VIRTUAL

CONNECTIVITY

A zine collaboratively written, compiled,

edited and designed by Ellie Nik and Paul

Gerostathos for HELL Melbourne

We see examples of it every day, it is all around us

and consumes us. Virtual connection is the beeping of our

phones, in fact the simultaneous beeping of tens of phones

when we look around our bleak train carriages in peak hour

on Monday mornings. It is the repetition of orange and white

hearts and their complimenting “1”s that affirm our egos, it is

the notes and follower counts on our Tumblrs and the

comments on our selfies. Virtual connection is our fan mail,

our anon hate, the constant ebb and flow of feedback to

everything we emit in an online environment that never ends.

Digital connection in the new age seems to be ever-

expanding, terrifying and yet excitingly unpredictable. It

affects us so much that a simple layout or interface change on

some of our favourite social media networks causes eruptions

of outrage - and less than a week later, just as easily

forgotten. Technology spreads and grows layers and layers of

complexity at exponential rates - yet do we ever take stop and

take notice of the process as something that propels and

drives our imaginations?

The Internet. The smartphone. The proliferation of social

media.

Innovations that become vehicles, assist and accommodate

our ability to work, our desire to socialise, to create and

destroy, all without leaving the well worn space behind our

device screens. Whilst those in creative industries don’t think

twice before using such technology in our current climate,

these are relatively new innovations in the way in which we as

humans communicate with one another. Upon reflection, we

might ask ourselves, "have these advances in communication

helped or hindered human interaction, and to a further extent

creative industries?”

Imagine a concept in which we see these advances,

particularly the use of social media, as a positive force on the

creative landscape.

Rather than denouncing platforms such as FB and IG for

dehumanising communication, this event acknowledges all that

is made possible through the use of these mediums, a world of

VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY.

It is the SYNRG between man and machine, bridging the gap

between URL and IRL.

Can we build off these foundations, giving likeminded

individuals, perhaps with little mutual association, the ability

to congregate and network, build friendships and explore

their own creative tastes together; in turn generating results at

the forefront of modern thinking?

Whether it is across cities, states, countries or continents, this

movement is global and we aim to create a space for this to

flourish. Virtual connectivity is the future of creative industries,

bringing together alternate subcultures to unite against

mainstream media.

In recent history a shift in technology has brought the role of

tastemaker to the consumer, rather than it be dictated by

radio play or major label support; fashion week models are

being cast via Instagram hashtag competitions, Youtubers are

publishing novels and going on book tours, and blog fame

gives individuals platforms upon which to launch their own

stores or personal brands for financial profit and legitimate

careers.

Imagine a situation in which two artists on either side of the

world are working on similar work independently with no

knowledge of the other’s existence. Through virtual

connectivity these artists are not only able to discover each

other, but the potential for collaboration becomes very real.

This capacity for connection and collaboration between

parties opens up an endless amount of possibilities for the

futures of art, fashion, music, design, science, and the

advancement of any and all fields. Digital connection yields

unfathomable possibilities, unimaginable creations and

potential that knows no bounds. So why not celebrate it?

Run by power woman Ashiya Omundsen, House of Cards is

a thriving Queensland label that shows a love for whimsical

prints and motifs, wearable art for the modern cyber gal or

guy. The current collection, IN TOO DEEP, shows a heavy

digital influence recalling an early Macintosh era framed in

boxy silhouettes and painted in pastel unicorn tones. Ashiya

spoke to HELL about her label in anticipation of the

upcoming pop up store she will be hosting at HELL concepts

on Jun 5th at The Mercat.

Tell us about the beginnings of House of Cards - where

did your initial ideas spring from, and what made you

want to start the label?

I loosely started with small capsule collections while I

was at University, once I was done I had a few

corporate clients (I was working as a freelance graphic

designer, this is what I studied at Uni) and realised I

was frustrated with working creatively for corporations,

which is when I decided to try doing fashion full time.

As with most creative industries, the market can be

competitive - what advice would you give to young

women starting up their own labels and projects?

Talk less, make a plan & follow through.

To date, what achievement in your career are you most

proud of?

We opened our Brisbane Flagship store in late 2013,

but I think the best is yet to come.

Which piece in the new collection, IN TOO DEEP,  is your

favourite?

I love all the mens tees, which is silly because they are

the least work in terms of pattern making etc. But they

are just so easy to wear and pair back with.

