Los Angeles – March 27, 2024—Matt Piper and John von Seggern’s duo project A Thousand Miles from Nowhere, which sees the two Midwestern instrumentalists unearth dark acoustic sounds from their roots, will be released on all platforms today. You can check out A Thousand Miles from Nowhere here.
Piper and von Seggern excavate spectral visions of the Midwest on their debut collaboration, the 4-track EP A Thousand Miles from Nowhere. The instrumental release conjures ominous Americana soundscapes through inventive fusions of organic and electronic elements.
The four tracks on A Thousand Miles from Nowhere evoke the mysteries of the heartland through their cryptic titles: “Speaking in Tongues,” “New Dawn Rises,” “Stone Circles,” and “The Bells.” The titles and music suggest old practices and beliefs persisting in new forms, hinting at regional traditions without directly naming them.
Piper’s banjo, resonator guitar, zither, and tongue drum decay and reform into haunting new timbres. Von Seggern’s acoustic bass guitar provides a deep rhythmic pulse, while his sampling, beats, and electronics warp traditional folk forms into dark experimental textures. A Thousand Miles from Nowhere brings a shockingly original combination of Americana instrumentation with edgy ambient, world, and jazz styles.
“Speaking in Tongues” combines Piper’s melodious playing on the metal tongue drum with von Seggern’s Autechre-like beats.
“New Dawn Rises” is a forest of sliced-up banjo flurries, underpinned by a slow grinding bass motive that seems to emerge from the earth.
“Stone Circles” exhibits the duo’s fascination with the mysteries and artifacts that dot the rural Midwest, with slow electronic beats redolent of ancient ceremony.
“The Bells” is an arcane practice in a secluded grove. It features a singing melody played high on the acoustic bass guitar.
Recorded over the internet during the pandemic, the EP reimagines regional folkways for our hypermodern moment, crafting a postmodern and timeless ambiance.
With its seamless fusion of old and new, A Thousand Miles from Nowhere stands poised between tradition and uncharted possibility. Listeners seeking music that embraces the contradictions of our cultural crossroads will find resonance here.