*Limited to 300 copies * This split LP presents a unique and deeply personal musical collaboration between husband and wife duo Grant Evans and Rachel Evans, performing under their respective solo monikers Nova Scotian Arms and Motion Sickness Of Time Travel. Created to commemorate their crystal anniversary, Crystal Anniversary stands as both an intimate celebration of matrimonial harmony and a compelling document of two of the American underground's most distinctive voices.
The Evans couple represents a fascinating convergence of artistic and personal partnership within the experimental music landscape. Grant Evans, better known as Nova Scotian Arms, is an American electronic music producer, musician and curator born 1985 in Johnson City, Tennessee, who has released more than ten full-length albums on respected labels including Digitalis, Dial Square Tapes, Preservation, and Sonic Meditations. Rachel Evans, performing as Motion Sickness Of Time Travel, has become "well known as a dream dealer and sooth sayer for the new new age sect" through her prolific output of limited-edition cassettes, LPs, and CDs.
Together, the couple operates Hooker Vision, a meticulously curated cassette label that has become a cornerstone of what has been termed the "Southern Cosmic" scene. For the past five years the lawfully wedded duo of Grant & Rachel Evans have been dispensing generous amounts of drone and synth chillers on their label Hooker Vision Records, accumulating well over 100 releases that showcase both their own diverse projects and a carefully selected roster of international ambient and experimental artists. The album showcases the complementary yet distinct approaches of both artists. Grant's Nova Scotian Arms contribution, "Navigation (Devotional)," demonstrates his mastery of "fermented midnight drone" and "heavily echoed moist-basement vibes", while Rachel's Motion Sickness Of Time Travel offerings, "Censer" and "Lotus Flower," reveal her ability to weave "heavily treated vocals swimming in layers of drone, synthesizer arpeggios, and dusty analog hum". The result is a sonic document that captures both the individual artistic identities of each collaborator and the ineffable chemistry that emerges from their creative partnership.
Beyond their solo work, Grant and Rachel also perform together as the drone duo Quiet Evenings, a project that provides additional context for understanding their musical relationship. With Quiet Evenings, Grant and Rachel typically record in the same room and capture all sounds live in one take, then line their two pieces up together and do a little mixing. This collaborative approach informs the aesthetic of Crystal Anniversary, where despite the split format, both sides feel unified by a shared sensibility and complementary vision.
"This record was created to celebrate the crystal anniversary of the couple. And indeed, on both sides Grant and Rachel create sounds which sound like the perfect marriage."
