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  • Limited Edition Deluxe Cassette
    Cassette + Digital Album

    Cassette comes housed in a double sized case. All tapes a pro dubbed on Silver Band shells, the 2 panel inlay has been printed on 300gsm recycled paper.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Day Realms via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.
Day Realms 41:47
2.
Night Realms 40:34

about

A companion piece to last years 'Night Realms', the trio of guitarist Dirk Serries, saxophonist John Dikeman and drummer Rene Aquarius return to Tombed Visions with another assaulting, 40 plus minute set of sustained fire music glory. Beginning with a dawn like guitar loop, 'Day Realms' opens like a crest of sunlight rolling across on a malevolent sea, the waves rippling and boiling with tension. Dirk Serries is at his most burstingly melodic, his guitar singing in rich hues of sun burnt colour. Rene Aquarius thundering percussion rests most of its attack on the cymbals, creating a shimmering sea of metal when he isn't bombastically gutting the sound with pounding rolls that Serries and Dikeman cry in response too, drowning under the waves. John Dikeman, when not wailing into his saxophone like a wounded banshee, smatters the sounds with some of his most keeningly beautiful playing I've yet to hear. 'Day Realms' has moments of the sustained menace of its predecessor, but its the dynamics the trio have begun to explore on this record; space, soloist runs and creating moments for each other to share their individual voices that really must ensure that these cats keep making this music together, the development in sound so huge. A soul stirrer, no fucking doubt and an essential slice of modern European Free Jazz. As a added bonus for the Tombed Visions faithful, 'Night Realms' is included on Side B of this glorious, glorious tape!

"Last year appeared on the English Tombed Visions Records the Night Realms cassette of John Dikeman (tenor saxophone), Dirk Serries (guitar) and René Aquarius (drums). It involved a 14th March 2015 concert in a concert at Kunstgroep De Compagnie te Veghel, fully improvised piece that drew drone, ambient and freejazz, and that sublime attention lasted forty minutes.

It seems that the three men do not play in trio bands often, but more than a year after the tape appears, the musicians speak again, using the same label and again on the tape. Day Realms is called improvisation eleven days after the concert in Veghel in Kinky Star in Ghent, which is more or less the counterpart of Night Realms . In both pieces, the strong sides of Dikeman, Serries and Aquarius emerge, but the pieces are different from construction, and the musicians' game is also different.

The most noticeable is John Dikeman's remarkably sensible and melodious game, yet known as a saxophonist who does not turn his hand to produce a portion of his entire solo. These hard-haired days are on Day Realms , but they are dosed and fairly sparing. Serries finds a good middle way between free jazz game and the ambient and dronetrain he has explored for years. That site explored Aquarius on his solo CD released last year. His role seems to have increased over Night Realms , with the full sound of his drum kit rising.

Serries does not open with a drone but with free play and that sounds strikingly bright at the start of the game. It goes with loud sounds. Aquarius's strings gently rub, until Dikeman invades quietly and melodically, and the drummer moves more with the cymbals and bass drums, which are remarkably dark and powerful. Soon, Dikeman switches to his familiar aggressive giggling game, but the aggression is quickly muted, and then swallowed again. Aquarius plays fast, his footwork is phenomenal, and Serries and Dikeman play through each other in a furious part of the piece.

After ten minutes, the full bowl of all three musicians, with the guitar noises especially It's not Dikeman but Serries who cares for the most musical violence, supported by the thundering drums of the very busy Aquarius. Dikeman's scissors do not go so much in this phase, but goes on to the fury created by the two other musicians. The climax is around the thirteenth minute, after which Aquarius is lounging with cymbals, intermittently interrupted by hard battles on toms and bass drums. Serries accompanies counterparts and slowly but surely takes over. Dikeman is the man who emphasizes the gems; Serries and Aquarius are the pacemakers.

After about eighteen minutes, the Dikemans turn for a long solo with a lot of feeling and melody. As a listener, you always have the feeling that the outburst of violence must still come. However, he maintains it for the most part, subtly, and emphasizes his nice sense of melody. Aquarius accompanies rolling game on the toms, which he plays with mallets. Serries is now the one who places on limited volume accents and produces a drone later. Those in intensity increasing dreams and impending drums work hypnotic, while Dikeman blows the stars of heaven.

By half an hour the center of gravity is shifted. Aquarius is lounging with roaring cymbals and is still rolling game on the toms and bass drums. The constant drone has disappeared and Serries is now playing with motion. That game also has a hypnotic effect and it also raises stress. Dikeman again remarkably melodies, with much emotion in his game, in this quiet part of the play. Aquarius goes from his game as a hunter to putting on accents. Dikeman remains in his lyrical mood. Not until the end, when Serries almost unnoticed once again, the saxophonist got rid of poison, what Aquarius is the sign for wildlife around him too. If Serries again is on standby noise, the witch boiler is complete. What a climax!

