GSM ed. 6 vol. 4 "Fluid"

GSM

Fluid E. 6 V. 4

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1. Birkett 2. Peachy 3. Dusk

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1. Go Fish 2. One Giant Leap 3. Wrist and Breast

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Survival

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2. Hybrid Brownwing 3. Off Your Twig

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1. Lash Extensions 1 2. Lash Extensions 2 3. Olefwhile

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THE LONG ROAD BACK TO SANITY

Borobudur

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29 Inner City Enlightement

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31 Undine

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arcadian-dreams@hotmail.com Arcadian Dreams is a freelance Illustrator and Artist who works on a Mixed Media Palette of pastel colours and the clandestine yet quant characters of her mind. Inspired

by Pop Surrealism and Baroque movements Arcadian Dreams captures the whimsical and dream like stories within her canvas.

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1. The stats: 22 editions,

180 pizzas, four years, half a million words published.

Loved: art directing covers (and finally making my own), working on the layout (an almost meditative experience), hosting writers’ nights. The very best thing was the sense of satisfacation finishing a quality edition.

Hated: People who’re inconsiderate about deadlines (so stressful), receiving abusive emails at 2AM, being bullied online by people calling me everything from a “dictator” to “too gay”. The worst were people who bitched about content but ignored invitations to contribute.

rty of

Prope

GSM

October 2010

rty Prope

GS Magazine ents StudClass

ECU

- edition 4 2010 -

Che Guevara

Robert Downey Jr

La Roux

Edith Cowan

George Clooney

The Nanny

Karl Marx

Margaret Thatch-

Meryl Streep

Cary Grant

Isabella Rossellini

Mao Zedong

Ronald Reagan

Jackie Onassis

Billy Bragg

Elizabeth Taylor

GSM

GS Magazine dents U Stu Class

of EC

1. Editorial 2. President’s Farewell 3. New Club 4. Club News reviews politics culture stories

“Asia” Ed. 2 Vol. 3

- Orientation 2011 -

Che Guevara

Robert Downey Jr

La Roux

Edith Cowan

George Clooney

The Nanny

Karl Marx

Margaret Thatch-

Meryl Streep

Cary Grant

Isabella Rossellini

Mao Zedong

Ronald Reagan

Jackie Onassis

Billy Bragg

Elizabeth Taylor

“Retro” GSM ed.1 2011

Hopes: I would love to see more students involved over the course of their degree.

Favourites: Masculinity, Bodies, Power, Alphabet Soup, What If, Fluid.

Thank you: the friends who volunteered their words, photos and pictures.

Last words: Dear Haters, I won.

- Tom. X x

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Ed 1. Vol 1. Pilot Ed 2. Vol 1. Class Ed 1. Vol 2. Orientation ‘11 Ed 2. Vol 2. Retro Ed 3. Vol 2. Review Ed 4. Vol 2. Asia Ed 5. Vol 2. Drugs, Sex & Rock Ed 6. Vol 2. Power Ed 7. Vol 2. No Words Ed 1. Vol 3. Orientation ‘12 Ed 2. Vol 3. The Future Ed 3. Vol 3. Home Ed 4. Vol 3. Masculinity Ed 5. Vol 3. Noir Ed 6. Vol 3. Alphabet soup Ed 7. Vol 3. Exposure Ed 1. Vol 4. Orientation ‘13 Ed 2. Vol 4. Pleasure Ed 3. Vol 4. Perth Ed 4. Vol 4. Bodies Ed 5. Vol 4. What If...

Ed 6. Vol 4. Fluid

2. This has been an incredible year for the Guild and for myself.

When I took office on the 1st December last year I didn’t think it would be possible to accomplish what we have achieved. My story to become a Guild President is a funny one. Before being elected as the Guild President, I had not been involved in the Guild nor had I been into a Guild office or used a Guild service.

I was meeting with a friend who was organising a group of students to run in the ECU Guild Elections. I was inspired by this group of people (I didn’t know anyone else in this group except my friend) and we created a plan to transform the ECU Guild, activate student life on campus and make a difference to the issues that really mattered to us.

