drone / ambient
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The sun is hiding behind thick clouds. Rain falls from the skies. Squirrels are searching for nuts and migratory birds are getting ready to flee the cold winter that lies ahead. Yes, it's almost autumn. The perfect moment to gather in a warm place, preferably near an open fire. I love autumn. I enjoy the temporary decay of nature, the way it prepares for hibernation. I love the smell of rain and I love the sound of the wind through the leafless trees.
Wil Bolton seems to understand the autumn-feeling perfectly. This sound-architect and multi-instrumentalist from London, UK succeeded in grabbing that emotion and translating it into a beautiful album. Field recordings, antique loops and acoustic instruments come together in an immersive set of tracks, perfectly illustrating the warm but solitary atmosphere of this season. 'Inscriptions' is a great soundtrack for a stroll through a forest and that's exactly what I'll be doing this autumn.
The album gently opens with title track 'Inscriptions'. As the ones following, this track drives on a number of soundscapes and some unidentified noises, hidden in the background. At this point I'd obviously categorise this as a drone-ambient album, similar to artists like Dirk Serries, Evan Caminiti or Stars of the Lid. Subtle variations in the layers of sound give the song a sense of evolution. Same goes for the other tracks actually. There's aren't a lot of differences between them but the end result is fascinating.
'Hedera' shows a hint of rhythm within the drony overtones and a hint of melody with the free floating acoustics. It's a strange, mysterious track but nonetheless a pleasure to listen to. 'Seep' shows the old vinyl loops, functioning as a foundation for another set of drones, soundscapes and acoustic instruments. The cracking of the vinyl is beautiful. It gives the whole a nice, warm feeling, a bit like a lit fireplace can do. Oh, how I'd love to own a fireplace...
My love for decay doesn't restrict itself to nature in autumn. It's also present in architecture. I love ruins of ancient buildings, whether it is cathedrals, old military forts or abandoned factories. They all breathe a mythical atmosphere of historic events and activities which we can't grab anymore. The same basically goes for 'Cathedral', another great song of decay and desolation but without words. 'Limestone' closes the album by returning most of the elements of the previous tracks and combining them into a massive piece of drone-ambient. Here too the subtle variations make the whole thing grow and fade.
This album will be played a lot in the next few months, probably in playlists where Biosphere, O Yuki Conjugate and Steve Roach also appear. It will also be played through my headphones, when I enjoy a lonely walk through the woods at night. I suggest you do the same. We all need to go out and enjoy nature while we're listening to something better than passing cars, planes and the noise of drunken teenagers. If we'd do that, the world would be a much better place...
Serge
Wil Bolton seems to understand the autumn-feeling perfectly. This sound-architect and multi-instrumentalist from London, UK succeeded in grabbing that emotion and translating it into a beautiful album. Field recordings, antique loops and acoustic instruments come together in an immersive set of tracks, perfectly illustrating the warm but solitary atmosphere of this season. 'Inscriptions' is a great soundtrack for a stroll through a forest and that's exactly what I'll be doing this autumn.
The album gently opens with title track 'Inscriptions'. As the ones following, this track drives on a number of soundscapes and some unidentified noises, hidden in the background. At this point I'd obviously categorise this as a drone-ambient album, similar to artists like Dirk Serries, Evan Caminiti or Stars of the Lid. Subtle variations in the layers of sound give the song a sense of evolution. Same goes for the other tracks actually. There's aren't a lot of differences between them but the end result is fascinating.
'Hedera' shows a hint of rhythm within the drony overtones and a hint of melody with the free floating acoustics. It's a strange, mysterious track but nonetheless a pleasure to listen to. 'Seep' shows the old vinyl loops, functioning as a foundation for another set of drones, soundscapes and acoustic instruments. The cracking of the vinyl is beautiful. It gives the whole a nice, warm feeling, a bit like a lit fireplace can do. Oh, how I'd love to own a fireplace...
My love for decay doesn't restrict itself to nature in autumn. It's also present in architecture. I love ruins of ancient buildings, whether it is cathedrals, old military forts or abandoned factories. They all breathe a mythical atmosphere of historic events and activities which we can't grab anymore. The same basically goes for 'Cathedral', another great song of decay and desolation but without words. 'Limestone' closes the album by returning most of the elements of the previous tracks and combining them into a massive piece of drone-ambient. Here too the subtle variations make the whole thing grow and fade.
This album will be played a lot in the next few months, probably in playlists where Biosphere, O Yuki Conjugate and Steve Roach also appear. It will also be played through my headphones, when I enjoy a lonely walk through the woods at night. I suggest you do the same. We all need to go out and enjoy nature while we're listening to something better than passing cars, planes and the noise of drunken teenagers. If we'd do that, the world would be a much better place...
Serge
