RAJAS

' Rajas' - Senmuth (4/10)

Those who have listened to Senmuth's work enough will know that he is prone to going in many different directions with his music. Over the course of his career, he has managed to span numerous genres and mix them up, meshing the new with the ancient, and taking the listener on a musical journey to distant cultures. With 'Rajas,' Senmuth combines aspects of his ambient and metal leanings to create a metal-oriented instrumental album to mixed results.

'Rajas' is centered around the concept of Indian mysticism and spiritualism. While the album is almost entirely devoid of vocals and lyrics, the heavy presence of Indian instruments and timpani percussion makes it very clear what vista Senmuth wants the listener to imagine while listening to this piece. However, on top of the more traditional instrumentation, 'Rajas' is filled with heavier, hard-hitting guitar work. Nothing in terms of the guitar work is very virtuosic, but it helps give a bit of much needed energy to what would otherwise be a listless ambient work. Much of the music revolves around ethnic beats and guitar sludge paving a rhythm section for light 'lead' work; be it lead electric guitar, or synthesized flute or even saxophone sounds.

While 'Rajas' may work well as an ambient work, there is very little to it that grabs my attention. Senmuth is a man of much musical work, and he has released much stronger music in his career. Pleasant enough to listen to, but 'Rajas' is in total; a relatively forgettable experience.

Senmuth is slightly moving his music to territories thar are closer to my tastes, so even if neither this album can be considered a masterpiece, I have to say that I'm more comfortable with this sort of Indo-Ambient than the most "Industrial" performances of the Russian.

Specially after having realized what are the phylosophical concepts behind his production, I think this "new deal" in Senmuth's music is fitting better with the concepts even if it's loosing some of the originality of his first recordings.

Rajas is opened by one minute of percussions with some background sitar. Of course it's likely that "percussions" and "sitar" are just electronic, but it doesn't matter. When the full range of keyboards and guitar joins, the track becomes "electronic rock", then goes back to Indo-rock. 5 good minutes on which the flute parts make a great job.

"Sattwa" is a sort of follow-up to the first track. Still percussions and sitar, but a bit more close to the usual Senmuth. Also in this track the percussions come and go in an alternance of rhythm-no-rhythm.

"Bemini Roads" and "Final Rite of Dogmatic"could be used for an action movie soundtrack. I can imagine the hero shooting zombies down the road....

"Hiram Bingem" is very unusual in Senmuth's discography. The slow percussions made me think to the intro of Obscured by Clouds before becoming totally "ambient" with a hint of ethnic. 3 good minutes.

As counterpart, "IrMaqua" starts chaotically and is fitted by the famous Senmuth's industrial noise. It's not very clear where this track wants to go. Specially when after 3 minutes it slows down for some seconds just to restart as before with some of the few sung parts of the album.

"Threshold of Great Transition" is the most melodic thing I've listened from Senmuth up to now. It's a pity that's a bit inconclusive.

"Psychophisiks" is recognisable for the sounds used, but again is unusually melodic for him.

The album is closed by "Monumentarium" which starts with a slow piano to feed into "slow industrial". The melody is quite discordant, but listening carefully it's possible to catch some hints of symphonic music in the structure. The guitar part in the middle works fine.

What this album lakcs is continuity. Not between one track and another, also inside the same track, but it contains some ideas that if better developed could be very interesting. Still in the average 3 stars.