When we were elected, we were jubilant and excited to start implementing our vision. However, except for one person, no one had been elected to the Guild previously. We had no idea what we were doing and no idea how everything worked.

So for the most part, we made it up. We tried everything. We ran with what worked and we stopped doing what didn’t work.

I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved.

This semester the Guild has been running one or more events every week. As a team we have held an awesome music festival, end of semester parties, cultural food festivals and had a 100 man team participate in Glow Run. We had rocking O-Week celebrations for our students!

We held many events around issues that matter – especially around sustainability, acceptance, equality, education and the federal election.

We also passed a new constitution! This was not an easy task. It had been in the pipeline for over five years. Our thirteen year old constitution was no longer working for us. Now we have a new constitution and it will set the foundation for an expansion of the Guild.

We also experienced many challenges. It took everything to stand for a Guild that was free from bullying and harassment, where people felt safe and respected for who they are and for their differences. (Student) politics often leads to people acting in ways that would not be tolerated in any other sphere of society. This often leads to not much happening and many people yelling.

We knew as a Guild we couldn’t be effective if we kept tolerating that behavior. So we didn’t.

This was a massive turning point for us as an organisation this year.

The most magical part of this year is working with the staff, senate and volunteers at the Guild.

The ECU Student Guild is an organisation run on love. I am constantly inspired when I am at work. The staff give everything they possibly can to make sure that the students are taken care of. The senate are imagining new ideas and events to enhance the student experience. The volunteers are up for anything, in any weather, to ensure the Guild and our events rock. I am so proud to be a part of this team and my spirit has been nurtured being with this group of people.

Next year the Guild is set to expand on the work the foundations we set this year. So watch this space – like us on Facebook –come down and meet your new reps!

Lastly, I just want to say it has been a privilege to represent students as the ECU Student Guild President. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. ECU is an incredible university because it has such an amazing group of students. I have loved being in this position and working with students in many different capacities. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Sheridan

3. ECU Malaysians Club (ECUMC) is finally here! ECUMC is a new club created by

Malaysian students at ECU. Currently we are still very fresh and in the establishing stage.

ECUMC welcomes any Malaysians or ex-Malaysians to join, included students and staff.

ECUMC is currently affiliated with ECU Student Guild, Malaysian Association of Student Council Australia (MASCA) and in the midst of affiliating with The Association of Malaysians in Western Australia (AMWA). In the future we are looking forward to having joint events with any club in ECU, ECU Guild, MASCA and AMWA. We believe that internal networking (within the university) is as important as external networking (MASCA & AMWA). For more information and to join as member, visit www.ecumy.com, contact secretary@ecumy.com or pres@ecumy.com

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4. On the 8

of October 2013, The Faculty of Business and Law first year students received useful advice on how they can improve their employability at LinkedIn n Looking Good. th

The students were given an insight from industry guest speakers Michael Harris, from CPA Australia, and Jane Clarkson, from the Department of Corrective Services, into what employers look for in graduates. Students also heard from Tanyia Banerjee, ECU Enactus President, and Ian Fishman, Project Officer of Sports Volunteering at ECU, about the exciting opportunities available at ECU. Taniya explained that getting involved in student-run organisations and volunteering “opens a lot of doors, adds an edge to your resume, and provides opportunities to apply your learning.”

For more information about Careers at ECU, visit the CareerHub http://www.ecu.edu.au/ career-services/overview. For more information about ECU Enactus, visit www.ecuenactus.org.au. For more information about Volunteering at ECU, contact Career and Leadership Services on 6304 5899.

