Vidna Obmana — Twilight Of Perception Redux Volume Three 1996- 2006

Here’s the third volume in the Twilight Of Perception series. Each three-CD set in this series serves up a selection of rare and unreleased tracks from between the mid 1990’s and early 2000’s by Euro ambient pioneer Vidna Obmana, aka Dirk Serries. The set features eighteen tracks in all, with a good variation in both the tone and atmosphere, moving from lulling n’drifting ambience, all the way through upbeat / rhythmic-edged ethnic ambient works.

The three-CD set is presented in an eight-panel digipak. It features an effective mix of yellow texts- underlaid by close-up monochrome photos of dried & barren plant life. As with the growing catalogue of Vidna Obmana reissues on the label, we get a nicely moody/ lightly arty and uniform look to the packaging. With six tracks on each disc

The first disc opens with “Majestic Trip”, which blends stabbing synth tones and electro ethnic rhythms with a forlorn/ yet semi-hopeful ambient tone glide. As we move through disc one, we have the hall-of-mirrors like/reverberating drones of “Intersection” which suggests some rather uneasy/ maybe creepy extraterrestrial vibes just at the edges of the track.

Moving on to the second disc, we have “Totems” which is all about fading in ebbing & flowing warm ambience- feeling very

much like the audio equivalent of sitting on a golden sand & blue water shore, letting the water slowly wash over you. On “Threshold Of Obstruction” we find a knocking ‘n’ combing beat underfed by steadily revolving and glowing ambient tones. With “Siren Awakes” we find a far-off whistle ‘n’ wail being steadily woven into circling drone warmth.

Finally, on disc number three, we move from “Euphoric Bliss” with its blend of gentle chiming/ ringing tones and woozy yet bright ambient glow. Again, I’m getting a rather extraterrestrial vibe here- but this time it’s non-threatening, I’m thinking the feel of slowly being raised into the warming & soothing light of a UFO's beam. Onto the steadily circling & wavering flow of “Shadow Blanket” where the tones/ pitches have both a pleasingly harmonic yet slightly warped quality about them.

Twilight Of Perception Redux, Vol. Three is up to the high standard of the other releases in this series. And if you count yourself as even a vague fan of the ambient genre, this is a must, as all the tracks are so well-crafted & brilliantly conceived examples of the form.