The second set of trio Dikeman Serries Aquarius , which is recorded on the sound carrier, is in no hurry for Night Realms released last year , which can be found on side B of the cassette. So you get two beautiful pieces of free improvisation for the price of one. Both pieces sound exciting, animated and intense. Adventurous music of three admired musicians. Beautiful."
-Opduvel

"David McLean’s Tombed Visions label continues to mine a rewarding seam of mutant sounds that combines fire music’s euphoric blowing with the protean spontaneity of free improvisation. Here he hooks up stateside exploratory reedsman John Dikeman with Belgian guitarist-cum-sound artist Dirk Serries and Dutch powerhouse drummer René Aquarius, for a transatlantic jam that sets a determined course for the far reaches of the universe, the trio losing themselves in gorgeously tangled chains of silvery honk and glassy deep-space glister.

Dikeman, Serries and Aquarius are part of a resurgent wave of free jazz that gathers up players from Europe, the US and UK in a cross–cultural throng. Tombed Visions released the first outing from this trio, Night Realms, in 2016 (it’s also provided on the flipside of this tape for any heads who may have missed it) – and players with a similar worldview, such as Andrew Cheetham, Otto Wilberg, David Birchall, Colin Webster and Sam Andreae, have also been represented, in various combinations, by McLean over the years. Of this lot, the ABC Trio’s two releases come particularly recommended, the threesome of Andreae (tenor sax), Birchall (guitar) and Cheetham (drums) locking together in an astringent yet weirdly groovy manner that’s sure to get anyone that’s interested in non-dogmatic free improvisation foaming at the gums.

Night Realms walks a jazzier line than the spittle ‘n’ leather of the ABC squad, its blissful candour creating a beatific cocoon of sound whose radiance doesn’t let up for the 40-odd minutes of its runtime. René Aquarius, whose muscular, arrhythmic chops for Dead Neanderthals are a major contribution to the duo’s seismic force, lets loose with flurries of cymbal and percussive snare and kick-drum jolts, driving forward his partners’ explorations in tidal surges. Serries is on good form too, with circling mantras whose textural sheen are evocative of In A Silent Way-era McLaughlin.

Together, Serries and Aquarius form a taut mesh through which Dikeman slithers with riverine guile. His playing is fluid and melodic, but tough too, his curling riffs building up into a brassy lung-busting cacophony that transforms Day Realms’ opening quarter of an hour into a joyful overture. It proceeds through a series of peaks and troughs after that, although the rhythm rarely feels contrived. At around 20 minutes, Serries drops out and Aquarius moves to toms, freeing up the higher register for Dikeman to blast out in a reedy, squealing tantrum. Serries edging back in with an extended single-note drone adds another layer of hypnotism, yet the tension is allowed to dissipate, oozing out in a series of desultory splashes and plunks, before the trip gird their loins for cathartic final-minute splatterfest.

Bring the cloths, you’re gonna need to clean up around here."
- Paul Margree, radiofreemidwich

""Declared on this site, an irresistible desire to seek fresh and healthy improvised music on Old Continent, is still pushing the editorial team to explore new decks of new music.

Manchester Cassette Tombed Vision, led by saxophonist David McLean, has already hosted the Tribune on the occasion of two of this year's publications, then in a compact edition. The name of John Dikeman, American saxophonist, Dutch resident, is certainly not alien to anyone. A Belgian guitarist, Dirk Serries, an experimenter, a legend of the European ambient, who has boldly stepped into the improvised scene lately, we met quite recently, on the occasion of his highly acclaimed George Held Outermision duo .

Today, the music of exceptional quality - released on tape cassette! - trio created by the aforementioned - Dikeman and Serries, together with the Dutch drummer René Aquarius. This improvisation musician has grown up playing mostly original and loud rock music. Gentlemen, last year, they released a live material tape Night Realms (Tombed Visions, 2016). Today they come back with another portion of concert music. The title is no surprise - Day Realms (Tombed Visions, 2017). The new recording, created eleven days after the previous one, fills us with the first page of the cassette. On the second we get ... reedition of the previous one. One cassette, double release, great music, can you want more?

Daily Realms!

John Dikeman, Dirk Serries and René Aquarius, tenor saxophone, electric guitar and full drum set. We are in Belgian Ghent, Kinky Star Club. It is March 25, 2015. Musicians play less than 42 minutes.

We are greeted with a dreamy, serially-focused Serries guitar. The saxophone plugs rather timidly and stains the space around the string instrument's knuckle, not wanting to prove anything at this stage of the event. The drummer beats the bell (that is the foot in the bass drum), covers the unburned volume and waits for the signal to escalate. Improvisation smiles and suffocates in the vapor of psychedelia, like liquid lava, although the volcano itself is still in a state of moderate rest. This linear narrative is based on the slightest escalation of the sound level, on the creation of rock intensity, in the aesthetic sense, of the musical message. After just a few minutes of pre-release, the musicians are sufficiently distracted - the saxophone is delightfully ventured, the guitar is bleeding profusely and looking for trance, and the drum drum is extremely expressive. This uninterrupted stream of improvisation can creep up and precisely lay down. Dikeman nimbly escalates and messes up his tempa for a nice ear, true punk way. She likes to dress her solo guitar in a big, hardcore band. Of course, as a result of these activities, the emotions are far above the rock . The music continues to escalate (even in about 15 minutes) until the earth shakes beneath his feet until he hears the sound of a seventeen-year-old man strangely ready for a challenge in the context of a close relationship with a sweaty soloist. Cities of subtlety, sparks fly, and sweat and blood fall from heaven (and the reviewer is at least delighted!). In a few situations, the drummer gets lost a bit, but it's just negligible incidents. He himself is on a macro scale, perfect for the Hard Rock Improv Rock Destination Band !

