SWADHISTHANA

Fourth album by Senmuth (and fourth released in 2004) displays a further evolution in Senmuth's music. The impression is that while "Cognitive Discord" was a good album but without particular highlihts, this one is full of ideas since from the first track. Also the fact that after an album inspired by China, he is now looking to the Indian folk, means that Senmuth is experimenting and researching. Don't expect to find tablas, sitars or other traditional instruments. It's the usual techno instrumentation. The opening track contains unusual vocals, but the surprise arrives with Sakala-jana-kAmyAm (I'd like to know what the capital letters on the tracks titles mean). It's not John McLaughlin, but there really a lot of India here, specially in the first part of the track.

The third track is halfway. The sung part is totally indian, but the instrumental interludes are the industrial techno which Senmuth has made us used to. An alternance instead of a fusion. Not a bad idea. It's a fusion of genres, instead, the fourth track. In this case, the heavy percussions and the distorted sounds play on an indian-like melodic line until the last minute of the track that's is based on percussions only.

"AhoDine" has a post-metal opening, but after few seconds the nice female voice re- appears. There are metal, techno and indian moments in a good mixture. One of the best tracks of the album.

"KadAcit" is an eclectic track: heavy percussions, female vocalisms and a male speaking. I can't either understand if it's Russian or another language, but it doesn't really matter. Also this is a nice track.

"NayanaPatha" is on the same line. Maybe the indian part is more in evidence. I'm spotting now that the track sequence on my download is different from the one on PA.

"PrAsAda antaH" is probably the weakest track, but the following one "AsAram nayanaH" is excellent, instead.

The album is closed by the most melodic and probaly "western" song: "WreNi-ruciraH". I hear also some "arabian" sounds, while the female vocalist may also be traditional Japanese or Chinese. The download contains also an edit version of this track (half the time).

This album represents another progress in Senmuth's development. It's a very interesting work. Not yet good enough for 4 stars, but surely more than 3. I round it down also because I have 74 more to listen to excluding lives and anthologies and higher ratings will surely come.