Do you have any role models who you look to for

inspiration?

Not particularly but my friends and family are a great

source of inspiration.

What does "virtual connectivity" mean to you?

A connection between people without human

interaction.

House of

Cards

Catch NULL’s DJ set at HELL Concepts

June 05 The Mercat

PIP PELL

@_p_c_p_

Design mage Phillipa Pell joins us for VIRTUAL

CONNECTIVITY, exhibiting her 3D prints as our

feature artist for the event. We sat down with Pip to

play a little game of word association:

MUSE

The muse used to act as a platonic ideal and was often

essential to the ideation of art in earlier centuries but

in what form does this exist today? Does the “modern”

muse aim to create new insights and creative form or

just to inspire imitation: New age mass-muse. By that

measure, can a brand act as a muse?

MELODY

Any sort of Disney movie 

Unchained Melody / Righteous brothers

Silky smooth tunes

CRAFT

KRAFT FOODS

STUDY

Colonel Mustard in the Study with the Candlestick

ART

A subject of constant contention

Objective vs subjective

Critical reflection on culture vs sensory contemplation

But also, Word Art 

HELL PRESENTS...

D I G I T A L R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

PHOTOS BY NAOMI RICHMOND

Rose @rosepophalf

Kevin @kevincheung__

What's your ideal style destination?

Harajuku -Tokyo. Having just come back from a trip

through Japan I can say Tokyo is the most magical

place I've ever visited. Tokyo on the whole provides

an environment where I feel literally able to wear

anything I want whenever I want, the ability to truly

express myself through an item of clothing while

feeling both accepted and embraced is literally

heaven.

The city leaves me speechless, Harajuku specifically

is kinda my style, I love weird colors and shit so I felt

at home, I literally spent 5 of the 7 days I was in

Tokyo in Harajuku. I felt myself truly accepted there

as if I was almost local, it's an experience I'll never

forget and I cannot wait to be back.

You create such strong looks with what you wear, do

you find the general public in Melbourne can be

intimidated by alternative/post-internet fashion, or

is it generally accepting?

In my experience, I find Melbourne's general public

is not so much intimidated, more so judgmental. I

cop a heap of stares and the occasional comment or

so. I completely understand the judging though

cause I generally wear shit pretty far from the social

norm lol. To be honest though I love the stares and

shit, I feed off it haha, I guess you kinda have to

turn the stares into a positive to feel comfortable

and confident. In the same breath though I've found

Melbournians can just as easily embrace what I

wear, weirdly mostly older people, I get stopped a

lot asking where I get clothes/wanting to take

photos which is pretty baller!

Where will we see you in 5 years time?

100% Tokyo! I hope to be living there within the

next 5 years, am currently learning Japanese (shout

out to Sensai @ktenologics) and am studying

commerce/law so ideally I'll finish this and cop some

mint job in Tokyo haha! Once I'm there I hope to

take up a fashion course locally and pursue my

creative side more! Either way whether I stay here

or end up in Tokyo I'll be pursuing fashion one way

or another!

What part of VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

Honestly the entire night, everyone needs to realize

this night is organized with love, everyone who has

a part in it’s set up is doing this to provide an

environment to facilitate creativity where everyone

can be themselves and literally just be happy. That's

what it's all about, being yourself. The team at

VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are some of the most

gorgeous people I've ever had the chance to meet

and I can't thank them enough for the opportunity to

be a part of this.

I'm so looking forward to do all I can on the night to

spread the love and embrace all of you! Come and

say hi!!! I wear weird shit but I promise am nice!

SAEED // @ASTRO.BAE

You make and sell quirky accessories for your etsy

store, from badges to earrings made out of fishing

lures, to purses with eye-catching news headlines

hand stitched onto them. How do you get the ideas

for your creations?

I was always inspired by 70s punk, and I’ve done a

lot of badges with beer bottles or bongs or slightly

insulting slogans. I got some angry messages on

tumblr over CRACK BABY. I like to make things that

people will find funny or interesting, and I get a lot

of my inspiration from things I see online.

What are you casting as the must have item in your

wardrobe this winter, and do you have a certain

winter look you're looking forward to emulating?

Huge fur coats, I have about 5 in different colours,

its getting out of hand.

I’m feeling the post apocalyptic Mad Max vibes at

the moment, animal teeth accessories, fur, platforms

& DIY.

