Senmuth

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Senmuth
Background information
Birth name	Valery Av
Born	24 January 1973 (1973-01-24) (age 36), Moscow, Russia
Genres	Experimental rock Experimental metal Industrial metal Doom metal Gothic metal Industrial Ambient industrial Ethnoambient Dark ambient Electro-industrial Electro EBM Neoclassical Neofolk
Occupations	Musician, Audio engineer, Graphic designer, Songwriter, Multi-instrumentalist
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Sitar, Dutar, Tarka, Duduk, Domra, Mandolin, Gadulka, Recorder, Flute, Panflute, Ocarina, Gaida, Jew's Harp, Keyboard, Synthesizer, Sampler, Sequencer, Drum Machine, E-Bow
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Ixtlan Industries (Digital only) Metalism Records (Tenochtitlan & neNasty)
Associated acts	Tenochtitlan, neNasty, Harmahis, Bitrayer
Website	Official Senmuth Website (Russian)

Valery "Senmuth" Аv (Russian: Валерий "Senmuth" Ав) (born 24 January 1973) is a Russian multi-instrumentalist musician who makes experimental music with guitars, ethnic instruments and electronics. He often collaborates with other musicians and is a member of the Russian bands Tenochtitlan and neNasty. Senmuth’s musical style has its origins in doom metal, industrial metal, industrial music and ethnic music, but his newer albums are calmer and more progressive. His compositions are meant to be musical journeys to distant lands and ancient cultures.^[1] He claims to have taken his stage name from the Egyptian 18th dynasty architect and government official Senemut.^[2]

Solo career

Early solo career

Senmuth's career as a solo musician started in 1996 with a project called Anima.^[3] During this time, Senmuth mainly played in a Dark Industrial style and released his music in a traditional CD format. Very few of the releases have made it online as sound files, with the majority of the CDs being extremely rare. Senmuth has stated that he believes that during the time the old Anima was active it produced a lot of negatives, but is also aware that the old Anima is already far in the past.^[4] He dropped the name of Anima and began releasing music under his stage name in 2004, though three additional albums were made in 2005 to promote the Senmuth project.^[5] They were mainly sent to magazines for reviews.^[6]

Anima Discography

• 1996: Zakovannye Zimoy
• 1996: Glazami Drugih
• 1997: Gorizont Otresheniya & Razvorot
• 1997: Throw Light
• 1998: Lost Anima
• 1999: Vnutrenniy Razryv
• 1999: Svyaz' Vremen
• 1999: Atmosfera
• 1999: Odddays
• 1999: Video Collections (Video CD)
• 2000: Inolesco
• 2000: Dorogi V Zapredel'niy Mir
• 2000: Overthrow Path
• 2000: Podstupy K Ozareniyu
• 2000: Head-On Collision
• 2001: Infernoteque
• 2001: Iskazhenie Prioritetov
• 2002: Vidimost' Vne Polya Zreniya
• 2002: Prikasayas' K Opustosheniyu
• 2002: Introversiya
• 2003: Ottenok Rassveta
• 2003: Technogen Gothic
• 2003: Avalanche
• 2005: Taedium Vitae
• 2005: Ahet Event (Promotional Album for Senmuth project)
• 2005: Mythogenetics (Promotional Album for Senmuth project)
• 2008: Anima: Best of 1999-2003 (Compilation Album)

Later solo career

After changing the name of his project to Senmuth (therefore going by his own stage name instead of the name of a project), Senmuth changed his musical habits somewhat drastically. The project took on a much more ethnic oriented direction and Senmuth began introducing a progressively larger amount of folk instruments into his musical compositions. Along with this new direction in his music, Senmuth began hosting every release online for free download in fairly high quality. Various albums including Izoteri-Ka, Vdol' Puti K Podnebesnoy... and Cognitive Discord were reviewed by various Russian music magazines (along with albums from Senmuth's other projects Tenochtitlan, Anima & neNasty).^[7] He has also hosted entire albums on websites such as Realmusic.ru. On March 8, 2008 online label Ixtlan Industries were licensed to release Senmuth's music through Last.fm.^[8] Senmuth still releases albums upon their completion, however. They are primarily posted on nnm.ru with high resolution images of the cover art and inserts, as well as several download links.^[9] Despite this, Senmuth still distributes physical copies of his CD's through mail-order.^[1] Senmuth has also done more commercial work with his current project; albums such as Madinat al-Mayitt and Intiuatana have reportedly been used for television programs, and Ancalimon: Fates of Odemyr is music for a game of the same name currently in development.^[10][11][12]

Side projects

Along with his main project, Senmuth has several other small side projects that he has created.

