Artist Spotlight is our regular feature introducing you to Cities and Memory artists around the world with an in-depth interview. In this edition, we introduce you to Hastings-via-Dundee composer Euan Millar-McMeeken, who creates music under the names Glacis, Civic Hall, The Dead Bell and Gallowglas, and who was part of our Sonic Heritage and Migration Sounds projects. 

As an urban designer, I am deeply fascinated by how sound shapes human experience within the built environment — how the rhythms of a city, the interplay of noise and silence, and the acoustic textures influence our moods, behaviours, and sense of place.

This awareness informs my approach to designing spaces that are not only visually engaging but also acoustically considerate, fostering wellbeing and connection.

Parallel to my professional work, I channel these sonic explorations into my musical compositions as Glacis, where I experiment with layering urban soundscapes and subtle ambient elements to evoke the nuanced ways sound interacts with human perception.

Through both disciplines, I seek to deepen the dialogue between space, sound, and the people inhabiting them.

The interview continues below ⬇️, and this map collects together all of Euan’s contributions to Cities and Memory: 

The sea (Hastings and Dundee, where I’m originally from).

Music wasn’t a big part of my household growing up, so I had to carve out my own space to explore and define my musical identity.

Living in cities exposed me to a rich and often chaotic tapestry of sounds — the hum of traffic, distant conversations, the echo of footsteps on concrete — that slowly shaped my understanding of sound as a living, breathing part of urban life.

This inspired me to listen more closely and experiment with how these everyday noises could be transformed and woven into my own musical and professional journey.

I love composing as Glacis because it gives me the freedom to translate my deep fascination with sound and environment into something tangible and emotional.

Creating music under this name allows me to explore textures, atmospheres, and rhythms that reflect both my personal experiences and the urban soundscapes that constantly inspire me. It’s a space where I can experiment without boundaries, blending natural and synthetic elements to craft immersive sonic worlds.

Composing as Glacis feels like an intimate dialogue between my inner thoughts and the external environment — a way to express ideas and feelings that words alone can’t capture. This creative process continually fuels my passion and pushes me to discover new layers of sound and meaning.

Borders, structured in four seasonal movements — Innocence, Exuberance, Reverence, and Perseverance — draws inspiration from Yoko Ono’s conceptual framework to explore both natural and socio-political themes. While each movement captures a distinct seasonal mood, the work goes beyond nature to meditate on history, heritage, and identity.

Influenced by the turbulent political climate marked by events like Trump’s rise, Brexit, and the ongoing debate over Scottish independence, Borders reflects an evolving and complex understanding of what borders truly mean — both physical and metaphorical.

Through this project, I aim to examine how shifting political and cultural boundaries impact collective and personal senses of belonging.

My track The Soft Entrance for Sonic Heritage. I worked in Edinburgh for 13 years and was part of the team that led on the nomination bid for the Forth Bridge.

The sound of The Bridge was important for me to include in the piece as I feel partly responsible for it being considered a WHS. The aim of the piece was to highlight the role of sound in shaping the tourist experience.

The familiarity of the train crossing could evoke a sense of nostalgia or authenticity for those who have visited or even those who have never been, giving them a sensory connection to the location.

It captures a moment in time, a fleeting sonic experience that could change over the years due to technological advances, environmental factors, or changes in infrastructure. By preserving this sound, the piece acts as a form of auditory preservation. It invites the listener to reflect on how sounds of historical or cultural significance might fade or transform over time, encouraging an appreciation for the transient nature of these sonic environments.

In this way, The Soft Entrance acts as a digital archive or a tribute to the sounds that define this iconic location, protecting them from being lost to future generations.

My musical taste is wide and varied from the likes of Taylor Deupree and Marcus Fischer to The National and Wilco. I am constantly inspired by music of all types.

One sound that carries deep meaning for me from Dundee is the distant hum of the Tay Bridge trains crossing the river — steady, persistent, and full of quiet strength. It’s a sound that connects the city to the wider world, reminding me of movement, transition, and connection.

That rhythmic, almost meditative drone evokes a sense of place that’s both industrial and poetic, of how sound shapes memory and identity in urban spaces.

It’s a subtle but powerful sonic thread that often finds its way into my music and design thinking.

My piano.

As Glacis, I’m currently collaborating with cellist Henrik Meierkord on a new record.

My second Civic Hall album is complete and will be released soon. I’ve also finished an album with Japanese artist Satomimagae under the project name Yoal.

Additionally, I’m working on a recording with German sound artist Katharina Schmidt as Rats of the Capital.

Beyond these, I have several other projects in progress, including my second solo album and a debut release as Bird Battles, a collaboration with American artist Jesse Narens.