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Books Lackadaisy Volume 1 Tracy J Butler

Dark Eden Chris Beckett

“Suited-up, gun-toting, Jazz-Age talking cats” is the phrase that will get you to start reading Lackadaisy, a graphic novel set in the Prohibition era of St. Louis. And you will keep reading for the gorgeous sepia-toned art, snappy dialogue, and diverse cast of characters. Originally a webcomic, Lackadaisy’s first printed volume takes us through the first major story arc starting in 1927, as we follow Rocky, a new rumrunner for the titular secret Lackadaisy Speakeasy. Rocky struggles to find a secure alcohol source to keep the speakeasy afloat during Prohibition, while trying to dodge conflict from other rival speakeasies.

In Eden, only 532 people live. The descendants of marooned astronauts, they eke out a stone age existence, wrapped in religious superstition and fear, as they await a fabled ‘rescue’ from earth. Until John Redlantern, a member of this ‘Family’ spills blood for the first time.

Now, those of you who already know of the webcomic probably don’t need to waste your time with this review.

But, as one of my most favourite comics I felt like I should at least spread the word. (That, and I ran out of time to review anything else).

In the tradition of A Clockwork Orange, Chris Beckett constructs a masterful world just close enough to plausibility to echo our own. The story takes place during the sixth generation of the offspring of the original pair, a period just long enough for the language and idioms of this new generation to become delightfully obvious.

Lackadaisy showcases extremely well-written characters that each go through their own arcs, with rich histories and dialogue that are slowly revealed (or are still yet to be revealed), that goes hand-in-hand with rich, emotive art and a driving plot. The dialogue is well-crafted, and is both humorous and honest. The comic also displays Tracy J Butler’s impeccable eye for visual detail and historical accuracy. The first volume features reference notes detailing anything from slang to fashion of the 1920’s that appear in Lackadaisy, occasionally fudged for aesthetic appeal.

However, much like Clockwork orange, the first person narrative may sometimes make it difficult for the reader to understand what’s actually going on – but this all contributes to an otherwise cleverly constructed world in which basic education and thinking have been sacrificed in the bid for survival.

Kate Beaton takes us on a delightfully charming and humorous journey through the ages with small, usually four panel strips that pack a lot of punch despite their size. It takes a special kind of author to portray historical figures such as Billy Bishop or classic novels such as Anne of Green Gables in a humorous light that hasn’t already been done before; and yet Beaton seems to take hold and make it her own. And, of course, take a fair share of liberties along the way.

For all of its praises, there is one fallback: Butler is unable to update Lackadaisy more than every few months, so you’ll be waiting a while for the next issue. But once you realise how well cats suit the Jazz Age, you’ll wonder why nobody thought of it sooner.

4/5 Jess Chambers

While the world itself is fairly interesting, the characters themselves can be uncomfortably confronting to the point of believability. I’ll admit this probably detracts from the story if you’re reading it just for the narrative. However, Dark Eden seems to work best as the author’s unflinching account of the role and origin of religion in a society bereft of technological advances and stability.

Overall, a fantastic read, even if the language can sometimes hamper Beckett’s description of what is an extremely deep and enjoyable world. I’ve always been a massive fan of speculative fiction as a framework to explore real-world issues, and Beckett doesn’t fail to deliver.

3/5 Rehana Badat

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Hark! A Vagrant Kate Beaton

Though some might criticize her art for being ‘plain’ or ‘sketchy’, I think her style lends a bit of charm and individuality to her comics. Since the bursting popularity of one of her strips (you know the one. ‘Oh Mr. Darcy, Oh’?), her style is immediately recognisable even if one does not read her blog or comics regularly. This sort of instant identification is something that most artists try for their entire careers!

It also doesn’t take a lot of historical knowledge to enjoy her comics, but it does help you chuckle just that little bit more if you do. Beaton doesn’t only focus on history mind you; trends, classic novels and situational scenarios in history are also poked at, providing more than satisfying results.

I am most certainly a fan, if it hasn’t already been made apparent.

5/5 Audrey Miller

Books Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean Justin Somper

Jaybird Lauri Ahonen Jaakko Ahonen

Vampirates is set in the future, a mere 492 years from now, where technology has dwindled and pirates reign once again. Settled in to a cozy town, live a set of twins called Connor and Grace Tempest.

