Sight & Sound

Australia's answer to music conferences like South By South West and CMJ in the US, BIGSOUND marks its 12th year this year with the addition of the inaugural Music+Design program. Alongside the live performances and talks featuring musicians and industry leaders, Romy Willing, the curator of BIGSOUND Music+Design says the new program aims to strengthen the connections and explore the intersections between music and design. No man better represents that collaboration than Vello Virkhaus, Creative Director and CEO of V Squared Labs, who will be delivering a keynote presentation at the event. Building on years spent in the underground EDM scene of the '90s, Virkhaus' unique combination of art, technology and music have now put him at the forefront of experiential production. As downloads replace tangible units and the focus for artists returns to the live experience of music, Virkhaus has been at the helm of this generation's answer to the arena shows of the '70s. “That's what we like to do, experience design. The music business and the video art business have become linked up again in collaboration; they fall in and out of love with each other. For myself, it's been more of an extended dating relationship,” jokes Virkhaus.

With V Squared, Virkhaus has been the brains behind Skrillex's futuristic party pirate ship, the lights in Coldplay's Speed Of Sound clip, and the Sahara Tent at Coachella. These productions have seen conferences around the world extend invitations to Virkhaus, whose own apprenticeship in underground movements has instilled an appreciation of the grassroots of the culture. “I've always wanted to go to Sonar [in Barcelona]; there's always places to tick off the list, but now to have the chance to go to Australia... Worldwide, it's a smaller community in experimental, or experiential music-based visual art. So it's fun. It's an adventure. I know there's a big DJ community in Australia and a big visual arts community,” Virkhaus, who has been preparing for his trip by scoping out like-minded local artists, explains. “It's a combination of adventure, curiosity and just presenting what we do to a new audience that gets me excited for these events.” Other keynote presentations include Nick Cave, interviewed by Julia Zemiro via satellite, and legendary graphic designer and Underworld VJ, John Warwicker, co-founder of multi-disciplinary creative studio Tomato. Elswhere on the program, representatives from Vice, Debaser design studio, Harpers BAZAAR Arabia and a host of other creatives will discuss everything from designing video clips to the benefits of DIY approaches and the creative freedoms afforded artists in the digital age.