You're currently studying fashion design, tell us

about your future career aspirations;

I’d like to start my own label, but tbh my life isn’t

that sorted I had ice cream for dinner I don’t plan

that far ahead.

What part of VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

Metaverse Makeovers looks really interesting, but

it’s the end of semester so I’m most looking forward

to leaving the house and going somewhere that

isn’t uni.

LUCY // @MAKEMELOCO

Your label Penny Drop was at the HELL Bazaar a

few months ago - what's been happening for

Penny Drop since then, and what's coming up for

Penny Drop next?

Penny Drop has been on hiatus since the

bazaar, and it’s time to crawl out from under

that rock. I’m working towards officially

launching the label and my first directional

range, fingers crossed by the end of the year.

I’ll be at Strawberry Fields with stock and

samples, so come play!

PENNY // @PENNYDROP

If you were a fictional character, who would

you be?

I always thought I was Kevin, from ‘Up’. A

snipe.

When you're sketching, what do you look to for

inspiration for your designs?

I’m now trying to work towards practical

solutions. I try to evolve my current favourites,

make them comfier, exaggerated, multi-purpose,

or if all else fails, colour popping and pleasing

to the eye. It’s always a matter of making use of

what I have at hand. That thrifty element doesn’t

always gel with being practical (especially when

it comes to using sheep bones, human hair,

dental impressions and the like) so it’s a matter

of juggling and seeing what I can come up with.

What part of VIRTUAL

CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

Meeting Ashiya. I

feel like our brains

may have been

separated in utero.

Brittany @ktenologics

Lucy @makemeloco

Kelly @glitterousclitoris

Gemma @conceivedsorrow

Brittany @ktenologics

You're quite active in local political protests and

causes, how do you find your beliefs translate into

your artwork?

It has only been over the past year that I’ve become

interested in making art. I used to think that visual

art was a luxury that I couldn’t afford to participate

in. At university I majored in anthropology which

encouraged me to question inequality from a new

perspective. I could no longer ignore how power

served to separate the subordinated classes from

the ruling elites. I was frustrated, angry, and

depressed. The world felt like a helpless place. My

only release from this tension was through creation.

Art has provided me a means to communicate. Art

isn’t a solution, but it provides relief when that

solution is far away.

You have a great penchant for accessorising and

styling different pieces together, what one tip or

rule do you generally go by when putting together

an outfit?

Style is confidence, but you can’t be confident

without being comfortable. An outfit must be easily

adaptable. When I feel uncomfortable I like to

change an aspect of my outfit so that I can feel

comfortable once again. Sometimes I’ll take

something off. Sometimes I’ll put something

additional on. It is comforting to match your

exterior to your interior.

Which mediums in your artwork do you find you

prefer to explore? Tell us about which aesthetics

seem to manifest most regularly in the work you

produce

Currently my favourite element to manipulate and

explore is light. My visuals tend to be driven by my

attraction to objects that interact with light in an

interesting way. For example, I really like reflective

things, translucent materials, and glowing neon. My

aesthetic tastes largely rely on juxtapositions. I like

putting contrasting things next to each other. The

notion that two objects don’t belong together makes

me want to force them together. Juxtaposition gives

an opportunity to create something new.

What part of VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

I’m most looking forward to the intersection of the

IRL and the URL. I plan on entering a dimension of

freakiness that I’ve never entered before.

KELLY // @GLITTEROUSCLITORIS

Tell us about your artwork;

Well I've created a unique style for myself, it's a mix

of traditional and digital. A lot of my inspiration

comes from the positive outcome that my work has

on others.

What inspires your sense of dress?

The whole underground fashion scene in Japan

GEMMA // @CONCEIVEDSORROW

If your life was an anime, which one

would it be?

Welcome to the NHK

What part of VIRTUAL

CONNECTIVITY are you

most looking forward to?

Meeting all the amazing

people that are involved

and making your HELL

experience one that's out

of this world

Saeed @astro.bae

Gemma @conceivedsorrow

Brittany @ktenologics

You often work collaboratively in your photographic

projects, what is it about working with others that

you enjoy the most and which collaboration is your

favourite to date?

Every time the project concept and aim is different, I

often come across to something that I never thought

I would take part of, it’s like a new challenge,

something to get my mind open. All my work that

I’ve done is my favourite.

Your visual signature is quite distinct, and your

photos have a trademark clean, minimal quality

about them. What draws you to this particular

aesthetic?