I don’t often buy physical graphic novels. Unless it’s been illustrated by a particularly favourite artist, or it’s part of a rare print run, I’m quite happy to read it maybe once online for the story and move on.

After a massive storm hits the town, they find themselves in a grand adventure surrounded by Pirates and the Undead.

Jaybird, illustrated by Lauri Ahonen, and masterfully written by his brother Jaako, is not one of those books.

Jaybird tells the story of a little jaybird that lives seemingly all alone in a big house with his mother.

The best part about Vampirates is the setting. The moment you realize that it’s set in the future, despite the fact that all the technologies make it feel like the past is great.

The wording throughout the book immediately helps to establish the scene within your mind. That is what bought me wanting to read on to the next page, the connection you clasp with the context and characters.

The book is interesting in that it alternates between the point of view of both Connor and Grace, making the story feel more real and well-rounded.

I’ll be honest though, I tended to skip Connors characters since I found Grace’s story more interesting then Connor’s. My favourite character however was Lorcan, as he fulfilled the role of an undead pirate perfectly.

Overall, It pulls you in from the first chapter until the last with its’ twists and turns of two different paths for two comparable people. It’s main demographic is directed towards young adults, but this is a suitable read for any who enjoy adventure.

4/5 Review by Merinda Blakemore

He is a good little bird, keeping the house clean and caring for his bedridden parent – until he meets a spider and discovers a terrible secret.

I really can’t do justice to the story of this book without talking about just how much the incredibly atmospheric nature of the artwork contributes to the story.

The story unfolds in mostly silent panels – you never find out the jaybirds real name, or the series of events that brought he and his mother to live in this terrible decaying house – but Lauri has managed to pack so much narrative and emotion into every page that when someone does finally speak, it feels as unnatural and out of place as a voice in an abandoned house should.

For those unwilling to drop fourty dollars on this beautifully illustrated book, the good news is you can read the first sixty pages online for free.

The bad news is that by the end of it, you will definitely be spending fourty dollars.

4.5/5 Review by Rehana Badat

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Film Runner Runner

This film is not as intelligent as it thinks it is. It seems that the producers intended to create something intelligent, but Runner Runner is a textbook sex-money-thriller, with a spot of online gambling thrown in to keep it interesting.

The film stars Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck, who have to make money somehow I suppose, but the best line in the film is reserved for the token-black-FBI agent, played unremarkably by Anthony Mackie who said: “That’s what you say to someone who is stupid. Do you think I’m stupid?”

1. Runner Runner 2. Gravity

The film’s female characters deserve attention, not for their acting but the way they’re shamelessly draped across every scene, like a bikini stretched over a pair of perky, artificially enhanced tits, just to remind everyone watching that it’s a man’s world at the top.

Runner Runner falls into the rapidly growing category of post-GFC films attempting to relate to the millions of Americans left unemployed and out on their asses. The Lehman Brothers went all in with their savings and lost, yet it does nothing but rehash the embarrassingly outdated idea that anyone with a few brains and determination can ‘make it in America’.

‘Making it’ in this fucked economy is hard enough without wasting any of your time on this worthless mind slop.

Save your money, Runner Runner is a losing bet.

2/10

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Review by Luke Pegrum

Gravity

The opening shots of the Earth suspended in space filled me with absolute wonder and amazement. The film is magically shot, using continuous tracking shots and first-person shots of Bullock and Clooney to give you the experience of reality in space. The visuals work so perfectly together, hand-in-hand with the cinematography, in a way that echoes the styles of Inception and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The realistic use of showing space shots without sound, only music, the minimal dialogue, the extensive tracking shots and the thrilling suspense that builds from a glacial pace reminded me so much of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I simply loved the last few scenes. As the character (who shall remain nameless due to spoilers) rises from the sea, this echoes the idea of human evolution, rising from the water to grow legs and walk. The character is light-footed and becomes a new person; evolved from their time in space, now forced to cope with Earth’s gravity.

