Haven't heard anything by UK ambient artist Will Bolton since his 'Surface Reflections' album in 2019. 'Stari Grad' features two long-form tracks recorded during Wil Bolton’s residency at Radio Belgrade’s Electronic Studio in June 2024. Named after the Serbian capital city’s old town area where the studio is located, it features environmental sounds recorded in nearby streets during the sweltering heat of early summer alongside thick, buzzing tones patched on the studio’s massive 1970s EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer. Additional reverb was added back at the artist’s studio in East London and the final mixes were carefully mastered by George Mastrokostas (Absent Without Leave) in Athens.

The first piece, "Skadarlija" (21:00) features harmonium-like sustained chordal drone with measured bass tones at intervals amidst birds and other quiet-side city ambience (footsteps on the pavement, a rumbling cart), and later, filtered synth drone. With that, you can kind of sense the heat rising off the sidewalk. Fans of minimal environmental ambient might like this one, as that is surely exactly what this is. "Venizeloslova" (also 21:00) is the second piece, with an ambiance more reflective of the seashore with the ebb and flow of noise with an overlay of of synth drones. This could also be highway traffic at a distance, perhaps in the rain, a wet roadway? I'd rather be at the seashore though, especially in the summer heat. Interestingly, there is a feeling of loneliness and isolation. Definitely of the Brian Eno school of minimal ambient music, meant to be passive and innocuous; wallpaper music for places without walls.

For more than twenty years Wil Bolton has been making predominantly sound-based artworks for both music releases and installations, often enhanced with video or photography. His work has been shown in many exhibitions and festivals and has also worked on projects with video artists, choreographers and dancers. He is co-owner of the electronic label Boltfish Recordings and has also released several albums and EPs under the moniker of Cheju. From time to time he has also collaborated with other sound-like musicians on projects like Ashlar, Le Moors, Anzio Green, The Ashes Of Piemonte, Wil & Tarl, Biotron Shelf and others. Under his own name he has offered many releases, which gained high worldwide praises, on labels such as Home Normal, Hibernate Recordings, Eilean Rec., Dronarivm, Dauw, Fluid Audio, Time Released Sound and many others.