My surrounding. Pretty much for my entire

childhood, I grew up in a densely populated urban

area. As a kid, I always tried to search for places

that are isolated from any human activities which is

impossible. Because of this, I always look at my

surroundings differently, I want to take the most

simple element from these environments and shape

them in a minimalist way, I want them to become a

different world when captured inside a frame.

What projects do you hope to see yourself working

on in the future?

Definitely anything that relates to moving images.

What part of VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

The people.

ROSE // @ROSEPOPHALF

“Juxtaposition

gives an

opportunity to

create something

new”

If you had to describe your style in one phrase,

what would it be?

Hi-tech anime-street goth.

You study Japanese - tell us about where you see

yourself after your studies!

Ideally I want to really liaise Japan and Melbourne

more. Being able to speak Japanese has really

helped me to make some great friends in the

fashion industry over in Japan and I’d love to see

more stuff over here. One of the things that really

draws me to Japan is the “anything goes” fashion

policy of Tokyo – you can wear your own style, as

crazy as it might be and it's guaranteed someone is

going to appreciate it, so you feel brave enough to

do it. I really want to run a shop that stocks crazy

Japanese clothes from small independent artists

that influence my style of clothes and art, and then

at night, it will become a bar; think 1990’s hi tech

Tokyo with lots of neon and manga everywhere,

funky tunes, great Japanese craft beer and

cocktails and the staff can only be dressed in the

craziest style. I don’t want a huge career out of it

but I would love to bring the craziness of Japan to

Australia and share my love and what drives me.

One item of clothing you can't live without?

Definitely my MYOBNYC black coach jacket –

literally goes with anything and isn’t too warm/not

warm enough. Will probably never go out of style

either.

What part of VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

Getting to meet people is the most exciting thing for

me! There are so many talented, creative and

interesting people out there and I’m looking

forward to the sharing of ideas and collaborative

things that come from this.

BRITTANY // @KTENOLOGICS

You explore a number of artistic disciplines with the

work that you do, including design and

photography. Which is your most preferred and

why?

I don’t have a preference I guess because I do

enjoy both design and photography. I try to

incorporate any type of media (including

photography) in my design, because I love being

practical rather than just creating graphics on a

computer. There is just so much more creative

freedom with mixed media design, I love it!

We see an emphasis on the relationship between

space and form in your work, what are some key

ideas you strive to convey visually in your projects?

I don’t try to convey anything specific, I usually just

do whatever pops into my head, with design I

approach it with an open mind and just get straight

into it and it usually just takes it’s course. With my

photography I try to keep a consistency through all

of my snaps, most of my photos are often just from

spaces I stumbled upon that spark my interest,

which is why I guess there’s an emphasis on space

and form in my work.

Who are some local up and coming creatives you

think we should keep our eye on?

There are so many upcoming and talented local

creatives in Melbourne! My list could go on forever!

But just to name a few, my great friends Angie and

Adrian from PAI (@helloimpai) are doing amazing

things with their label, Claudia Lau (@claud______)

who is just starting up but creating the most

beautiful ceramics works from home! It’s so amazing

everyone should have them!

What part of VIRTUAL CONNECTIVITY are you most

looking forward to?

I’m just looking forward to meeting some creative

like minded people! And having a boogie!

KEVIN // @KEVINCHEUNG__

Kevin @kevincheung__

“I guess you kinda

have to turn the

stares into a positive

to feel comfortable

and confident”

SIDECHAINS

@sidechainsclub

We introduce S.Y.N.R.G, our patented virtual DJ

experience coming to you this Friday June 5th at The

Mercat. Streamed over the world wide web, we

feature a set from an act not physically present at the

event itself. The very essence of virtual connectivity,

collaboration from across the nation.

In doing so we would like to share with you the

representatives of our aesthetic sister brand in Sydney,

Sidechains DJs.

Firstly the question we’ve all been wondering, why the

name Sidechains? Do you even compress?

Sidechains was based on the idea of providing up and

coming producers that we respect and love, a platform

and space to perform. Being producers, music was such

a important part of the inception process. The term

‘sidechain’ is an electronic music production/

compression term (i’ll let you google it to understand, its

a bit difficult to explain). It was kind of an in joke and

when a producer sees the name, theres an immediate

association of the party with producer focus. And yes,

terribly on questionable 808s and also on the legs.

Who are the real Sidechains DJs, what are some things

your mum doesn’t know bout chu?

