THE WORLD'S OUT-OF-PLACE ARTEFACTS III

While the first two installments of Senmuth's four parts series 'The World's Out Of Place Artefacts' gave some new (albeit mediocre) material for his fans to spin, parts three and four instead revisit previously released music, in the form of fresh 'edits'. With the exception of the fifth track, Senmuth has modified the tracks slightly, but even for a seasoned Senmuth listener, spotting any noticeable differences is quite a difficult chore. As a 'best-of' compilation of sorts, a handful of songs are recognizable from their orignal albums, but much of this music is still largely mediocre and somewhat listless in nature, making for another unnecessary Senmuth compilation.

As has been said, a few tracks like 'Диоритовые Вазы' and 'Plain of Jars in Xieng Khoang' do sound familiar even despite the great deal of music that Senmuth has put out over the course of a few years, but the real problem lies in the fact that- especially for an apparent edit/remix album- there is virtually nothing here that someone will notice as being new and refurbished, unless someone laboriously compares the two for minute differences. With that in mind, the album can be enjoyed as an ambient work on it's own, but the majority of the songs here are relatively harmless and lack the soul and vibrance needed to provide a truely engaging listen.

As always, the ethnic, exotic sounds here are most often synthesized through a computer, so the album comes off sounding more like a midi file than a genuine trip into a distant culture. The one real instrument here is the electric guitar, but it is very often used very simplistically, instead relying on overly-distorted guitar chords and basic riffs over anything that leaves a lasting impression.

While Senmuth is indeed a talented composer, he does seem to have a penchant for releases that serve little purpose other than to boost his already-vast discography.