Cardinal Fuzz (Europe) and Centripetal Force (North America) are excited to announce the upcoming release of Beacon from the trio of Gerycz / Powers / Rolin. Presented in a 350gsm Outer Sleeve and pressed on Black Vinyl in an edition of 250 units.
The Gerycz/ Powers / Rolin trio is made up of Jayson Gerycz on drums and percussion, Jen Powers on hammered dulcimer, and Matthew Rolin on 12-string guitar. The album also includes an appearance from Dyland Baldi on Saxaphone.
Beacon was initially released on cassette in March 2020 on the Garden Portal Label (please check that label out). It was largely unmixed, and as Rolin recalls, he was so excited about the album that he sent it right off to Michael Potter at Garden Portal, assuming it had already been mixed…it wasn’t. This current edition of Beacon was ultimately mixed by Gerycz and then mastered for vinyl by Jack Callahan.
Once an instrument that enjoyed immense popularity in the United States, particularly in the western New York, Ohio, and in the upper Midwest, the hammered dulcimer today is rarely seen or heard, even in traditional folk music circles. This alone makes Beacon an intriguing listen, but it’s Powers’ unique interpretation that takes both the instrument and the album to incredible heights. It’s her flowing drone that sets an enduring meditative tone, one that guides the listening experience. Gerycz’s palpitating rhythms add depth; his textural approach adding an almost Eastern influence. Rolin’s playing, which ranges from carefully fingerpicked melodies to off kilter chord phrasings, creates both harmony and near chaos. He plays with and against the grain, providing an ebb and flow to the music’s dramatic stream.
Perhaps most impressive is the fact Beacon is entirely improvised. There was no planning, no discussion, just a desire to play together and see what would happen. There wasn’t even the intention to have the session made available for others to hear. Yet, here we are, taking in the brilliance and the beauty.
Mike Mannix.
Includes unlimited streaming of Gerycz / Powers / Rolin - Beacon
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
When pandemic pushes so many of us to marketably "meditative" products, Powers/ Rolin Duo show how invested ambient and drone can be in attention spans and impassivity. Matt DeMello (himself)
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