The Sidechains DJs are Christian (Grasps_), who’s mum

doesn’t know he’s actually a full time burner and myself,

my mum doesn’t know people call me Mercedes Denz

and I’m actually sponsored by nike. Oh and DJ Lockouts

but no one knows much about them.

Your Sidechains compilation was exceptional, the art was

slick and there were so much GOLD on there. Is this a

direction you see the brand going in? Branching out from

parties into a record label? Give us your 10 year plan.

Grace/Deburg Boolean is such a talented 3d artist, I’m

lucky to have run into her!

Yep! Basically with this compilation, it marks our

transition into a record label (while still keeping the party

bumpin), doing regular releases (Singles, EPs,

Compilations), as well as artist management (we are

now managing Recluse, Grasps_ and Manbat). Our first

single release will be out soon from Recluse called ‘Path

of Wind’ which we’re super excited for.

In the future we’re looking towards doing more interstate

gigs as Sidechains DJS (one day we will make it over to

perth and learn to rinse), having our first international

artist, boiler room sets, growing to have a second

sidechains party in another state etc. We have lots of

plans for the brand but theres still a lot of work to do!

How did you start running parties? What’s your rags to

riches story?

Basically it started from a friend of ours posting in a

group saying they got offered to run a party on a

Thursday night but he didn’t have time to commit to it.

Myself and 3 other guys (Nick, Joe and Tom, shoutouts.)

stepped up and said we’d put a pitch together for the

club thats where the concept arose. The first party went

really well (especially for a Thursday night in Sydney)

and we got offered a Friday night spot at Kit &

Kaboodle, our current residence. Nick and Joe had to

bail out after the party due to personal commitments and

about 2 months ago Tom also had to bail for his own

personal work. But over the last year, I ran into Lillian,

(y’all know her as @flex.mami) a really passionate girl

working in PR and Christian (@grasps_) who have been

big helps as well as my girlfriend, Jess (@sortagoth),

who’s been helping out behind the scenes since and

supportive since day 1, she’s the real MVP for putting up

with me :^)

You SLAYED it when you played for us a few months ago

and we’re super pumped to have you onboard for our

upcoming Virtual Connectivity event.

What was the best moment of your Melbourne trip?

What are you looking forward to the most in your

upcoming Melbourne trip (via the web)

Hell was a real experience. Our favourite part had to be

seeing just how alive and vibrant the night life in

Melbourne is. Walking out of Hell at 4am and everyone

saying ‘lets head to ____’ was surreal.

We’re also just really excited to be apart of Hell again &

to be able to do our first virtual set! Wish we could have

made it down this time, looks like there’s going to be so

much cool stuff happening!

Is there much of a difference in nightlife in SYD compared

to MELB? Your scene seems so cohesive even if you have

to close early!

There really is. Its a combination of things like the strict

regulation of drinks past certain times, ID scanning,

1:30am lockouts, the intensity of bouncers in clubs (not

necessarily for the safety of everyone but more to be kill

joys/staunch). But overall theres feels to be more of a

culture in MELB, its got much less of that 'lets go where

the cheapest drinks and loosest chicks are'’ feel and

more of an appreciation for being social and enjoying a

social atmosphere (& a+ fashion). Since the introduction

of these laws, Sydney nightlife feels like we’re being

treated as children at an underage house party with

chaperones and not responsible adults who know our

limits. Sydney's spirits have been dampened by the laws

but it's time to hype them up and we’re trying our best to

contribute to that.

On the topic of club lockouts, explain DJ lockouts to the

uninitiated.

DJ Lockouts is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an

enigma. Its not easy to explain, you just have to stay

past 1:30am & witness it to be initiated.

In your event photos we notices your shine to the sad

boy, If you could meet Yung Lean what would you say to

him?

Where’s Rainworld?

Model: #babeofhell Karlie Roberts @whoreseatsmores

Photography: Willow Darling

You're building quite the profile for

yourself over a number of different

creative areas. Do you have a favourite

you like to work in? Music, VJing,

Fashion or events? If so why?

To be honest I really find it to focus on

which direction I want to head in with

Velatix, but if I had to choose I really

love DJing/Music. I find it the most

challenging and rewarding. After

witnessing the quality and creativity of

DJ's internationally I want to raise the

bar in some respects here in Melbourne.

Your work focuses heavily on anime and

hentai, how did this come about? Have

you always been interested in Japanese

culture?

