site.btaStefan Valdobrev and "The Usual Suspects" Begin Recordings for "The Acoustics of Bulgaria" at Provadia Saltworks

Bulgarian performer Stefan Valdobrev and his band The Usual Suspects have started the recordings and filming of their new project The Acoustics of Bulgaria at the prehistoric site Provadia-Solnitsata (Provadia’s salt mines), Valdobrev said in an interview with Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) on Friday. BTA is the main media partner of the project.

The composer said that he first visited the location two or three years ago and was deeply impressed by the existence of such a site in Bulgaria. When he began preparing a list of 25 locations for sound recordings for the album The Acoustics of Bulgaria, he remembered Provadia’s salt mines. Valdobrev reached out to the Provadia Museum Director Nikolay Hristov, who introduced him to the head of the site, Academician Vassil Nikolov.

Valdobrev chose the prehistoric site as the first location for the recordings after exploring the monument and learning about its history. “It’s 7,000 years old, incredibly difficult to excavate, study, and present. Such sites are extremely rare in Europe; it’s unique,” he said. Valdobrev saw it as the perfect starting point for the project due to its status as the oldest site in Bulgaria. According to him, the track titled The First Things was inspired by the site’s ancient stone structures. While stone isn’t ideal for reverberation, Valdobrev was intrigued by the idea of capturing the acoustics of a place that has withstood 5,000 years of history.

In one of the stone niches, Ivan Lechev plays an acoustic guitar, while Miroslav Ivanov plays an electric guitar. Near a 4,000-year-old wall, Stoyan Yankulov-Stundji recorded cymbals. According to Valdobrev, the archaeological site perfectly aligns with his concept of recording sounds only at authentic locations.

Nikolay Hristov said that the composer and his colleagues' interest in recording at Provadia-Solnitsata would naturally contribute to the site’s popularity. He also announced that the work on the socialization of the site continues this season, a process that started long ago, as they attach great importance to it. Wooden bridges and paths have been built, and a 10-metre wooden observation tower will be constructed, which he believes will be of great interest to visitors. Additionally, a dome with the possibility for interactive presentations on salt production technology will be erected. The pathway surrounding the entire mound has been renewed so visitors can explore it at any time, even in wet weather. “All of this is a result of our desire to socialize the monument because this is not a museum but an archaeological site still under study. However, because it’s so fascinating, we want to showcase the results immediately. That’s why so many people come,” he added.

Hristov also highlighted that in recent years, the site has welcomed up to 2,000 visitors on Open Doors Day, September 22. The annual total reaches around 12,000 visitors, and with the development of the European Salt Heritage Rote, they hope to attract even more international guests.

A documentary film is also being shot during the recordings of The Acoustics of Bulgaria album.