The new narration, already in the second part of the concert, is based on an extremely dynamic drumming , a self-balancing saxophone and a high question mark suspended in the air - what would the concerted image of the croaking guitarist react to? We do not wait too long for the answer. Serries sticks to this free jazz duo sax-drum fiery dron, whose job is to drill the listener's brain (though the noise itself is far from moderate). Narration was again irreversibly reversed in the direction of healthy psychedelia. Music perfectly escapes in trance, continues, brides, flows and does not place commas. Serries seems like his guitar turns into a hot , Indian sitar. Preech the mantra rage and pray to a godless god, looking for lost roots in a strange journey, the Hindu roots (from the reviewer's quarters: necessarily turn up the volume potentiometer!). Aquarius puts sharp punches on his feet and resonating with plates (a bit like the reincarnation of Tom Bruno and his epochal Test). This loud, but dreamy climate falls on our head, does not ask questions, nor does it have to answer. John slides into this picture jazz honey slices and he's quite consciously aware of the unknown. The whole calms down significantly and flows in the torrent of unlimited opportunities for the development of the stage situation. The saxophone is bittersweet and could even sleep a little naughty little girl before bed (whispering to them little romantic stories about bad spirits). Dirk's guitar flows with great reverb. The musician barely strings the strings, he is in a trance. Beautiful dialogue with saxophone. If the drummer put in a bit of sonority (... adds a dreamy reviewer). John seemed to hear the dispatcher's attention and fell into a frenzy. Dirk and Rene go with him on this musical set ! Brilliant escalation! The rock drum arsenal is good for the finale! Crazy ! Rock in !

Night kingdoms. In the previous episode: eleven days in advance

Netherlands, March 14, 2015. We are in Kunstgroep De Compagnie / Veghel this time. The same three guys, on the same three instruments will play for us less than ... 41 minutes.

At the start of the modest solo escalation on the guitar, which is supported by a suite of resonating drummer plates. This gently modulated dron successfully introduces us to the darkness of the night. The saxophone is almost sticky. It flows and comments on the behavior of the co-workers. The flow of all three is compact and steady. Dikeman's ornaments seem to be particularly charming at this point in time. Guitar and drum s, like one child of God, are flowing to perdition with a smile on their lips. Again it is reasonable to associate with the uncompromising Test (ah, this foot!). Expression, pure emotion escalation, in the face, straight to the people! We can only hear the sound in about 17 minutes! But it is now that special things will happen!

Aquarius rips his foot , leaves the volume and convulsively echoes. Serries loop around their own thoughts and puts on a rich interior. Dikeman returns almost purified. Oniric, gently sonorizes. The music is playing at angles like starved males, unable to escape. Psychedelia controls this fragment of the world, the depressive Netherlands, and can not stand the word of opposition. Musicians are immersed in their sounds. Really far to their return journey. Delicious! In this situational context, Ginsberg's squeak seems to be a fairy tale for good babies. Moments of apparent noise, but they have a truly purifying power. It seems that all sins are forgiven us. Bleeding that does not cause blood loss. Suffering, which seems to be a delightful audio journey.

Master of ceremonies, undeniably, appear here Dirk Serries. Creates 99% of the acoustic flute finale of this extraordinary live concert. The saxophone is in the fire of hell, though surely it will come out of it all. Oh, paradox! Artistic disagreement on the one-dimensional world! For the sounds really final, the whole narrative fuses into one mighty dron. Guitar triumphs! And the cassettes are ruling the improvising Benelux and a little less insane remnant of the British Empire, on the other side stinking of the innocence of the channel!

****

Other novelties of Tombed Visions will be discussed in another story after the editor's holidays. Then also wait for a long long time about the initiative A New Wave Of Jazz ! Cassettes and vinyls that provoke you to refresh the notion of jazz . Improvisation as a main course, and Dirk Serries in a double role - the publisher and amazing music.

All Tombed Visions releases are available electronically, of course via bandcamp.com. "Spontaneous Music Tribune - Poland"
- Spontaneous Music Tribune

credits

released July 28, 2017

John Dikeman - Tenor Saxophone
Dirk Serries - Guitar
René Aquarius - Drums

Day Realms was recorded live on March 25 2015
at Kinky Star, Ghent, Belgium

Engineered By Dirk Serries
Mixed and Mastered by Marlon Wolterink
at White Noise Studio, Winterswijk, The Netherlands

Graphic Design by Lewis Mclean

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Tombed Visions Records Manchester, UK

Tombed Visions is a Manchester based cassette label specialising in improvisation, ambient music, experimental electronics and noir aesthetics and aims to showcase the fringes of contemporary independent music. All releases are limited edition and packaged with care, combining a love of graphic design, photography, typography with the wondrous sounds released. ... more

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