Before I was any of this I was a sheltered

nerd who watched anime and played

games non stop. My first trip to Japan

was in early 2013, I only intended to visit

to go to anime stores and the like. It was

during that trip that I stumbled upon a

Maltine Records party (a label I'm a fan

of) at a club in Akiba called MOGRA, it

was a really life changing night for me, I

saw the how vibrant every one was,

everyone was making something or

contributing something. And anime and

other subcultures what brought everyone

together.

I guess my main aim is to show that you

can like anime a be a cool dude (haha).

Your Cold Tech parties seem to be going

global! Tell us about them!

Cold Tech is going off, We've been

throwing parties here and in Chicago

since November and each party is

bigger than the last. Our aim with these

parties is to focus on bass music (Jungle,

Footwork, DnB, Dub, Garage, etc) and

make it approachable to the average

club goer, sort of like going oput to a gig

but in a club/dance environment.

By the time you've read this we will have

hosted our biggest Cold Tech over in

Chicago featuring TRAXMAN (!), Violet

Systems and out very own DJ INNES

(who has played at Hell before.

Check out www.coldte.ch for more info!

What is coming up next for you? We

seem to keep so busy we can't even

speculate.

I'll be going to Japan again in July to

play gigs and hang out, when I return I

plan to release the new clothing that I'm

working on and work even more on

getting myself out there in the local

scene.

What does Virtual Connectivity mean to

you?

Bringing everyone together to create

something exciting, regardless of

distance or language.

VELATIX+

COLD TECH

We spoke to Lincoln Donelan, aka

VELATIX about his numerous creative

projects and his raging COLD TECH

parties. Catch VELATIX playing at our

HELL concepts event this Friday June

5th at The Mercat.

Photo by Rose @rosepophalf

@

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Our favourite new Swedish sad

boy Ian van Kempen contributes

artwork from his AQUATIC

TECH series to exhibit this Friday

June 5th at our HELL concepts

event at The Mercat

STUDIO TOUR

WITH

GLASS MIRRORS

PHOTOS BY NAOMI RICHMOND

In this article we are

invited by our musical director Glass

Mirrors into his home studio, to

discuss the creation of his new EP,

DOT_COM_ROM_COM.

We slid into his DMs with a few

questions about the process.

HELL: Hi Paul, how are you?

GM: Hello HELL. I’m feeling drippy,

How are you?

HELL: We chill.

GM: Right on.

HELL: Tell us about your upcoming EP

- conceptually, what influenced it and

what can we expect?

GM: This EP was born out of my

nocturnal existence and new

exciting pastel visions replacing the

otherwise greyscale world I’ve been

living in. My influences for the EP lie

in lying awake at 2AM on digital

devices indulging in futuristic

aesthetics, exposing myself to the

innovative musical ideas of gods

such as Lido, Canblaster, AG Cook

and Doko, plus of course the feeling

of my girl’s soft skin on silk.

It marks the unfortunate progression

of the move from writing soppy 80s

synth music about my relationships

to my current love-life being seen as

a romantic comedy, played out in

the digital domain for all to see

have an opinion on.

Dot_Com_Rom_Com is an

acknowledgement of this, that if you

put yourself out there in cyber space

people will either love you or hate

you, and thus here is my musical

expression of these feels. No shade

here, no shade.

It was an experiment into uncharted

territory for me, compositionally I

wanted to craft sound that was

different to my previous work, music

with more emotion and feeling.

A move away from the dark yet

simple synthpop minor scale solos of

my earlier work and into something

brighter yet more musically

complex.

The sole purpose of this EP is

experimentation in its purest, in 4/4

yet with no clear rules on form or

convention.

Rather than a body of music with a

clear direction, it is a collection of

sporadic ideas and feelings,

dabbling in a concoction of future

beats, jersey club and piano driven

rnb ballads.

It isn’t exactly geared towards the

dance floor and it is quite self

indulgent, but I wouldn’t have it any

other way.

HELL: You seem to have an organised

studio set-up. What equipment did

you use on this EP?

