Dominant Domain

Reviews

Another mind-opening experience can be found at the hands of BeebleBrox on Dominant Domain (ACME BB07-3307-2; 70:13). Though you might expect a creative and even humorous edge from a band named for the two-headed galactic president in the sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it's hard to prepare for the uniquely detailed arrangements offered here. Although the five-member ensemble generally starts out in recognizable genre playing fields, there's usually an unexpected element or two to push the envelope. For example, Latin-esque piano riffs and percussion jam with a fusion-pushing sax line on Now What, with a frenetic guitar line adding an other-worldly quality. Quiet Earth wraps a traditional-styled, gentle waltz, around an ethereal, needling guitar solo that seems to float in space. Raw Material is an explorative, exploding romp, while Homer Simpson offers funky percussion, spacey keyboards and a wigged-out, off-kilter melody in a coolly confident sound package. This unusual, Indianapolis-by-way-of-Germany band has been at it for 15 years - and the experience shows in their sublime detail and super-tight execution.