DOM F. SCAB

About a Tree

Groove Unltd (2003)

review by Travis Briggs

For me, Dom F. Scab's material is immediately recognizable for its intricate, staccato sequencing and its polished, endearingly eccentric sound design. With About a Tree, Scab retains these signature elements of his style, but he is by no means content to retread the same sonic territory he explored with its predecessor, the excellent Facta, which must have been a tempting prospect for Scab considering the fact that that album was very well received by both critics and fans. Instead, Scab has reinforced his already well-established creative integrity by crafting yet another fully realized, innovative sound world.

One quality that distinguishes About a Tree from Scab's previous releases is its somewhat more expressive emotional atmosphere. This stylistic evolution is possibly best exemplified by the album's opener "Birth of Tree," with its sweeping, rapid-fire sequencing and plethora of tantalizing melodies, ranging in tone from seductively ethereal to subtly demonstrative. Another song that embodies both this album's aforementioned tendency towards expressiveness as well as Scab's progressive approach to Neo-Berlin School is the intensely frenetic "Micro Life Structure," which lucidly conveys its subject matter by conjuring up images of microscopic organisms desperately struggling to stay alive in a hostile environment. Additionally, it epitomizes Scab's rare ability to employ the sonic trademarks traditionally associated with Berlin School without allowing his creative process to be stifled by their usually accompanying pathos, a refreshing change from today's often times highly derivative EM scene.

Although About a Tree no doubt features some of Scab's strongest and most defined melodies to date, he has by no means abandoned his more experimental side, which is most notably represented by the highly atmospheric and aptly titled "Blurred Dusk." Primarily, this piece showcases Scab's meticulously crafted sound palette, comprised of all manner of glurps, crystalline chimes, and other sonic oddities, as well as his adept implementation of expansive, amorphous synth washes. Another more experimental outing is the somber, industrialized "Incineration Works," which, while maintaining a predominantly atmospheric foundation, also incorporates more structured elements such as pseudo-improvisational melodic flourishes and occasionally surfacing sequencers.

Despite my substantial admiration for all of the previously mentioned pieces, none of them constitute what I consider to be this album's highlights -- an impressive accomplishment indeed. My favorite song on the album is without question "Technical Shapes," with its hauntingly insistent sequencer pulsations and elaborate arpeggio adornments, all interwoven with intoxicatingly melodious supplementary sequences. The mystically charged "Old Prophecy" also ranks amongst this album's most satisfying pieces, and fans of Andy Pickford may notice that the sequence that starts around 4:50 is highly reminiscent of the closing section of "The Sentinel" from Nemesis.

Despite its many successes, About a Tree does have its occasional shortcomings. For example, the initially superb "Urban Graffiti" eventually becomes too repetitive and vainly relies upon its minor sequencer variations and the aimless meandering of its wispy lead lines for its appeal. I also found the closing track somewhat inconclusive and anti-climactic, and the fade of the final refrains gives the impression that Scab simply ran out of ideas. However, in Scab's defense, the track *is* entitled "Eternal Tree," so perhaps this is exactly the feeling he wanted to evoke in his audience.

Upon listening to About a Tree, it becomes abundantly clear that Scab is wholeheartedly invested in his musical growth, as evidenced by the variety, evolution and ingenuity that these compositions exhibit. Although I can't say that this album surpasses his previous Facta, which possessed a certain awe-inspiring transcendent quality that he will be hard-pressed to ever top, it is still tremendously effective and compelling, not to mention a more than worthy addition to Scab's ever-growing catalogue of extraordinary soundscapes.