GM: Gear used:

iMac, MacBook Pro, KRK 5”

monitors, Propellerhead Reason 7.0,

Avid Protools 9, Waves plugins,

Moog Voyager Performance Edition,

Korg Arp Odyssey (Rev III model),

DSI Prophet 08 PE Edition,

Oberheim DX drum machine,

Moogerfooger MF101 Filter +

MF104m Delay + MF108 Cluster

Flux, Heil Talkbox, Behringer

Eurodesk, AKG C214

I recently offloaded a large portion

of my studio gear to streamline my

production process - until recently I

was also using a Korg Poly61,

Yamaha DX7, Roland JX8-P, Roland

Alpha Juno 1. Whilst I loved the

signature sound of each piece of

gear, I found working with early

MIDI (or as with the Poly61 no MIDI

at all) and the temperamental nature

of this older gear to be a hindrance

to my creativity. I have hearing

damage and can’t expose myself to

loud sound for anywhere near as

long as I used to, so having a

streamlined workflow is vital to my

studio process.

HELL: How did you go about the

composition of the EP?

Did you set out to write in any

particular genre or tempo?

GM: Since I am using a hybrid

studio set up, I used my MacBook to

write each song in Reason, before

re-recording instruments using

outboard gear and mixing /

mastering in ProTools. I wrote

mainly in the 150-160BPM range,

using a simple piano patch and

playing the notes on my laptop

keyboard. I found that working with

a simple palette enabled me to find

what notation worked best musically

before creating the sounds.

Rather than use basic triads and

inversions in my previous synth pop

work (done as I was learning to

write music) for this body of work I

made heavy use of rnb / gospel

and jazz chords structures and

progressions, utilising 7ths, 9ths and

11th, augmented 4th, suspended

2nd chords and differing modes to

add variety and interest to the

sound.

HELL: How did you create such a

diverse yet striking selection of

sounds? From the teaser we were

able to listen to, everything seemed

so powerful and clean!

GM: In my earlier work I had relied

on ‘creating a soundscape’ through

layering and basically soaking

everything in reverb to create

~drama~.

With this EP I aimed to ensure every

instrument had it’s own unique sonic

character and place in the mix,

working on each patch to ensure it

had the maximum impact.

I created a basic palette of sounds

in Reason as a guide, before

replacing most synthesised

instruments with my keyboards.

Working with my new Arp Odyssey

was invaluable, it’s such a portable

and diverse synth! Even though

tuning it was an issue I was able to

work with it no matter where I

happened to be.

I programmed all sounds on my

outboard gear from scratch,

initialising patches and building

them up based on the rough guides

I had used.

I utilised modulation heavily on this

EP, routing LFOs to filters and

creating interesting chord sequences

using this.

In doing so I also alternated

between basic playing of chords,

modulating them or using

arpeggiation to create as much

interest as possible.

HELL: How did you mix the EP? Were

there any techniques used you can

fill us in on?

GM: Once I bounced out the stems I

then mixed the song ITB in Protools.

I exclusively use Waves plugins for

this as I am familiar with them and

find them to be quite effective!

Having come from a background

studying audio engineering and

using outboard EQ, compression

and mixing consoles, emulating

some of these processes with Waves

has yielded the best results ITB I’ve

found.

For every track I split the mix into 6

distinct sub-groups, drums, bass,

chords, melody, leads and vocals.

Working from left to right I built up

the mix, working out levels, pan,

EQ, compression and aux FX as I

go.

I often set up a bus to use parallel

compression on tracks to bring out

some dynamics, boosting the drums

and bass with this frequently.

I loved running through SSL

channels with SSL dynamic and EQ

control, before running some

channels through tape emulation to

dirty the sound a little.

HELL: Do you have a secret

mastering chain we should know

about?

GM: I actually like to keep my

mastering chain simple. If the mix is

good, the chain on your master

should just be to slightly boost and

smooth the mix

For this EP i used an EQ. Stereo

Imager. Multiband Compressor or

Bus Compressor. Limiter.

I also used PAZ Analysier to

crosscheck and ensure there were

no phase or clipping issues.

HELL: Do you have a favourite piece

of gear you used on the EP? If so,

why?

GM: My favourite piece of gear I

used on the EP would probably

have to be the Voyager! Such a

strong bass sound and strong

modulation possibilities, while it can

easily take over a whole mix, with

careful use of EQ it can add instant

power and NRG to any track.

HELL: Do you have any plans for

collaborations at the moment?

None at the moment, although I’m

constantly inspired by local friends

and acts like Dugong Jr, Tag Shai,

Recluse and Headstone.

HELL: Thanks Glass Mirrors! That

was very insightful!

