Vidna Obmana – Soundtrack For The Aquarium (CD Album – Zoharum)
Genre/Influences: Soundscape, experimental.
Background/Info: Belgian artist Dirk Serries got active under the Vidna Obmana moniker in between 1985 and 2009. This album was originally released in 1993 by the Belgian zoo from Antwerp. It indeed was a conceptual work, originally featuring songs by Vidna Obmana and Hybryds. This re-edition only features the five Vidna Obmana cuts plus 2 bonus tracks. The work has been remastered.
Content: This album features 7 songs, but you get the impression listening to one long during piece. The title of the work clearly indicates what the concept is all about and you for sure will rapidly recognize different kinds of aquatic and draining sounds/noises. It here consists of field recordings, which have been next manipulated and mixed in the studio.
+ + + : No doubt about it, this is the kind of conceptual release fascinating every artist. The sound has something relaxing, because of the aquatic noises, but it also creates an intriguing atmosphere. This is an album you’ve to (re)discover by using headphones so you can notice the multiple little sound details this album has been made with.
– – – : I can’t affirm that the work is monotonous, but there’s less diversity between the different cuts. I’m afraid that‘s often what you might experience when listening to soundscapes.
Conclusion: Zoharum moves on re-releasing essential albums from the Vidna Obmana discography. This one never has been my favorite one, but it remains a real particular work in the wide discography and career of the artist.
Best songs: “Aqua 1 (theme)”, Aqua 2b.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/dirk.serries
Label: www.zoharum.com / www.facebook.com/zoharum
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
