaving in and out of a cosmic atmospheric fabric, each track around ten minutes in length, give or take a few minutes, and all together the album comes to well over 100 minutes. While there is definitely too much going on here to make it suitable for slumber, it’s a perfect soundtrack for relaxation and meditation." Exposé
"De Belgische jazzgitarist Dirk Serries is een man van vele gezichten – meestal maakt hij geïmproviseerde, buitengewoon avontuurlijke muziek waar je als luisteraar scherp en aandachtig naar moet luisteren als je niets wilt missen, maar in de samenwerking met Trösta (saxofonist Nicolas Lefèvre) gebeurt er iets anders, want hier wil je als luisteraar vooral lui gaan liggen en je laten meedrijven op de muziek. Magnetar is misschien wel het meest toegankelijke album dat Serries ooit maakte, waarbij hij met zijn elektrische gitaren en effecten een soundscape creëert waarop Trösta met zijn warme altsaxofoon lange, goddelijke melodieën neerzet, in een perfect duet. Tien lange stukken van rond de tien minuten per stuk vind je hier, en dan heb ik er eerlijk gezegd nog lang niet genoeg van. Muziek om bij te ontspannen, maar zeker geen simpele ambient soundscape, daarvoor valt er te veel te ontdekken als je goed luistert. Een aanrader." Moors Magazine
Belgians Dirk Serries & Trösta (the nom de plume of Nicolas Lefèvre) release their second album of ambient drone. What sets MAGNETAR apart from many others in the genre is Trösta's melodic alto saxophone. Warmly phrased, the saxophone spreads its serene and graceful melody, washed in reverb, flowing in long, engulfing phrases. Don’t think about the jazz use of the sax but consider it as a warm analog wind instrument that moves above, underneath and along with the expansive guitar soundscapes.
Serries began the project with electric guitar and effects; performed live in the studio, he received a duet in return. The results are elaborate soundscapes: a symphony of lyricism, depth and nuance. It’s a solace drenched in melancholy and light, organically made by the hands of talented musicians. The 102-minute album expands their unique sonic universe, creating a beautiful, harmonic and moody blend. Music created on the spot showcases how naturally their two worlds blend.
AVANT MUSIC NEWS wrote of their debut, "Serries, who has also recorded and performed under his VidnaObmana and Fear Falls Burning pseudonyms, returns to his signature sound on this duo effort with Trösta on alto sax. Credited with electric guitar, Serries provides… layers of soft drones that gently reshape themselves. To this, Trösta adds plaintive and exploratory themes. Whether merging with the drones or serving a contrast thereto, these melancholy lines evoke a wistful and peaceful sadness... The result is not quite ambient, and neither dark nor light. Instead, it is a strangely moving set of long-form pieces that capture the emotions of the moment.”
LUMINOUS DASH wrote of their debut, “The two musicians produce a rich and compelling sound palette... Trösta colors the sonic swells in an impressive way with his saxophone. The duo immerses the listener in beneficial cosmic atmospheres that convey a soft timbre of melancholy."
A subtle contrast is created between the fine, graceful brushstrokes of the saxophonist and the ever-transforming surfaces of the electric guitarist. Within a subtle cloud of sound, Trösta feels at home with his light, intimate playing as these two artists keep each other in balance walking together on a tightrope across a deep, dark chasm.
CREDITS: Recorded live, including all spatiotemporal effects at Sunny Side Studios between 2021-2023. Electric guitar, alto saxophone and electronics by Dirk Serries and Trösta. Mixed and mastered at Sunny Side Studios, Anderlecht.
Photography by Martina Verhoeven
martinaverhoeven.com
dirkserries.com
trosta.bandcamp.com
"A magnetar is a neutron star with an incredibly powerful magnetic field, such that as it decays it powers the emission of high energy electromagnetic radiation, and in particular x-rays and gamma rays. No need to worry about that here, this magnetar is completely safe and won’t harm your hearing, vision, or internal cell structure — no danger at all. In fact, being in the vicinity of this Magnetar is a relatively gentle and calming experience, though it is warm, a combination of ambient and melodic elements that cover the listener like a warm blanket on a cold autumn night under the stars. Dirk Serries should be well known to Exposé readers — we interviewed him years ago when he was using the moniker VidnaObmana to release his own work, as well as many collaborations with the likes of Steve Roach, Stratosphere, Asmus Tietchens, PBK and numerous others over a 40-plus year career. Trösta is Belgian saxophonist Nicolas Lefèvre, an outstanding player but relatively unknown, though we did review his 2021 collaboration with Serries titled Island on the Moon. On the ten improvised tracks at hand, Serries provides a heavily effected ambient guitar backdrop to the proceedings, while Trösta provides the melodies on alto sax with a mild amount of studio reverb. The sax is always clearly audible as such, while the same can’t be said for the expansive guitar sweeps, which often sound more like a wall of synthesizers, but the combination that they present together is always graceful, forceful, and melodically striking, though never harsh or abrasive in any way. For those who need categorizations, one might say it’s a mix of floating ambient and melodic jazz working together seamlessly, weaving in and out of a cosmic atmospheric fabric, each track around ten minutes in length, give or take a few minutes, and all together the album comes to well over 100 minutes. While there is definitely too much going on here to make it suitable for slumber, it’s a perfect soundtrack for relaxation and meditation." Exposé
"De Belgische jazzgitarist Dirk Serries is een man van vele gezichten – meestal maakt hij geïmproviseerde, buitengewoon avontuurlijke muziek waar je als luisteraar scherp en aandachtig naar moet luisteren als je niets wilt missen, maar in de samenwerking met Trösta (saxofonist Nicolas Lefèvre) gebeurt er iets anders, want hier wil je als luisteraar vooral lui gaan liggen en je laten meedrijven op de muziek. Magnetar is misschien wel het meest toegankelijke album dat Serries ooit maakte, waarbij hij met zijn elektrische gitaren en effecten een soundscape creëert waarop Trösta met zijn warme altsaxofoon lange, goddelijke melodieën neerzet, in een perfect duet. Tien lange stukken van rond de tien minuten per stuk vind je hier, en dan heb ik er eerlijk gezegd nog lang niet genoeg van. Muziek om bij te ontspannen, maar zeker geen simpele ambient soundscape, daarvoor valt er te veel te ontdekken als je goed luistert. Een aanrader." Moors Magazine
Dirk Serries has never shied away from leaps of faith or experimentation. This bandcamp page serves as a collection for his diversity in styles, collaborations and solo recordings. From the pure bliss to the free improvisation.