Despite being a difficult subject to put into words, nostalgia nevertheless attracts a great deal of fascination and is something that every individual can relate to. It is often close to the heart of the artist, shaping their identity and aesthetic and providing the inspiration for many a project. We welcome back Wil Bolton to Hibernate with his first vinyl release; we are pleased to present an album that places nostalgia at the heart of its overriding theme. It was conceived when Wil set out to create an album that was inspired by the guitar bands he listened to as a teenager, such as The Cure, The Smiths, The Velvet Underground and My Bloody Valentine. He strived to transmit his nostalgic recollection of adolescent musical influences into a heavily treated, droned out muffled and crumbling sonic environment. He wanted to create something that sonically presents his nostalgia, sounding submerged or decaying, as if heard through a veil the way memories and images become distorted over time.
The album title ‘Under A Name That Hides Her’ is a quote from ‘The Space of Literature’ by Maurice Blanchot and is a reference to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It’s a book that Wil read around 15 years ago and this quote in particular has always stayed with him. When working on this album, it somehow seemed to reflect that nostalgic, romantic yearning for something lost that inspired these tracks. Despite the treated droning textures that form the basis of Under A Name That Hides Her, Wil cites it as his least digital work to date. The sounds were mostly pooled from an electric guitar and fed through complex chains of effects pedals and loopers. Field recordings also formed a central part of the album and they include the sound of birdsong in the ruins of a medieval castle in Beaumaris, North Wales, the lapping of waves around a lighthouse in Anglesey, rain on the window of Wil’s flat in Chinatown, Liverpool, a train journey in North Africa and a forest in the Scottish Highlands.
Aside from Time Lapse, released on Hibernate two years ago, Wil has released on labels such as Time Released Sound, Cathedral Transmissions, Distant Noise and our sister label Rural Colours. Before working under his own name, Wil has also released several works under his beat-based production guise Cheju and most recently, Wil has embarked on live performances which have given him the opportunity to share a stage with the likes of Pimmon, Machinefabriek, Konntinent and The Boats.
Released May 2012
Credits:
All music by Wil Bolton
Mastered by Taylor Deupree
Photography by Wil Bolton
Art direction by Ian M Hazeldine
Download available from Bandcamp:
Selected Reviews:
A Closer Listen: “A frequently solid, rewarding album that exemplifies a high level of familiarity with, and achievement within, its context.”
Igloo: “Under a Name That Hides Her is an accomplishment of sincere and subtle artistry.”