A musicians’ innovative album being recorded at the University of East London is set to be a “people’s soundtrack”—with hopes it could even be a Christmas No 1.

Urban studies expert Alberto Duman has starting work this week on the album with students and music production staff at UEL where he has just been appointed artist-in-residence.

He plans to record 20 tracks with contributions from east London bands hoping to make it big and community centres making therapeutic music for youth rehabilitation.

“Who knows, we might make it as the Christmas No 1,” the Italian-born artist said hopefully.

The idea is to use the album as a soundtrack for London’s Regeneration Supernova, a three-minute silent video that was produced to showcase potential investors at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

“The silence of the video got me thinking about the music of east London and what a soundtrack would be like to reflect its communities,” Alberto confided. “I wondered about whether I could do something to involve local people in the video about east London’s future.”

Students are helping Alberto tap into the local music scene, with tracks recorded at UEL’s music production facilities.

East London has a rich musical history, he points out, with iconic groups such as Iron Maiden, Dire Straits, U2, Led Zeppelin, Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd and Genesis cutting their teeth in its many venues and pubs.