OLIVIA J. BENNETT


Hello! I’m an arts writer, researcher and critic based in Brisbane, Australia. 

I've reviewed and written about art, film, music, and digital culture in Australian and international publications. I’ve also played a pivotal role in the programming, digital production, and successful delivery of numerous projects within Australia’s film and music industry.

I'm fascinated by how global trends intertwine with personal stories, revealing the impact of cultural issues on our daily lives. In my work, I prefer to experiment with non-linear storytelling, multiple perspectives, and mixed media to capture the intricacy of modern cultural tensions.

I’ve been honoured to participate in Gertrude Contemporary’s Emerging Writers Program and the Melbourne International Film Festival’s Critics Campus.

I'm also a freelance copywriter, content writer, and strategist whose work is driven by principles of complexity and interconnectedness.

With five years of freelancing, three years in agency environments, and two years navigating Melbourne's strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, I've faced real tests of resilience and adaptability in my career. This experience has enriched my ability to develop copywriting, content, and strategy for various sectors, including tech, health, lifestyle, retail, design, construction, hospitality and (of course) the arts.

I completed a Bachelor of Art History and Curating at Monash University, majoring in Film Studies. For my BA Honours thesis in Screen and Cultural Studies at Melbourne University, I argued that the documentary films of Harvard University’s Sensory Ethnography Lab are hyperobjects. Applying Timothy Morton’s concept through poetics, I explored their capacity to provoke a transgressive experience of ecological thought and feeling.

On a personal note, I'm on track to pass the DELF B2 French exam in 2025, and I am currently working on launching new business ventures that will further leverage my expertise and passions.

Souhaitez-moi bonne chance!

BLACK METAL 2

Dean Blunt




Seven years after the success of Black Metal, Dean Blunt's follow-up Black Metal 2 offers further insight into the enigmatic London-based artist's mutable, scattered sound. His songs plunge into discomfort and modern malaise, with stark lyrics on grief, addiction, love and selfhood. Despite singing exclusively in a despondent monotone, Blunt manages to capture a wide spectrum of emotions on Black Metal 2. Moments of frankness and dark theatricalism - like 'MUGU’ and 'LA RAZA' - recall the horror-indebted songs of Memphis hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia. On 'SKETAMINE', Blunt evokes the beach scene in Albert Camus' existentialist masterpiece The Stranger, with a staggered narrative ("Girl, come see what's up/With a gun on the beach/If you see what I mean") accompanied by hazy harmonica, strings and guitars. By resisting categorisation, the album, through both lyric and sound, becomes an exercise in accepting the infinite meaning and, therefore, meaninglessness of all things.