Gravity is truly a beautiful film. Its beauty not only stems from the masterpiece visuals and commendable performances, but from its eerie music that builds so much heart-stopping intensity and suspense. I am glad that Gravity joins the ranks of such space classics as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Moon and Apollo 13, and it only heightens my expectations for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014) 10/10 Review by Christopher Spencer

Film 2 Guns

2 Guns begins as the usual ‘bank robber fare’ and, for the first ten minutes or so, is rather predictable. Two guys plan to steal the stash of a local drug lord. Things go quickly awry when the money they steal is much more than expected and, worse still, belongs to a very shady and dangerous character - much worse than any ruthless drug lord.

This is not the only surprise with the revelation that the two would-be robbers are not what they seem to be: Bobby Trench (Denzel Washington) is an undercover cop while Marcus ‘Stig’ Stigman (Mark Wahlberg) is suspended naval intelligence officer, each unaware of the other’s true identity until their plan becomes unstuck.

There ensues plenty of action: shoot-outs, killings and explosions – an inevitable aspect of films on organized crime. Wahlberg effectively plays the young, smug serviceman with the macho swagger and constantly chewing gum. Denzel Washington is the mature cop who effectively acts the crim. They both work well together through numerous twists and turns from one close-shave to another. Impressive location photography, fast paced action, crisp dialogue and elaborate plot are pluses.

More than once the plot stretches credibility but this is inevitable in a film driven by its suspense and action sequences. For action and violent crime fans but with a twist: nearly all the cops are crooked and the robbers are straight. We’ve seen this before but not with so much bang, bang, boom!!!

7/10 Review by Andrew Douglas

Prisoners Prisoners is a film that faces every parent’s worst nightmare and then plunges deeper into the dark moral abyss of what is right and wrong when your child’s life is on the line.

After his daughter and her friend are kidnapped on Thanksgiving, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) takes the law into his own hands, desperate to find them while Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhall) follows multiple leads, trying to convince Dover to trust the system to get the girls back.

Jackman delivers a heart wrenchingly powerful performance as a father willing to do anything that he can justify to make sure that he finds his daughter alive, while Gyllenhall is in fine form as the weary detective, torn between his personal feelings and the law. Their performances should see both get the nod when Oscar nominations come out.

Denis Villeneuve’s follow up to the 2011 Oscar Nominated Incendies is at times slow moving but the suffocation felt in every frame as time is running out is enough to keep you fixated, for fear of missing out on the final piece to solve the puzzle and finding the girls.

Metallica: Through the Never 3D films are the latest craze sweeping through cinemas and have caused an influx in musicians turning concerts into massive Imax experiences. It was only a matter of time before one of the biggest metal bands in the world, Metallica, jumped on the bandwagon, combining a soldout concert in Vancouver with a surreal adventure.

Metallica Through the Never, directed by Nimród Antal (Predators), follows a young roadie named Trip (Dane DeHaan) as he is sent on an urgent mission to retrieve an important prop for the Metallica show. But what seems like an easy task turns into a horrific, drug-induced expedition as Trip comes face-to-face with rioters, masked horsemen and lynchings.

What happens at the concert directly affects Trip’s adventure, and vice versa, creating an incredibly symbolic experience that is enhanced by the 3D. It felt like I was front row at the concert and half expected to find a merchandise stand outside the cinema.

However by the end of the film you’re left feeling used and abused as the misadventures of Trip fails to come to any really climax, leaving you with more questions than answers.

Prisoners is like Taken, if Taken was written by adults for adults. This is a horror movie for parents and a thriller for everyone else watching, that will leave mums and dads calling the baby sitter to make sure their kids are safe as they exit the cinema.

Whilst the concept is interesting, Metallica are such a strong band live they could easily have shown an hour and a half of their spectacular performance, which featured collapsing statues, giant coffins and electricity sparking through the air.

One of the best films of the year that thoroughly deserves all of the buzz it has received.

9/10

Metallica Through the Never will definitely appeal to diehard fans, however it’s definitely worth seeing for the dazzling clarity of the 3D and the intricate mixture of a live performance and obscure narrative.

