Synopsis

Kwes rides an unusually long elevator journey alongside a group of strangers, with everyone trapped in an atmosphere of stiff silence and social discomfort. Avoided glances, nervous gestures, and small signs of unease gradually give way to stranger, more expressive movements. As the ride continues, the ordinary lift becomes a surreal space where private anxieties and unexpected bursts of rhythm surface. The video turns an everyday encounter into a playful study of awkwardness, isolation, and the strange intimacy of being close to people without connecting.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in April 2012, shortly before "Bashful" appeared on Kwes' *Meantime* EP, released through Warp Records.

• Its central idea focuses on human disconnection in a confined public space, using the familiar discomfort of sharing an elevator with strangers as its starting point.

• The production was shot in an elevator and also used the lobby of London's Pasha Hotel. The hotel allowed the crew to take over the lobby for a morning.

• The clip was the first music-video production to bring together the full Studio Murmur collective as a crew.

• Despite a limited budget, the production team described the project as ambitious, relying on the crew's previous experience of working together.

• The cast includes Kwes alongside performers playing a receptionist, a mother, a daughter, businessmen, a bellboy, and a spa attendant, giving the short film an ensemble-like quality.

• The video was produced by Pulse Films, with visual effects, editing, cinematography, art direction, styling, grading, and sound handled by a broad specialist crew.

• "Bashful" was one of the tracks used to introduce Kwes' experimental blend of electronic pop, R&B, and downtempo music to a wider audience.