Wednesday 25 July 2012

Barefoot with Wil Bolton

Photography by Richard Outram
Name: Wil Bolton
City: Liverpool, UK
Date: 24 July 2012


1.Name your top 3 favorite drinks:
Bloody Mary, Hoegaarden, English Breakfast Tea.

 





2. I hear you travel the world a lot! (Lucky bum!) Where have been the best places to visit? What made them memorable?
The best place I ever visited was the Byeongsan Seowon, a Joseon dynasty Confucian academy in Andong, South Korea. It's made up of several buildings, but the Mandaeru
pavilion just blew me away - walking barefoot in this large open and suspended wooden structure on a clear sunny day with the green mountains framing the architecture was a truly peaceful and transcendent experience.

Byeongsan Seowon, a Joseon dynasty Confucian academy in Andong, South Korea


3. What other arts have you tried your hand at?
In addition to music, I also make sound art installations for exhibitions, and photography and video. I also did some abstract expressionist-type painting when I was younger.

4. Which artist have you had the most fun working with?

I've enjoyed many collaborations, but the most fun project recently has been my work with Phil Edwards (who also records as PJE). We go by the name Ashlar and our debut CD has just come out on Time Released Sound. We live fairly nearby and meet up for drinks every couple of months. After a few pints, we go back to my  
http://www.last.fm/music/Ashlar
  studio and jam some drone ambient stuff, and 
  it's been a lot of fun to collaborate the old-school way
  instead of sending each other files. It takes me back
  to when I began making music with 4 track cassette
  recorders although we now use a laptop to record,
  it's a more live, spontaneous way of creating than 
  much laptop music, using guitars, analogue synths
  and lots of pedals and loopers, and celebrating the little mistake that come about from playing live and a little drunk.



 5. What is your least favorite chore to take care of in your house?
Cleaning the bathroom.
 

6. Do you watch TV at all?
If so, what shows do you enjoy watching?
If not, why?!
Yes. Favourites are Family Guy and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

 

7. What do you feel like your spirit animal would be?
Koala.

(Yep! I can totally see that!)

 

8. What is the worst piece of clothing you own?
Probably a pair of fake Crocs.

9. What are the 3 most beautiful things you can think of ?
Rothko paintings, autumn leaves, the sound of rain.

 

10. If you had the choice of any other job, which job would you choose, and why?
I'd probably be an art critic - I tried it for a while and really enjoyed it, writing reviews of contemporary art exhibitions. Found it impossible to make a living at, but I miss doing it.

 
Eevee Asks: "I like taking naps to "Chimes for a Wall Drawing" !
Where did you learn how to make such nice musics, Mister?"
Well thanks for the kind words Eevee! I had some music lessons as a kid (guitar, piano, flute) but I'm pretty much self-taught - just years of experimentation and playing around with melodies, processes and textures.
 


 11. What projects do you have coming up that we should look out for?
I'm about to head off to Korea for a month-long artist residency at the Incheon Art Platform, during which I'll be working on an a new multi-channel sound installation to be exhibited at the Liverpool Biennial. Also in August, I have a new CD album entitled 'Amber Studies' coming out on the Rural Colours label. It's based around field recordings from Krakow, Poland, blended with guitar and synth drones. And then another album entitled 'Bokeh', due out this autumn on Home Normal.


Please take the time to check out Wil Bolton's work! It's really not something you want to miss!

www.wilbolton.co.uk 

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