Review by Taylor Hunt

7/10 Review by Francesca Mann

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Games State of Play “The Price of Next-Gen” I’m not going to lie – I’m as giddy as a school girl to get those next-gen consoles in front of my TV. I’ve already made a space for them, cleaned and dusted, awaiting their imminent arrival this November.

I have been known to get swept up in hype, and even being aware that I am being sucked into its mightily embrace, I gladly submit to the whirling and passionate frenzy that only a brand new generation if gaming goodness can provide.

They are superior in every way to the current systems, both in hardware and functionality, and are without question the cheapest generation we have seen in over a decade – what could possibly be bad about that, right?

But there is a dark side to all this – a side we don’t often see as consumers, but I have been aware of as a watcher of the wider arcs of gaming for the last 20 years: there are those who must suffer for our pleasure.

In October 2012, only a month before the launch of Nintendo’s new Wii U console, there were allegations made by various individual both directly and indirectly involved in its manufacture – these allegations were not something to be taken lightly: the new Nintendo console was being built through child labour.

The company responsible for these alleged, and since proven, acts of gross misconduct was Foxconn, an international producer of electronics known the world over for both getting results and keeping their prices for manufacturing low. We all like low prices, because why would we not? The cost, however, was being paid in innocence.

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Nintendo, upon finding such allegations to be proven correct, immediately sent in their own inspectors to verify the production procedures and stopping any further such violations, but the damage had already been done – the consoles were due to come out in November and the vast majority had already been constructed by tiny, untrained hands.

This shameful event sadly never reached wide-stream media publication, with articles outside gaming publications not being seen or heard, so the Wii U launched and the consoles (with their low-low price tag) began to sell.

You would think that the gaming industry, Nintendo specifically, would have done a little more research – if they had bothered to even google the company they were getting in bed with they would have realised that only 2 years earlier a sudden rash of suicides occurred at the very same factories owned by Foxconn: more than 20 people gave their lives, throwing themselves from the top of the building, simply to attract the attention of a world-wide media that up until this point simply did not seem to care.

Having been described as “forced labour camps” by various Chinese free press affiliates, it was surprising to all to learn that a company like Nintendo could be involved – more surprising still, however, is a recent revelation that Sony, makers of the PlayStation, have now been linked to the very same factories in the production of the PS4.

Sources began to circulate in early October that local university students, specifically but not limited to the Xian Institute of Technology in China, had been drafted into factory line operations as a part of their “curriculum” – this “in the field training” being made mandatory, to which those who refused were expelled, or had their grades redacted from government records.

These students, all training to work in IT professions, were required to spend up to 16 hours a day (and sometimes working overtime or nightshifts on top of that) building PlayStation 4 consoles.

How did this travesty take place? How did it come to this, yet again, in the very same factories owned by the very same company that caused so many problems just two years prior? How exactly did Sony not see the serious, and egregious, PR problems that would come from such a deal being brokered and, more importantly, how did they intend to overlook the human cost in this consoles production?

Unfortunately there are no answers to give. The official Sony party line is that the Foxconn facilities, at time of inspection, conformed to all necessary statues and standards required by Sony’s international production requirements. The official word from Foxconn being that the students were “asked, not forced, to perform extracurricular activities” and get “real life experience with gaming systems” which is a laughably thin veil to throw over government mandated threats to student’s education and future career prospects.

The worst that has happened, you say? Foxconn received a fine: a small slap on the wrist for being a naughty company doing a naughty thing. Yet again, and conveniently enough, the damage has already been done. Almost all the shipments of the PS4 have already been smelted, coded, assembled and shipped - just in time for Christmas.

You aren’t paying the premium price for the next generation console, this year’s end – but someone else is.

Words by Aron Shick

Games Diablo 3 – console re-release

Grand Theft Auto 5

Platform: Previously PC exclusive; now includes 360 and PS3

Platform: 360 and PS3 (PC port expected 2014)

Blizzard Entertainment is known for making games that last generations: World of Warcraft has endured for almost a decade since its inception and Starcraft has existed in one incarnation or another for longer still, but Diablo and its dark fantasy aesthetic was always the property that caught my attention.