Nitocryse

Nitocryse was a short-lived gothic/doom metal project created by Senmuth. He released 6 tracks under the name through realmusic.ru. They can be heard here.

Bitrayer

Bitrayer is an ambient industrial metal project started by Senmuth in 2007. He released its debut album, "Denying Ignorance" the same year.^[13]

Bitrayer Discography

• 2007: Denying Ignorance

Harmahis

Harmahis is yet another side project of Senmuth. It is a two-piece band consisting of Senmuth and Russian musician Lefthander. Both band members contribute to the writing process, but Lefthander is in charge of lyrical and vocal duties. Harmahis released their debut album "Occurrence" in 2007.^[14]

Harmahis Discography

• 2007: Occurrence
• 2009: Sa Nagba Imuru

Anima (era II)

Finally, Senmuth's fourth side project is Anima. It is separate from the first Anima in the sense that it is different in style from the dark industrial style of music Senmuth played in the original Anima. It has more ethnic influence to it, while remaining more of an Egyptian ambient project. Senmuth "revived" Anima later in 2003 and has since released two albums under the name, cementing the Senmuth project as a different endeavor.^[15]

Anima (era II) Discography

• 2003: XHMI (Qemt)
• 2005: Ht.K.Pth

Tenochtitlan and neNasty

Senmuth is also a band member of larger, more "active" bands Tenochtitlan and neNasty.

Tenochtitlan is a "virtual" project, as all the musicians live in different parts of Russia. Because of this, the musicians simply record their parts of the music then send them to each other.^[16] According to Senmuth and Lefthander (who were the ones to think of the concept), Tenochtitlan's music is about the greatness of ancient Mayan culture. They released their debut album, "Epoch of the Fifth Sun" in 2005 on Metalism Records.^[17] The current line-up is as follows:

Tenochtitlan Line-Up
Senmuth - Growling, Music, Guitars, Programming
Eresh - Clean vocals, Music
Brutal Harry - Music, Programming
Lefthander - Growling, Music
Johny Ratsen - Female vocals

Tenochtitlan Discography

• 2005: Epoch of the Fifth Sun
• 2006: Chac Och-Ut
• 2007: Tezcatl

Senmuth's other band, neNasty, is a doom/gothic/industrial metal two-piece band of Senmuth and Nastya Turenkova. Turenkova contributes the majority of the lyrical ideas, as well as doing the vocal work. Senmuth contributes the guitars and programming, with both members contributing other musical ideas to the project.^[18] They released their debut album, "...Sny Zhestoki" in 2005 on Metalism Records.^[19] The current line-up is as follows:

neNasty Line-Up
Nastya Turenkova - Vocals, Music, Lyrics
Valery Senmuth - Guitars, Music, Programming

neNasty Discography

• 2005: ...Sny Zhestoki
• 2005: Legenda Oseni
• 2006: Kogda Uhodyat Teni

Discography

Albums

EPs

• 2007 - Ser Cercana

Singles

• 2008 - Come To The Sabbath
• 2009 - Merytneith
• 2009 - Amenemhet III

Remix Albums

• 2007 - Life of Songs
• 2006 - From Saturn To Uranium

Compilation albums

• 2007 - Songs of Life

References

External links

• Official Senmuth Website (Russian)
• Official Narod.Ru Website (Russian)
• Official Senmuth Myspace
• Senmuth at Encyclopedia Metallum
• Bitrayer at Encyclopedia Metallum
• Tenochtitlan at Encyclopedia Metallum
• neNasty at Encyclopedia Metallum