Title: Binary Secrets
Artist: Scab, Dom F.
Label: CD Baby
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 8715164000538
Genre: Electronic

Dom is in a groove. His latest release is every bit as good as the previous two, Inner Seed and Silent Mars (with John Lakveet). This one jumps right out of the starting gate with his effusive, bubbly sequencing and light electronics. My young daughter goes "do do do" along, my feet are tapping, you just can't sit still or quietly while listening to active, engaging music like this. Bright, crisp atmospheric textures form layer upon layer, intricately weaved together. Cause and Effect, for example, blends synth sounds of muted trumpet and guitar with a midtempo sequencer loop, lush synth pads, and a bass sequence that echoes the main sequence. Scab has found a style that works, and he sticks to it. Though mostly upbeat, there are some variations, such as the relaxed Zinc. Though this track has a more laid back pace, the synths have a surprisingly fiery intensity at times. Throughout the disc, Dom gives sequencer fans lots of what they want. Numbers like The Unpredictable Device and Shunt have a playful bass loop that is so cool and fun, you just have to smile. I'm reminded both of Tangerine Dream and some of Edgar Froese's solo work such as Kamikaze. Difficult Encounter is a darker sound world, without sequencing, and works equally well. Secrets is an unusually long piece for Dom, running just over ten minutes. Even here, though, he simply finds a comfortable sequence that he likes, and holds to it, building on it well with various enjoyable electronics throughout. Special mention must be made of the closing track, The Peaches are Skiing in the Shade, if for no other reason than to say the name. I'm guessing this must be an inside joke, perhaps even a tribute to Edgar himself, who has been known to pen some unusual titles in his day. It all adds up to another strong showing for Dom F. Scab. 2001 Phil Derby / Sequences Magazine With the strength of a painter from the Renaissance, in this album, Dom F. Scab embarks into an exciting adventure through the roaring waters of the most risky trends in the Space Sequencer Music. The cover and the title of the CD certainly suggest the nature of the music. Presented, in a way, as an electronic symphony where the digital and the analogic give flesh to the main characters of a history with a high dramatic intensity, the allegories of a union between the organic and the cybernetic are musically translated into a collection of pieces with a different dramatic tension, as if they were the scenes of a movie. These musical scenes evoke such things as risk, triumph, the epic crusades of an uncertain end, fear or courage, to mention but a few. The composer knows how to blend the sound ingredients with a masterful hand, avoiding the monotony that sometimes taints so many synthesists, and providing the music with a lively character, hazardous, typical of acoustic performances. There are slow passages of pure meditative Space Music, yet not merely ambient, but rather dominated by specific melodies of a great strength. The sequencers develop a varied range of roles, from those characterized by a physical, roaring power, to those that appear to be crossing the threshold of the intangible. Jorge Munnshe When electronic music from Spain comes to our ears then it's most likely from a high quality. Take Neuronium and Max Corbacho. Binary Secrets marks Dom F. Scab's debut on the Groove-label but he has already made quite a name. With the band AT-Mooss he produced a trio of CDs called Morphing Synthesizers (I, II and III) and he made albums with John Lakveet and Albert Giménez. In 1998 he released his first solo-album Innerseed with retrospective and melodical electronic music which received many positive reviews and proved to be successful. Scab is one of those rare musicians who have the ability to combine great melodies with excellent sequencing, superb effects and a fine recording. Combine the music of grand masters Tangerine Dream and Vangelis and you'll get Doms music. Just listen to the opening-track Zero And One and you'll understand why. It contains the sequencer patterns from a TD-soundtrack album out of the early eighties, accompanied by the recognizable sounds and effects from the brilliant Yamaha CS80-synthesizer, a Vangelis trademark and for many the most impressive analog synth ever. Well, that CS80 plays an important role on Binary Secrets. Binary Secrets can be posted amongst the best electronic music albums of the moment. Retrospective, Berlin School: it is al there! But so are also the very fine and distinguished melodies and, of course, the CS80. What more can an electronic music lover possibly want? 2001. Paul Rijkens Here we have Dom's second solo CD (the first being 'Innerseed') and again it shows strong Tangerine Dream influences. We get straight into a vast stabbing sequence on the opener 'Zero and One'. Another one joins it as we hurtle along in fantastic Schmoelling period TD style. I can't over emphasize just how good this track really is. It's wonderfully powerful and yet also infectious stuff that is impossible to sit still to. The changes in tempo and sequence are all handled masterfully. It's a wonderful slab of pure brilliance! 'Cause & Effect' has a floating beginning but it isn't long before another great sequence appears but it's in the melody department where this number is most impressive. 'Signos' is another exciting track using a fast high register sequence to underpin another lovely thick bass laden one. It motors along beautifully in a more 70's TD style to the previous tracks and there are lovely melodic motifs providing a little detail here and a little detail there. As in the earlier tracks Dom is constantly changing the pace and sequences deployed which keeps you on your toes and at times will leave you breathless- it's all just fantastic stuff. 'Zinc' immediately gets into a cool laid back groove, the melody and rhythm almost dancing round each other. Then a guitar sounding lead line comes in and gives the piece even more attitude. 'The Unpredictable Device' is another extremely bubbly number and I am reminded of TD's 'Exit' album maybe with a little 'Hyperborea' thrown in for good measure. 'Difficult Encounter' is a short but very atmospheric piece of picture music acting as a bit of a breather in the middle of the album. 'Crazy Trigonometry' on the other hand is back to sequencer territory, one building on top of another to make a wonderful pulsating brew. A fantastic almost bell like lead line then rings out over the top but it is gone again very quickly and the sequences are left to mutate round each other with extra detail added when it is needed, all perfectly crafted together. When the lead returns it does so at just the right time maintaining the excitement until the end. 'Shunt' is another bubbly energetic one with the sequences dominating. 'Secrets' is the longest track on the CD at ten minutes and initially I am reminded of 'Stratosfear' but then as things develop 'Thief' comes much more to mind but with a little 'White Eagle' as well. Is another fast sequencer number with powerful synth stabs. As with 'Silent Mars' Dom has come up with a tremendously enjoyable album but like that album he tries very hard not to be over indulgent, the tracks say what they need to say then finish thus they tend to be rather short. For the next CD I would encourage him to let his hair down and let things run for a bit longer. DL.

Tracks:
1.1 Zero and One
1.2 Cause ; Effect
1.3 Signos
1.4 Zinc
1.5 Unpredictable Device
1.6 Difficult Encounter
1.7 Crazy Trigonometry
1.8 Shunt
1.9 Secrets
1.10 Peaches Are Skiing in the Shade