In a world where bigger, louder, and more visible often seem to reign supreme, Serebii finds freedom in the art of restraint.
With Dime, his highly anticipated new album, Serebii has chosen to strip away the noise—not just around him, but within himself. He confined his creative process to a simple three-month window, armed with nothing but his home studio and the equipment at hand. It’s a minimalist approach that forced him to confront a fundamental question: How do you make a statement when you’re working within such limitations?
Serebii’s answer? By making Dime a cohesive, introspective journey—one that’s not just a collection of songs, but a unified narrative about change, self-discovery, and vulnerability. This isn’t just about crafting an album; it’s about creating an experience, where every track speaks to his struggles with imposter syndrome, the tension between visibility and silence, and the search for personal truth. The result is a record that doesn’t just showcase his musicality, but his humanity—his voice, both literal and metaphorical, finally taking center stage after years of playing the role of producer and behind-the-scenes collaborator.
In the candid interview that follows, Serebii takes us through the winding creative process behind Dime, shedding light on his collaborations with Arjuna Oakes and Tom Broome, his deeply immersive songwriting routines, and the deliberate decision to distance himself from outside influence. We also get a glimpse of the unexpected magic behind tracks like “The Randan,” a surreal spoken word piece that stands in stark contrast to the rest of the album’s lush soundscapes. If there’s one thing Serebii has learned in his decade-long career, it’s that sometimes, freedom lies in the boundaries you set for yourself.
So, as Dime prepares to land in March 2025, prepare to experience an album that isn’t just heard—but is also felt.
Evan Toth: Your new album Dime is described as a "singular project conceived to work together as a unified statement." How did you approach the process of making this album feel like a cohesive narrative, rather than just a collection of songs? Was there a central theme or idea that guided you through its creation?
Serebii: I kept the approach simple, I limited myself to three months to make a record in my home studio with only the equipment I had on hand. As far as themes go I suppose it was quite situational, I was aware that I would be moving house, relationships would change shape, knowing I’d be moving to a new country had its say too. There was plenty of time to sink into these feelings as I had everyday to myself for 16 weeks.
ezt: You mention being “terrified” of yourself when it came to putting your voice at the forefront of this album. Can you elaborate on what that fear felt like and how you pushed through it? What were some challenges in finding your voice, both literally and metaphorically?
Serebii: I may have been a little dramatic there, although it is to be said that I have had to work around some form of imposter syndrome with my singing and songwriting, this album was essentially a breakthrough. Writing, playing and singing everyday helps with that. In the past I have worked primarily as a producer and mixing engineer for close to ten years, I believe this embedded a sort of obedient passenger seat role into my personal music.
ezt: "Might As Well Be Watching" captures a tension between being observed and staying in the background. In a world so hyper-focused on visibility, what do you think makes being unseen or unheard so natural or even powerful?
Serebii: It's only natural if I feel grounded and present with myself, not feeling the need to be loud or fill unnecessary space with words, that is powerful. It is part of my role as an artist to put myself out there and back my art which is sometimes where the friction begins. At this point in time good music doesn't always speak for itself, it might to a handful of people but sadly that won’t give you enough financial freedom to fund a record or tour.
ezt: In the creation of this album, you collaborated with Arjuna Oakes for the string arrangements and then worked with Tom Broome to bring those arrangements to life. How did these collaborations impact the sound of Dime, especially when it comes to blending live instrumentation with your more experimental production?
Serebii: Two amazing people, wow. Without delay, both Arjuna and Tom understood the vision. Dime was approached in a more live and acoustic fashion from the beginning so when it came time to record Arjuna’s string compositions it wasn't difficult to blend the two entities, however it was difficult to get his articulations right on the live string recordings. After two full days we got there!
ezt: Your songwriting process seems very immersive, involving a lot of introspection and routines like yoga and free writing. How does your physical and mental routine translate into the music itself? Do you find that these practices help you tap into something deeper when creating?
Serebii: There is a lot of hunching over instruments and computers not to mention the lack of aerobic activity involved in my music process. Mentally speaking there is a groundedness that comes with physical exercise, I did find myself creating more calmly and joyful after physical activity. Occasionally I would spend a week without any exercise which had a natural propensity for apprehensive qualities in the music, which I enjoyed - perhaps that is just an excuse for laziness.
ezt: You’ve spoken about focusing solely on your own work during the creation of Dime, even distancing yourself from outside music. I once worked for a guy who did that same thing, he didn’t want music to impact his composition and - as a songwriter - I always thought that was funny because - as a songwriter - I love to be influenced by other music. In your case, how does this isolation influence the sound and direction of the album? Was it a conscious decision to avoid outside influence, and what did it allow you to discover about your own music?
Serebii: I do love listening to music, it is especially educational for musicians. We are always going to pull from the external world but by closing off my surroundings for this period I found I was encouraged to search for meaning elsewhere and that was a useful tool for personal storytelling.
ezt: You’ve mentioned being inspired by artists like Aldous Harding. What is it about her music that resonates with you so deeply, and how does that influence manifest in Dime, particularly in the way you use your voice and lyrics?
Serebii: There is something about the different characters that come out in her vocal performances that haunt me. The simplicity, emotional depth and originality in Aldous Harding’s music are all qualities I try to conjure when I write music. A friend of mine told me about “the spell” when you feel a song has lost your interest in a moment, it is simply the goal of deciphering what pulled you out of the magic, it can involve cut throat decision making, sometimes removing elements of songs of even entire sections, to get back to the enchantment of the song. To engage listeners from start to finish is a fine art, both Aldous Harding and John Parish do this so well.
ezt: The new album has an excellent mix: it’s fun to listen to; there are plenty of sonic surprises and a really playful soundstage to enjoy on a good set of speakers. Introduce the studio crew that helped you out on this project and the mixing process.
Serebii: Thank you. The additional mixing done by De Stevens happened at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, New Zealand. I had done a majority of the mixing and all the production at home before approaching De to catch anything I had missed on my less ideal treated space. Kelly Hibbert (Almachrome) mastered the record.
ezt: “The Randan” is a curious track on the album; with a spoken work piece and atmospheric background music. It’s certainly out of step with the rest of the record and takes the listener by surprise. Tell me about that song, and the feedback you’ve received about it.
Serebii: This track is a little outrageous in context with the album. An overarching sentiment is in the words of this track, the album touches on nostalgia while trying to grasp the somewhat evasive memories of my youth. I also wanted to have my grandpa on the record to uphold a sort of theme, as he has been on every other record I have released.
ezt: Finally, Dime is coming out in March 2025, and it’s already shaping up to be an immersive listening experience. What do you hope listeners take away from the album, both musically and emotionally? Is there a specific feeling or state of mind you want them to experience after listening to it from start to finish?
Serebii: If someone can listen through the record in its entirety and appreciate the experience that would be enough. It is always special when someone tells you a song has helped them through a rough patch, or they simply feel good when they listen to it, at this point I feel like it is their song as much as it is mine.
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