Just over 24 minutes, consisting of two side-long tracks, An Exit Strategy showcases the trio of Stefan Christensen, Ian McColm, and David Shapiro conjuring up textured drone, with the use of a wide variety of instruments, including electric guitar, chord organ, console steel, accordion, saxophone, fiddle, shruti box, and other processing.

And this drone, is not your normal boring drone. This has a movement and texture to it, like watching a river or creek flow by, and noticing the intricate eddies and vortices in the water, each with their own characteristics, but each also affecting each other. And all the while, obscuring the levels below, the details of smooth rocks, the wavering of the plant life, and the life too small to see. 

This is music for both meditation and also deep listening. For paying attention at both the  macro and micro levels.  

RIYL: Tongue Depressor, Old Saw, La Monte Young, Pauline Oliveros, Elaine Radigue, etc.

Artist Info:

Center has slowly and steadily been releasing music since leaving behind Nagual (the duo of David Shapiro and Ian McColm) in 2019 with the addition of Stefan Christensen. The trio has released music on cassettes from Sound Holes (UK), Regional Bears (UK), and Carbon Records (US) culminating in their 2022 LP , Over The Stations, on Bruit Direct Disques (France). 

Stefan, aside from running the amazing C/Site Recordings label, also has numerous solo releases (on C/Site, Knotwilg (Belgium), Bruit Direct Disques (France), World of Echo (UK), I Dischi Del Barone (Sweden), Stoned To Death (Czech), Carbon Records (US), and more, as well as a member of Headroom, Estrogen Highs, and more. 

Aside from the aforementioned work with David Shapiro in Nagual, Ian is a career collaborator who can be heard on releases with Daniel Bachman, Tashi Dorji, Zach Rowden (Tongue Depressor), Elkhorn, and improvisational unit Heart of the Ghost (featuring Luke Stewart and Jarrett Gilgore). Over the years, these records have been released by labels such as Feeding Tube Records (US), Trouble in Mind (US), Dagoretti Records (US), and No Quarter (US). Most recently, McColm can be heard on two LPs with Glasspack, a bagpipes-and-electronics duo featuring Henry Birdsey (Old Saw/Tongue Depressor) released on Stoned to Death (Czech) and Gateway Gardenia (US) respectively. 

David, a string multi-instrumentalist, performs solo under the moniker Alexander. He has a recent 7" of banjo and acoustic guitar music on Carbon Records in addition to an extensive back catalog including an LP from C/Site Recordings. Aside from his recorded history with both Stefan (in Headroom) and Ian (in Nagual), Shapiro can be heard on releases with Dan Greene (Mountain Movers) and accompanying legendary folk musician Kath Bloom (Dear Life Records) with whom he frequently tours.