Video Review: KREBS The Hollow by Dave Wolff

KREBS

The Hollow

From their EP The Last Place On Earth released independently April 14, 2017 and released on Machine Man Records June 28, 2018.

Place of origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Genre: Electronic/alternative

Directed by Matt Skalish

Release date: May 20, 2018

Michael Haggerty is the sole driving force behind Krebs and has released four EPs and one single under that name since 2015. The EP The Last Place On Earth was recently picked up by New Jersey’s Machine Man Records. Before Haggerty hooked up with them a promotional video was made for each cut on the EP, all directed by Matt Skalish and released on the project’s official YouTube. In short, the video is a collection of black-and-white images to furnish The Hollow with images that are simultaneously bleak and beautiful. There are nature-based shots alongside interior shots and shots of a lone unnamed man seemingly heading from place to place with no particular destination in mind. I can’t say if Skalish is a photographer and a filmmaker, but he does have an eye for finding locations exhibiting bleakness and beauty in brief, fleeting doses. Skalish’s photography is artful without being pretentious, but whether it speaks to you will depend on how you respond to the images provided. The Hollow is somewhat similar to a song by Cockfight Club, Vampyric, in terms of the vocals and line delivery, only more contemplative and less phantasmagoric. As for how the song and video complement one another, the instruments used in the recording of The Hollow display waves of instrumentation reflecting each landscape captured on film. Moreso, nothing is overtly menacing about said landscapes. The apprehension is finding what was left behind after discovering a promise of salvation was hollow. Haggerty’s intonation, along with the notes he hits and despair he channels through them, reflects the despondency that accompanied his revelation. It’s a new method of subtly conveying these emotions, internalizing the darkness you usually expect from projects like this. And there are still three more videos to watch for the EP. -Dave Wolff

Lineup:
Michael Haggerty: Lyrics, vocals, programming, keyboards, guitars, bass