Not on our label but something very very related to our philosophy and circle of friends.

The Summer brings you a lovely surprise release. A special day required a special gathering. Belgian photographer and pianist Martina Verhoeven invited some of her kindred spirits and collaborative musicians, and hosted an afternoon of rotating configurations in the context of a full-on free impro event at the legendary CAFE OTO in London (UK) on Sunday July 23rd, 2023. Two hours of improvisations without borders, rules and/or commitments. FREE IS THE SPACE. 

Due to her friendship and kindred musical understanding, the choice for Martina was easily made to let herself be accompanied by some of the best musicians in the UK free improvisation scene, with whom she already collaborated in live (UK, Belgium, The Netherlands) and recording sessions for labels like Klanggalerie, Raw Tonk Records, Fort Fruit Evil and A New Wave Of Jazz. 

This unique event was captured by painter Gina Southgate. Well known on the London free music and jazz scene where she has painted live at gigs for 30 years. Gina works with the frisson of the music observing the relationship between the musician and instrument, to capture the energy and essence of the gig in the real time. 

The full line-up was : Andrew Lisle : drums, Benedict Taylor : viola, Cath Roberts : baritone sax, Charlotte Keeffe : trumpet, Colin Webster : alto sax, Daniel Thompson : acoustic guitar, Dirk Serries : electric guitar, Martina Verhoeven : grand piano, Tom Jackson : clarinet and Tom Ward : bass clarinet, flute.

Pre-order now at this introductory price of 10 EUR :

https://dirkserries.bandcamp.com/album/martina-verhoeven-invites

The excellent reviewer EYAL HAREUVENI just wrote a nice review for SALT PEANUTS (also read his excellent reviews on related albums like RODRIGO AMADO/ANDREW LISLE/DIRK SERRIES’ THE INVISIBLE and HUGO COSTA/FRISO VAN WIJCK/DIRK SERRIES’ Live At Oude Klooster Kapel) on LEMADI TRIO’s TRYPTOPHAN SUITE. The release is available through our bandcamp store here.

“The newly founded Lemadi Trio features another Portuguese sax hero José Lencastre (aon alto sax), Serries’ partner in life and music, Martina Verhoeven, on the vintage electric Crumar piano and Dirk Serries. Verhoeven alsto took the cover photo. This trio’s debut album was recorded live in May 2023 at Jazzblazzt in Neeritter, The Netherlands. It represents the very first notes this new trio played together, when «stars were aligned and the music flowed effortlessly in a profound conversation where each personality and instrument matters». Serries produced before a recording of Lencastre with fellow Portuguese musicians – electronics player Carla Santana, violinist Maria do Mar and double bass player Gonçalo Almeida (Defiant Illusion, A New Wave of Jazz, 2024). A week later after recording Trytophan Suite, Seriies and Lencastre they recorded a duo album, Live At Hotelier Porto Portugal May 7th 2023 (Nachtstück, 2023). The title of the album refers to an amino acid needed for normal growth in infants and corresponds faithfully with the natural development of the two, untitled and mostly sparse free improvisations. Lencastre alternates between short and brief attacks and whispering soft sounds with commanding, extended breathing techniques; Serries punctuates his flights with fast and sharp comments while Verhoeven floats gently in between with her highly resonating keyboard. Together they sketch these pieces like exquisite and unpredictable stories that occasionally gravitate towards dense and powerful climaxes.” Salt Peanuts – Norway

Ken Waxman of JAZZ WORD is catching up with some of the latest of our releases with a lovely review of DANDELION, the 2022 album of TOM JACKSON/KRIS VANDERSTRAETEN/DIRK SERRIES.
The album is still available from our bandcamp store.

“Tom’s contribution may have been understated on the other disc, but during the Dandelion’s session Vanderstraeten is upfront most of the rime. Jackson’s shrills and tongue flutters set up the expositions with Serries metallic echoes, intermediate slides and up-the-neck picks and below-the-bridge clanks providing sympathetic decorations. Expanding both linear motion and auditory enhancements, the percussionist’s parallel, but not overwhelming cadences include hollow pops, woody crunches, Mylar scrubs, strained cymbal coloration and idiophone ratchets and shakes.
Most prominent on “Violet blue” and “Dark green”,  his playing creates the proper equivalence to the sounds from the other trio members. Jackson’s initially unaccompanied thin flutters are given extra gravitas by Vanderstraeten’s bolo-bat-like thumps and regularized tick tocks. While Serries’ string rubs, that can sound like stick friction bursting into flame, become even more taunt when framed by constant percussion sounds.
Combing guitar ratchets and pops, high-pitched reed trills and cymbal smashes into group story-telling, the trio members continue to express individual textures as the narratives slide to a polyphonic conclusion,
Without lacking any sonic elements, cooperative and cooperating trios like these can provide all the textures needed for enticing creative improvisations.” Jazz Word – Canada

MUSIQUE MACHINE just reviewed DEFIANT ILLUSION and gave it a 4 out of 5 rating !
The album is still available from our bandcamp store.

“Defiant Ilussion is an eight-track journey into taut, brooding, at times moodily atmospheric, at others noisily seared electro-acoustic improv. The four-way collaboration features players from the Portuguese scene, and it most certainly highlights the skill and scope within the secene.This is a CD album released by Belgium’s A New Wave Of Jazz- which focuses on releasing the more free/ experimental side of improv & Jazz. The CD is presented in the label’s house-style grey mini gatefold- which on its front and back takes in grey boxes set with white texts. Inside we find a two-page write-up about the album & its players. Featured here are Carla Santanna- electronics. José Lencastre – alto and tenor sax Maria do Mar – violin, and Gonçalo Almeida – double bass. The album was recorded in the studio in October of 2022- though it all sounds very off the cuff/ live in its sound. The eight tracks that make up the album have runtimes between two and thirteen minutes. We move from the open title track, which is sinister & lightly seared mixture of  taut brooding bass scrapes/ purrs, forlorn horn wails, manic string fiddles, and uneasy elector sweeps ‘n’ pulls. There’s the warbling electro haze fade in of “Each One Without Exception” which pulls together a selection of creaks ‘n’ scrabs with slowly pitch swoons, and the latter angular jaunting seesawing tones. Moving into the second half we have “Side To Side” with it’s bounding bass fiddle, sour watery electro churn,  seesawing annularity, and general dense ‘n’ discordently  bounding chaos. We have the constant grain static shift, wailing horn flirt, and shifting  bass runs of “Untapped Storytellers”. Throughout Defiant Ilussion there is a keen sense of tensioned edge, surprised, with fleeting  moments of more seared noise and even the occasional wayward melody. All making for a highly engaging trip into electro acoustic improv.” Musique Machine – UK