The developers at Rockstar work on their own schedule. Every new iteration since GTA 3 has seen open world environments become more brazen, more extensive and more interactive. Countless “top 10” lists contain at least one, if not several, GTA titles from the years gone by – GTA V is a welcome addition to the legacy.

In this third instalment of the previously PC only franchise, you play as one of the 5 would-be heroes attempting to rid the world of the ancient evil that is Diablo, Lord of Terror, once and for all. Being the “hero” in this game means you’re going to be hacking your way through thousands of demons and otherworldly horrors in a never ending quest for bigger and better loot while perusing your foe.

You play as Michael, a retired bank robber with family problems and a receding hairline. You also play as Franklin, a small time hustler looking to make it big in the world of organised crime. Lastly you play as Trevor, an unrepentant redneck with a chip on both shoulders and just a touch of psychotic rage – you play all of these “heroes” both separately and together, helping each other with heists, emotional housewives, stalking celebrities and making huge cash as career criminals in the fictional city of Los Santos.

This game is, first and foremost, an RPG: you kill stuff, you get experience, you find a shiny sword, you level up, you select new skills, and you kill bigger stuff. If you’re a fan of this style of hack and slash, dungeon crawling experience then it’s definitely something you’ll be into.

The thing that defines this title, like many others from an earlier era of gaming when the PS2 and Xbox vied for dominance, is that the perspective is constantly fixed at about 45 degrees – this fixed perspective, isometric viewpoint harkens back to a time when the systems available simply did not have the processing power to “show it all” at once and if you ever played titles like the console only Baldurs Gate or Champions of Norrath (or even Gauntlet) titles, then you’ll be right at home.

The things that GTA series has done time and time again is improve of tried and true formulas. You may not be shocked by the mission structure, or the constant car thievery (as the name might imply) or even the way the story plays out, but damn is it one tightly crafted experience – everything about this iteration is polished to a mirror shine.

Movement, shooting, driving and even simple character animation have all been brought up to par with next-gen standards and allow you a real sense of freedom and momentum and you careen around the vast cityscape or countryside.

Having a renewed life on the consoles means the controls are a bit different than PC, and I was sceptical at first, but they work surprisingly well: the movement is smooth and the addition of a dodge roll really helps the sense of control that was always lacking on the PC.

The character interactions, especially the dialogue between the protagonists, are some of the best I have ever seen in any GTA to date and are a true joy to behold, especially some of Trevor’s “unique perspectives on the many difficult situations the ad-hoc crew find themselves in!

One issue that has come up with the port is an extremely clunky inventory system.

This is possibly the worst design choice of the transfer, causing a lot of undue frustration.

The story, which has traditionally been on the backburner for other GTA’s, is definitely a stronger focus this time around. There are moments of real intrigue and insight into the complex relationships these characters form, providing honest context for their constantly escalating escapades.

Overall this is a pretty solid port: If you played on PC this is essentially the same but with 4 player co-op, so if you want some multiplayer action, I highly recommend Diablo 3 for consoles!

8.5 Ancient Evils out of 10 Words By Aron Shick

The online experience, while having seen a less than stellar beginning with constant dropouts from server strain, is about as close to multiplayer heist perfection as I have ever seen.

The graphics are phenomenal, the sound direction is right on point and it plays better than anything else in the series – absolute must buy!

9.5 Smooth Criminals out of 10

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Music

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Brendan Maclean

Music In your own words, who the hell are you (and why are you a “slashy”)?

I’m a glorious stripper unicorn. But that’s in my own words. In regular people words I call myself a performer - think Noel Coward. I think it’s sad we’ve got to a point where a person who sings can’t also have a political opinion or act and also present a music show is “too much” for our industry to work with.

