The compositions seem akin to paintings, layered and still, simple evocations of time passing. Each track has a special drone pattern that it thrives within.
Atmospheric drones that sparkle slowly
Sérine’s music is born of scavenging particles of sound in old songs and recordings through granular manipulation, a process that operates on the microsound time scale, where samples are split into small pieces of around 1 to 100 ms in duration. These are turned into vaporous textures often floating above simple field recordings documenting the simplicity of daily life, a trip on the bus, a walk in the park, a trip to the supermarket. Recording under the name Sérine, French producer Franz Kirmann explores a more free form and less structured approach to his work. The compositions seem akin to paintings, layered and still, simple evocations of time passing. Each track has a special drone pattern that it thrives within.
Fictions comprises a sextuplet of deeply introspective, melancholic vignettes. “I wanted to superimpose two time frames, a subjective, internal one and a more objective temporality, reflected by field recordings unfolding in real time with little manipulation.”
Fade in. There is a sustained glowing hum. Soon, add a tone, long and slow, maybe it is a whistling electric guitar, distant. Rêve poétique court, which sustains the surreal mysteries of this listening experience.
“Fictions” (8:13) Perhaps the background was created by suspending the moment after piano-pounding, a loud chord, sustaining that late reverberation, maybe a piano pedal was purposefully held down, no pumping. Here comes a long slender finger of feedback haunting, calling from the distance. Eventually a piano emerges, cautiously, only a little suggestion of a piano. What I hear mostly: only the glow is constant, overall the sound broadens and won’t budge in subject and composition. “Say” (6:05) Always fading in. A distinct electronic atmospheric sound contains this universe from the beginning to the end of the track, variations layer and persist, soft like memories. The sound smells good. An undulating pattern emerges briefly but remains deeply layered. “Texturale” (7:18) Ting! Metal sound, like a tiny bell or something sweet hidden within the atmospheric drone. I hear travel sounds, voices and the subway, rattle hiss doors beeping. The glowing atmosphere prevails keeping the dreamskin intact, merging with always interesting field recordings, clues to interpret somehow. I think I heard a squirrel chuckling, just for a moment. “Still” (5:27) Moaning steel. Atmospherics sustain. Bowed tones drone, things happen in the story too. “Fragments” (5:01) This track has a big echoey cathedral atmosphere. The music has no hurry, things like clues emerge, possible interpretations dissolve. There is an ancient cathedral type organ atmosphere, the bass keyboard has interesting textures, fade out. “Spectrales” (7:13) Ghosty. The layers are almost alive, while the dark atmosphere remains sustained. There are human voices haunting the spectrum, male. Spooky. Almost chanting, almost.
Surreal mysteries of this listening experience ::
In London there is a French electronic musician, Franz Kirmann, who has been releasing music since 2006 both as a solo artist and with various collaborators from painters, musicians to filmmakers and digital artists. Kirmann founded the electronic music label called Days Of Being Wild in 2009 as well as participating in an electronic / post classical crossover duo Piano Interrupted with pianist composer Tom Hodge. They toured Europe extensively between 2013 and 2016.
Kirmann has released music on various imprints over the years, mainly Denovali Records in Germany and Bytes / Ransom Note in the UK, Photogram, also Tapeworm, Mercury KX, 1631, MicroCastle and Lona Records (Hong Kong). Notable media credits are TV drama McMafia (BBC), indie documentary The Man Behind The Microphone (Claire De Lune Films) both with Tom Hodge and 2021 BAFTA winner documentary Locked In: Breaking the Silence for BBC Four Storyville. Aside from his solo work, Franz regularly collaborates with musicians, filmmakers and artists.
Fictions is available on Courier. [Bandcamp]
