Hozomeen – The Void LP Hozomeen is a project where the music is written, performed and produced by Graham Thompson. Graham has been writing and performing in bands in his native Newcastle upon Tyne for around 25 years. He currently provides bass and vocals for Ballpeen, and has another ‘solo’ project, Sea Ninety. He’s also performed in the bands OZO, Jinn, Grace, Gullich, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaind and many others. Unlike Sea Ninety, a project that owes much to 90’s emo, Hozomeen draws on the ‘heavier’ side of Graham’s musical influences, whilst also providing a vehicle for experimentation.Graham explains, “‘The Void’ was an opportunity for me to challenge myself in terms of song writing, but also to try and incorporate instrumentation I may not have previously used, and that you may not always expect to hear on an album of this nature. Songs were primarily built from the drums up, with only a few guitar riffs written before drum recording commenced, the rest were improvised drum ideas around which I built songs”.‘The Void’ pulls from a wide range of influences; multiple tracks of guitar feedback sit alongside strings, pianos and melodica while tempos shift and dynamics develop, to create an album that never sits still and aims to keep listeners engaged and invested.With the only outside influence coming in the form of an excellent contribution from James Leonard Hewitson on trumpet, Hozomeen’s debut lands free from expectations. Graham adds, “I’m extremely proud of what I see as a diverse and cohesive album that was as challenging to pull together as it is rewarding. I sincerely hope people enjoy ‘The Void’”.
