LIGHT, SOUND, SACRAL GEOMETRY & ENERGY

After a very pleasent minute of new-age like music featuring the acoustic guitar that's becoming a distinctive component of the best Senmuth, the first track falls into the usual sequence of chords that seem to be randomly placed in sequence by a computer. Well, I don't think it's random, as the arrangements are too complex to be a computer thing, but this is unfortunately the final effect.

It's a pity because the concept of an album divided into the three "keys": Light, Sound and Sacral Geometry and the energy of the personal spiritual way, and the affinities with himself, planets and Galaxy is very promising. Not that "Light" is bad, it's just too unstructured. It has good moments, specially those featuring the acoustic (nylon strings?) guitar, but it seems that he has to be dark at any price.

"Sound" starts with a spacey crescendo. Knowing Senmuth one knows already what to expect: a metallic explosion of techno-drums or alternatively a dark newage song. This time it's the second case. With this concept I would have hoped to hear a spacey mixture of sounds like in some parts of "Planetary Dust". Also this track is everything but bad, but it looks like a missing opportunity to create a masterpiece from a good conceptual idea, so even if about to bring us to the deep space the music is too terrestrial. However the central part of the track, since about minute 5 until it becomes darker is quite good and in the overall I consider it a 3-stars track.

"Sacral Geometry" is an interesting concept. I don't know a thing of what it means, but it may have to do with the Platonic world of solids. Listening to the music it may have to do with almost everything. It's a dark track that doesn't contain the usual ethnic elements but also this doesn't go nowhere. Good for a movie soundtrack but not enough for a spiritual journey as this album seems pretending to be.

Now the energy: the Personal Spiritual Way looks more appropriate to its title. The percussions can give the idea of somebody walking following a path, but also here the chords appear to be chosen randomly by a software program.

Apart of guessing that "Ahn" means "Energy", the one of the personal affinity features some "ooh" vocals and is one of the best things of the album. It would have been good leaving the duty to sing to some of his usual guests like Annie Red Hat or Nastya Turenkova (NeNasty).

The "Planetary Affinity" is even less spacey. It's a good track, indeed. The rhythm is hypnotic but it suddenly turns into techno, at least in the sounds. Here we can hear some of the ethnic he has made us familiar with.

Let's see what the galaxy brings. Unfortunately it's the most disconnected album's track, but it features female vocals even if distorted and singing a sort of indian melody. No vocalists (there's a man too) are mentioned on the sleeve.

As I have written, I consider this album a missed opportunity, but it's not rubbish, so it can achieve the status of good but non-essential.