You kicked off a successful Pozible campaign at the start of the year to fund the production and distribution of a new album. Why’d you decide to go down the crowd-funding route specifically, and what have been the pros and cons of running that campaign?

I haven’t told anyone this before, but basically I got fucked over by a studio and lost all my money.

Without Pozible and the generosity of fans (still feels awkward to call anyone that) I wouldn’t have released anything at al this year.

It’s a trip, that’s for sure, to think people care about you enough to hand over their cash before you have a product is bonkers. But there is pressure, for sure. Also the administrative side of mailing twenty different prizes to 450 people has been very complicated, I wasn’t ready for that.

You’ve recently released “Winner”, the second single from the new album and it’s gotten a lot of buzz online alongside “Stupid”. A few years ago you wrote about the acute pain of reading a note that was left for you after a live gig describing your performance as tepid and superficial (ouch). The first review on your iTune pages specifically praises you for being “not gimmicky”.

How do you weight the relative value of criticism, and how do you handle the ego-bruising of being a performer?

It’s good to be taken down a peg early, you learn to value praise by observing criticism. It’s easy to be bruised by a bad review, but it’s surprisingly hard to be anything more than relieved by a good one. So I’ve taught myself to try to be equally inflated by the positive as I am deflated by the negative.

But then again, just because you found one or two okay lines in a review doesn’t mean the gig is always good. You shouldn’t trick yourself.

Sidebar: Stupid is one of my favourite songs this year. For me it was part of the soundtrack to processing having unrequited feelings for another boy. For a friend of mine it was the background to being drunk and playing the ukulele after a breaking up with his girlfriend. What’s the story behind the song?

For me it was a song about falling for a friend. That impossible position where you could ruin the already beautiful relationship by pushing it further, but if you don’t... well you’ll just go on staring at them across the room.

You have a very strong camp aesthetic in your performances and you really ‘own’ your sexuality and your politics. Are you a gay-artist or an artist who is gay? (Or maybe that’s a false dichotomy).

Out of respect for other gay artists, I stopped calling myself a “gay artist.” You’re right though, my music is camp. But look at Nathan from Faker, that’s some pretty “dude” sounding tunes there. I’m a musician but I’m not going to deny that I am a giant flamer, but I make fucking great songs that straight guys can rock out to. Everybody is invited to the party.

Can we talk about the ARIAs for a moment? You got a bit of heat on Twitter for criticising the ARIAs the other day. Would you mind elaborating on your thoughts about the awards?

The ARIAs is such a flaccid penis of an awards ceremony. Are you kidding me, ZERO woman in the Band of The Year or Album of The Year. Give me a break. It’s an industry circle-jerk - there is nothing legitimate about it at all.

I’m really curious to know how you managed to go from writing music reviews on Triple J as a member of the public to becoming a presenter for the next six years. Also, what’s the deal with getting air-play as an ex-employee?

Well I wrote a lot. Like, too many. Five a day for about six months. I think they just desperately wanted me to stop so they invited me to co-host a take five and I guess I did an alright job. As for the deal with getting air-play, I’ll let you know when they start playing any of my songs!

You’ve retired from Triple J and moved to Melbourne. What are your plans for tomorrow, for next year and in five years’ time?

Tomorrow I’m moving my mattress into the house. Next year my album will come out for to no response here, then I’ll go overseas and people will enjoy it then in five years I’ll come back and release exactly the same album and it’ll be a hit.

Final question! Like most people working in a creative industry you’ve worked ad hoc; freelance writer, periodic actor (appearing in Gatsby as “the guy with the Skrillex hair” according to my neighbour), radio host, and musician... What advice do you have for anyone just embarking on their own journey of being a creative type in the real world? What advice did you find the most useful?

It’s a cliche, but just don’t try to be cool. Nobody wants cool and what is cool now won’t be cool when you work out how to do whatever thing you think you should be doing. You have to gamble your work - put it out there and you will be respected for doing your thing. Trust me, even if it’s not a success yet, you’ll be much prouder for being you than an average version of James Blake.

Thanks Brendan!

Welcome!

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