Evan Miller’s debut cassette on Personal Archives is all about its sense of place. And, like, duh, it’s even called “Two Places,” so you’re left with the sound of those places. Built on field recordings and processed with ambient sound structures, “Two Places” marks a firm grid point on the map, one whose latitude and longitude will never change, will always remain at that specific point. And the sounds there evoke the past, which is also the present. Miller’s aunt even remarked after hearing some of this project that “the field sounds took her back years ago when she sat on that same porch and listened to the bugs and the trains and interstate off in the distance.” Those sounds are still there.
Those sounds have been there for a long time. They mark a period of expansion and innovation, an American way of life that seemed so hopeful at some point. And even though they’re just a blip on the timeline of universal history, they still strike a deep chord in certain listeners. The sound recalls the memory from deep within the brain. The brain reacts with emotional stimulus. “Two Places” makes its mark.
These two pieces sneak up on you – you feel like you’ve lived within it for an age before something tangible emerges and reminds you of where you are. Evan Miller is still where he is, was, and will be. Go ahead and visit him when you’re in town.
Evan Miller
Personal Archives
--Ryan
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