PAT HOF NEU ROG ENE SIS

'Pat Hof Neu Rog Ene Sis' - Senmuth (6/10)

After years and dozens of albums produced, it's very clear now that Senmuth has learned from alot of his mistakes, and is making a generally higher grade of album as his process matures. With another of his 2010 releases 'Pat Hof Neu Rog Ene Sis,' Senmuth shows a much more melodic and purposeful instrumental style than was heard in the past from his work. The compositions are much tighter, and there is a much greater sense of meaning to each note the Russian multi-instrumentalist places in the music. Despite a much greater sense of execution and experimentation to it though, 'Pat Hof Neu Rog Ene Sis' cannot be considered an excellent album.

While Senmuth seems to have finally dealt with all of the biggest execution issues alot of his past music faced and consequently suffered from, there are still issues of the composition and songwriting itself. While there is a degree of experimentation here that puts the more 'avant' leanings of early work to shame, there still seems like there aren't enough melodic hooks, or weirdness to go around. Despite now verging on the avant-garde in terms of his experimentation with sound, 'Pat Hof Neu Rog Ene Sis' doesn't seem like it has enough overt weirdness and depth to warrant the lack of melodic structure to it. While melody isn't necessarily essential to experimental/avant-garde music, it does feel like it's missing here.

Lackings aside however, there is a wealth of imagination here. From the industrial percussive sirens of 'P.H.N.R.E.S.: Neuroanomaly' to the bleak acoustic atmosphere of 'Настоящее: В Прекрасных Растворяясь Снах,' there are certainly sections that spur the listener's interest. Many Senmuth albums have a way of sounding very much the same throughout, but 'Pat Hof Neu Rog Ene Sis' seems to resist that temptation, and deliver a relatively diverse offering. Holding true to the concept of 'experimental music,' some of the ideas here work, and others do not. However, for someone that is much more experienced with the earlier, less involving work of Senmuth's past, this is a sure sign of greater things to come.

I don't know why Senmuth has decided to split the album's title in three letters groups. Being used to his esoteric/egyptian titles I took a while to understand that it has to be read as "Path Of Neurogenesis".

Said so, the opener that google translates as "Past: Time slips away into the vastness of eternity" is incredible. The first totally acoustic track found on the 60 Senmuth albums that I have reviewed until now. A great guitar piece that remeinded me to Goran Bregovic's Lullaby.

I took a while also to translate the title "Ösku í Heila". It's Icelandic and means "Ashes of the Brain". It should have something to do with the volcano on the album cover. This track has the usual arabic percussions, but the music is very ambient. A track that would make its figure even on an early Vangelis' album.

The same theme is "industrialized" in the following track. "P.H.N.R.E.S.: Neuroapathy". It's a short return to the industrial metal. By coincidence, what he does with the guitar initially reminds a lot to a riff on the B side of Vangelis' Heaven and Hell. It's just a short moment. Proceeding it goes more chaotic. This is the kind of tracks where the other instruments are just supporting the percussions.

Unusually bluesy when it starts..."We do not know answers" could be considered even floydian. Between "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" and "Ash Ra Tempel" . It's a fantastic track. It's a pity that it's only about 5 minutes long. A Krautrock length would have been more appropriate. Please Valery extend it....

"Hemi Art Sphere" doesn't change the mood too much and I'm grateful for it. The ethnic element is more present than before, but also this is very Floydian, including a spacey final. More of this stuff, please...

"P.H.N.R.E.S.: Neuroanomaly" is heavy and experimental. A very interesting track on which Senmuth puts all his usual distortion but maintaining a good balance between chaos and melody. Another very good track that balances the softness of the previous two. In the last minute a red alert sounds on a starship, or it's only in somebody's brain.

Back to Iceland..."And magnetic resonance" is the translation of this acoustic track with mandolin and a guitar that sounds like an ovation. Krautrock with a little touch of Spanish mood for two minutes, after then it's Floydian again. I think that the Volcano on the cover may have suggested to Senmuth an ambient close to Pompeii. So Iceland is in the title's language. The mandolin suggests something more mediterranean. Another very good moment with no percussions but with the percussive guitar giving the rhythm to the track.

"Present: The Perfect Melting Dreams" would be a regular Senmuth's track in terms of melodic line if it wasn't for the acoustic guitar that dominates it. Industrial noise in the background reminds to the early works and seems to have been added to to make the track less melodic, but in the last minute the noise emerges and the track becomes spacey.

" Eyjafjallajökull & Katla" Now it's clear. The volcano is the one which cause the stop of the air traffic above Europe last year and that's why the Icelandic language has been used for some tracks. This one is heavy and properly "rock", but the industrial noise is still present behind. What is different between this album and the usual Senmuth is the "darkness" this is the only track that has a bit of darkness inside, but not too much. Also the sound of the guitar is different from the usual. Also this has something of floydian.

"Volcanografia" is a strange track. About 1:30 minutes of percussions but at a low volume, than a crescendo of spacey sounds like the Tangerine Dream of the pink period but with a constant distorted guitar behind that makes it sound noisy like Kayo Dot. When the noise ends I could expect somebody spelling "Maximum distance from the sun....."

"The Future: Vanishing Moments to Come" starts with acoustic guitar like the opener. It could mean that past and future make a circle.

This is the first time that I have the temptation to rate a Senmuth's album with 5 stars. It lacks a bit to be a masterpiece, but after having reviewed 60 of his albums I think it's not a scandal if I'm a bit excessive.

Just one advise: if you start exploring Senmuth from here, don't think that this is his usual genre. Even though it's clearly identifiable as Senmuth this album is an exception.