P e a C e

Glass Mirrors will be releasing his

DOT_COM_ROM_COM EP at

Sidechains (SYD) on July 12th, but

expect some sneak previews at our

HELL concepts event this June 5th

at The Mercat Basement.

The melting pot that is Melbourne and the even hotter Hell

Melbourne

Submission by Luke Tipping

Melbourne has been known to be more diverse compared to the other cities in Australia

with it's fashion, food and music. A place where Melbourne's fashion reaches it's peak in

diversity of style and origin. When HELL was on every week you only had to attend the

event or look at the photos from the previous weekend to know what was on trend in almost

every aesthetic you can think of. It was a very nice deviation from spending hours on Look

Book, 4chan/fa or pinterest. With attendees wearing brands local (House of Cards,

Discount Universe, Tilly Me and YuYu) and international (Dynasti, MYOB, Whatever 21 and

Hellboy Gear).

Although Hell is back for one night, the styles seen from the event and promo material are a

great indicator of what is on point this Winter.

Rose @rosepophalf

Kevin @kevincheung__

Saeed @astro.bae

Photo by Naomi Richmond

Julia for HELL x METAVERSE

Photo by Sam Orchard

The Technicolor Dream Coat

Prose submission by Ariane Virgona

The walls were splattered with photos of women dressed in designer gowns, framed in

exceptional lighting and flattering lipstick. I foUnd myself standing between life-size figUres of

women bejeweled with seqUenced mermaid tails and thick shoUlder pads, the rotating rUnway saw

demin jackets, raw expression of pUnk rock mohawk hairdos and thick metal bracelets and

chokers, whips and leather straps. Polished white walls contrasted the intensity of the coloUrs and

the statement the artists were intending to shoot forward.

I foUnd myself starting at the details in the embroidery of the fabrics and the layers of clothing the

mannequin wore, layers of trUths and ideas that were piled Up waiting for someone to wade

thoUgh- to notice.

There are endless possibilities to the design of the cloak we can choose to sew together. The variety

of trUths, interpretations, ideas and Understandings are so vast, mUch like the selection of clothing

we can choose to pUt on each day. Fashion becomes an identity deeper than the exterior. Look

fUrther than the fibers we cover oUrselves with and notice that yoU reflect what yoUr soUl wears.

Unexpectedly we bUmped into each other. My hand brUshed his shoUlder and the vibrant coloUrs

of the walls and fabrics distracted me from meeting his eye. I was captUred by the simplicity of his

answers and the trUth to which he spoke. The pictUres on the wall were Up for interpretation mUch

like the expression on my face and the smile on my lips. We critiqUed the materials and fabricated

a mUtUal Understanding of oUr world’s spider-web reality of sUffocating boUndaries, synthetic

smiles and empty promises; we were motivated by the hUnger behind of each of the answers we

shared. I was swimming with bUoyancy in a pool of possibility, sUpported by the weight of the

words he passed onto me; he trUsted me. Ideas are like fabrics and I am the designer, constrUcting

a cloak for my shoUlders to wear. CarefUlly in my life, I woUld select patterns, textUres and shapes

in the form of words, philosophies, ideologies and realisations to create a transparent covering to

carry. It becomes too easy to let the stereotypes, toxic energy and destrUctive expectations to

spread over oUr soUl, obstrUcting the radiation of oUr pUre intentions. This dark, dreary covering

limits Us from expressing oUr trUth and we fall fUrther away from the concept of oUr ideal reality.

And so we stood there bare, in a room filled with potential, inspired and ready to sew together a

manifestation of all that we are. YoU are the designer. Design yoUrself.

Metaverse Nails™ (patent pending) is the only product in the

WORLD that allows you to adorn your digital and physical self

with customisable holograms. It’s glam wearable tech.

Their wearable appcessories are collectible fashion accessories

that interact with the Metaverse Nails app, a 3D social app that

triggers a dazzling range of futuristic, interactive holograms

which can be shared in real time to social networks - directly off

your #nextlevelnails .

Brittany, Sarah, Julia and Jacob for HELL x METAVERSE / Photography by Sam Orchard

HTMLflowers

June 05 The Mercat

Hell Concepts

# H E L L V CGates at 10pm

The Mercat Basement456 Queen St Melbourne

Thank you to all the creatives and talented souls

who contributed to the creation of this event

Saeed @astro.bae

Kelly @glitterousclitoris

Rose @rosepophalf

Photo by Naomi Richmond