Find Out More About The Hollow Man, a Nottingham-Based Music and Film Project

Hi Bassey? Firstly, how did the project first come about and where did the initial idea come from? 
I kind of stumbled into the electronic and experimental music scene by accident. I'm always looking for new sounds and different approaches to making music and the Nottingham Electronic Music Open Mic (EMOM) scene fitted my wandering mind perfectly.

I had just released a couple of singles with the talented artist Rezzonator (please, please check him out!) and performed at an EMOM event with him, when I realised that this movement and genre has so many talented musicians working hard to develop their unique and individual sounds.

I got the opportunity to see some really talented artists that night, including Hexial, Payta Easton (no relation), Filter Sequence, Duty, Jez Creek, 'Wan and His Electronic Duck', Jim Glew and many others, all brought together and hosted by the EMOM workhorse Martin Christie.

I have since visited several other EMOM events in Nottingham at The Chameleon and in Derby at Dubrek Studios, and it has never disappointed. I quickly realised that the movement and the artists deserved a wider audience. I still wanted to keep releasing my music but at the same time it would be great to get the Nottingham EMOM vibe over to more folks.

Along with releasing my music and promoting artists in the EMOM scene, I was looking to try something different to the usual 'album launch night' theme and the idea of a film appealed to me, so the obvious connection was to release a film with music and a storyline that featured the talents within the Nottingham EMOM scene.

What was the inspiration behind the name of the project and who came up with it?
We have the working title of 'The Hollow Man' which is the name of a track I released a couple of years ago. The song is about a performer who appears to reveal their very soul whilst performing on stage, but in reality, they give the audience nothing of their real self.

I've personally worked with a couple of artists like this – no names, and when they leave the stage, they are empty and not wanting to engage with anyone. As the film and storyline develops, the working title may change but I like the idea of a performer who is flawed and empty or hollow inside.

What should people expect from the album and the film that you are planning to release at the end of the year?
We want the music and the film to reflect some of the sounds in the Nottingham EMOM scene although it would be impossible to cover all of the experimental sounds. At the same time, the film will hopefully act as a visual record of the artists involved in the music right now.

I have an overall theme or subject for the various tracks on the album, but I'd like to deliberately leave it a bit cryptic for now. The film will have a collage of styles and an overall DIY feel. The story will be based on an imaginary cult-like following of EMOM and will show invitations sent out to the members or followers to attend an event, plus some live coverage of an EMOM event and our music will form the soundtrack to the film.

Could you tell us a bit about each person who is involved in the project and what their roles will be? 
I've been really fortunate to get some super talented artists involved in this project. Rich Higton is an all-round decent guy who makes his own music under the name Jarrow Junction and Dude81 on Spotify, please check out his track Neon Crucifix which was released late last year. Rich is a great person to bounce ideas off and he always takes the music down interesting paths. I know he was working on his third album at the time I first approached him about the idea and I'm grateful for the time he is spending on this project. He also writes for LeftLion and loves Doctor Who – who doesn't!

Gerry Carnelly is a multi-talented artist and is involved in music, he's a tattoo artist, he's designed album covers and featured in comics, made videos and recently released his own art zine! The guy amazes me with his varied workload and his input to the visual side of this project is immense. Gerry will take care of the film editing and has the ability to think visually, he can send me an image or poster that captures the precise theme or meaning of what we have been discussing for several hours. He's an amazing talent.

Alex Herington was introduced to the team by Gerry and what a talent he is as well! You've got to check out his music under his solo project name Hexial and as part of the band Method Cell, he is a musical genius waiting to be discovered. Anyone wanting to hear electronic dark synth pop or electronica that creates galactical imagery must give his music a listen. Alex is heavily involved in this project on the film making and storyline, his input is vital to our success.

Oh, and me... I’m Bassey, a singer-songwriter from Nottingham. I also write a bit for LeftLion on music and have a weekly slot on a local radio show featuring new releases. I'm always looking to collaborate with folks, so get in touch with me!

Speaking of getting in touch with you, you’re looking for local electronic artists to get involved in the project. What will be their role be and how should they get in touch?
We want as many EMOM artists as possible to take part and to be featured throughout the film. We are asking them to submit a short video clip. What they film is up to the individual artist, but we are looking for clips that are around two minutes long.

It can be filmed on a phone or camera and the film style, format, colour, and effects are all a personal choice. We are also hoping to film parts of the next Nottingham EMOM event which is at The Chameleon on Saturday 13 May.

If anyone is interested in getting involved in the project then please contact me direct, I'm on both Facebook and Instagram!

@basseynoise