PATH OF SATIAM

I had no expectations and very little desire to download and listen to any of Senmuth's now 78 albums. Yes, that's 78 albums as per mid September 2010. Yes, he started in 2004 and he has also released some other albums in other constellations than Senmuth in this period.

That is why this album hits me between the eyes and I am now, as the honest person I am, eating humble pies. I have to put it very painfully in public been wrong about Senmuth all the way. That is, if his other 76 albums (I have already reviewed his debut album) is as good as this or even near as good as this. Somehow, I believe there is better Senmuth albums than this album, Path Of Satiam.

Senmuth is dabbling into Indian folk music on this album. And with a stunning result. There is a prog rock genre called Indo-Prog/Raga Rock. This album is sailing pretty close up to this genre. The music is still based on electronica. Or to be more precise, computer programming. But as on the debut album I reviewed earlier today, there is a surprising amount of human life on this album. You find good electric guitars and a lot of Indian instruments like for example Domra............ which is a Russian instrument, according to Wikipedia. Anyway, this instrument and other instruments gives this album an Indian subcontinent sound. This album also have a good symphonic prog sound too. What surprises me, in a positive sense, is the almost total lack of metal here. Only the sparse electric guitars takes this album anywhere near metal territory. Most of the album is very majestic though and therefore well into symphonic prog territory.

The end result is a surprisingly organic album. Yes, this album owe a great deal of debt to either IBM or Apple Macintosh. But if computer programming is a big bad wolf, this wolf almost looks like a bona fide sheep. In the middle of this, there is also some great tracks here like for example the laid back Satiam and the mournful TaJ Mahal's Lament. The other tracks is great too. A killer track is the only thing missing on this album. Besides of this, this free album is a good investment.

I have one question though: How is it possible to mass produce good quality albums like this ?

4 stars