Evanescence - Sound Asleep EP (1999)

Sound Asleep (also known as the Whisper EP) is an EP released in August 1999 by Evanescence. It features the first known recording of "Whisper" along with two of the four instrumental tracks released by Evanescence pre-Fallen. It also contains two versions of the song "Understanding" which had previously gained the band airplay on local radio.

The EP was recorded at Sound Asleep Studios the name given to Ben Moody's home-grown "garage" studio, which later recorded parts of the Origin album, and Ben Moody's solo album You Can't Regret What You Don't Remember. It is common nomenclature for demos and EPs to be named after the studio(s) at which they were recorded - for example, Muse's Sawmills Demo and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Abbey Road EP.

Only 50 copies of the EP were burnt, and no "second batches" or re-releases were created. Despite being listed as the label, Bigwig Enterprises didn't contribute to the EP or distribute it. It was released with no artwork on CD-R in a flexible 'DiscSaver' case directly to friends and local fans in Little Rock, AR.

Original copies of the EP are understandably very rare. 99.9% of auction listings are fake burned CDs from files found online - most contain incorrect tracks and/or edits of "Ascension of the Spirit". In a quote, Brad Caviness of Bigwig Enterprises clarifies details of the release:

As far as I know, ALL copies of the Sound Asleep EP were burned with same contents and sequencing, including the instrumental version of "Give Unto Me," "Ascension Of The Spirit," and the lengthy silences preceding the hidden tracks. I can truthfully say I never made the statements attributed to me [by the eBay seller] and, in fact, was not in on any of the discussions regarding the contents or sequencing of the disc. My involvement in the EP was limited to some artwork I mocked up for the project (as did Adrian James) that was ultimately rejected when Ben decided to go with the unprinted discs to save money as well as add mystique, and the fulfillment of about ten "orders" for the disc that were run through me to Ben. So far as a I know, all 50 copies were identical, and all were sold within a 24 hour period. —Bradley S. Caviness, Bigwig Enterprises

Track listing

1. Give Unto Me (Instrumental version)
2. Whisper (Sound Asleep version)
3. Understanding (Sound Asleep version)
4. Forgive Me
5. Understanding (Evanescence EP version)
6. Ascension of the Spirit [edited without silence]

Lineup

Amy Lee - vocals, piano
Ben Moody - guitars, drums, keyboards, programming.

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