Frank Rosaly (of Scorch Trio, etc.) makes his sound sources sing on Centering and Displacement, eliciting the sort of intrigue and tension often impossible when tangled up in the universe of voices and lyrics. Considering that what I’m hearing is the soft “ping” of a thousand thin strips of metal striking glass (just a guess), bells, and maybe a few gongs (that’s Side A!), this material carries a surplus of warmth. Side B is a sinister, surly flip that piledrives the built-up tension into the wall and sprays the resultant juice in the face of the beholden with thick drones and hums, static-world digital scrapes, more icicles/glass/tinkling, and noises so twisted I can’t besmirch them with a description. Centering is pristine push-and-pull that crashes beauty and ugliness together — both within its audio and its choice to plot such a subdued, soothing A side kitty-corner from a Side B so demented — and documents the results. It’s a percussionist’s dream and a fine example of modern of soundsmithing. Delish edish of 300-ish, you cold, furry fishdick.
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