Cutting Edge "Timbral Space" Research?

One of my big curiosities is what 12EDO
subscales/tonalities are in "The Center" of the
consonace/dissonance spectrum, and I also
wonder the same thing about instrumental timbres.

I was curious if anybody on the list knew of
whatever current research is "cutting edge".

I found this online article at IRCAM with
my initial Google search:

http://mediatheque.ircam.fr/articles/textes/Wessel78a/

Bill Flavell