A Conversation With Bello & Shem

Live from the rhyme scene

With their murder mystery hip hop concept album poised to spin heads and spill guts, Bello & Shem have kindly agreed to sit down with me as their offhand personae, the fictionalised version of themselves, to discuss the record release. Their last full-length saw them trapped in a pocket dimension. This time, they’re just plain out-of-pocket.

It’s a rainy night in London, and I’m tucked away in a dim, private corner of The Red Herring public house opposite Shem — one half of the independent British-Australian duo. He is nursing a pint of Guinness, appearing alternately sloshed and alert depending on who’s speaking (no comment), and looking intently at a grainy video image of Bello radiating from a crusty iPad. Why isn’t he here in person? Why a Halloween release date? Has Shem finally found the right microphone for him? — Is it possible to start almost every response with ‘yeah…’? It’s all very high-concept, you probably wouldn’t get it…

Still, I persist.

— In the spirit of Halloween the illusory duo have opted to take the interview in-character, so please plant your tongue firmly in your cheek, and hover your hand over your pearls before continuing —

Thank you both so much for taking the time to sit down with me so close to release day, I know you’re both very busy. So, a murder mystery album. Whose idea was that?

S: Look mate, the thing you gotta realise is, we don’t plan any of this bollocks out. Being trapped in a pocket dimension might sound cute, but that shit actually happened, like, if it wasn’t for that muggy angel, like, resetting everyone [a callback to their previous album’s lore] after things went down you’d have to remember the horrors of that apocalypse as well you know?

So anyway, I says to Bello, I says, ‘nobody likes fucking concept albums and everybody said we went woke doing The Feels EP so we need to go back to being gangster again’, you know? So basically, I booked us into a hotel, in the penthouse suite, and we were gonna party and write an album of bangers. That was the plan…

B: I just do what Shem tells me to do, mate. Otherwise, I get the whip.

Oh, so it was more a product of circumstance. You mentioned The Feels EP, which was itself something of a departure. Was it necessary to adapt your usual style for this record too?

S: You could say that. Me and Bello had never actually met before we were teleported into and subsequently trapped in a pocket dimension together, which obviously caused a shift in sound from the first more ‘banger-oriented’ EPs, our Cornetto Trilogy. So yes, that first change to horrorcore was certainly circumstantial.

Then, of course, in trying to recapture our prime ‘banger’ sound when we met for a second time we ended up in a played out, stereotypical, murder mystery in an old English hotel, so obviously that necessitated a more trip-hop-infused style. Also Bello found a button that made some trumpet sound effects — that really helped, especially on the final track.

Oh, and in relation to The Feels EP, Bello wrote some songs that sounded sad and I thought we might be able to cash in on these kids who listen to sad boy rap now so we gave it a crack.

B: Yeah, to be honest if I’d found the trumpet effects earlier The Feels EP would’ve been much more upbeat.

There’s a versatility in the shifting vibes of your discography, but the irreverence has remained largely intact. Would you say The Grand Elegance Hotel is the most representative of who you are as artists?

S: Um, no. Not really, mate. It’s mostly a load of rubbish to be honest. Bello and Shem are about making bangers, as I’ve stated, but we keep getting in these situations whenever we try and write an album. It’s really annoying, to be honest. This album started well with ‘Penthouse’ but the thing about Bello is he makes beats to suit whatever the vibe is at the time — he’s very empathic you know? Also, he loves it when I do hooks even though I keep telling him I can’t really sing, I’m no good at it. But he’s very persuasive, offering me all kinds of shit to do hooks for him — so yeah, there are some hooks too. Yeah no, this is not the album I wanted to make at all, but yeah it’s maybe good to some people… you’ll have to listen, innit?

B: Yeah, I’m always asking Shem to write hooks because I’m hoping we go viral and I can finally make some fucking money off this shit.

I’m like a fish — I love Shem’s hooks being nestled in my mouth.

Speaking of hooks, one really caught my ear. “Have You Ever Felt Dead” stands out — it leans into a cloud rap sound that feels distinct from your usual style, even in the context of the record. Was that a conscious stylistic choice, or did it emerge naturally from the tone of the concept?

S: Yeah so you probably noticed on that one there was a very melancholic, doomed feel. The song is called, “Have You Ever Felt Dead?” because like I said, Bello always makes beats about how he feels and we both felt dead because of the events on the preceding song. This album, like our first one, is entirely autobiographical, but there is of course an irony to us calling the song that, given what happened next… total coincidence though, yeah.

B: …oh yeah! With the dead body found in the very next song, yeah! I never thought of that. We have so many layers. Damn. Crazy.

Well, overall the production on this project feels like a big step up from your first full-length — there are more atmospheric touches that fit the concept, along with tighter beats and more varied flows. Would you credit that growth to maturity, the bizarre experience, or was there something else behind it?

S: Oh yeah, that’s an easy one: I bought a new microphone. Led to a bit of friction between me and Bello, sadly, because I, you know, spent all of my money from the first album and The Feels EP on it, but you’ll hear about that on Part I of the new album. We’ve always had the flows; it’s just easier to hear them now.

B: Yeah, on the flipside, my microphone actually broke just before recording and Shem wouldn’t let me use his. So, actually my bars sound worse than on the last album, but in terms of production I found a few new buttons like the trumpet one and I’ve been really happy with the results. Hopefully, this album makes enough that Shem will let me buy a new mic as well, or it’s back to the old street corner for me.

That’s reasonable, you have to spend money to make money. Do you think that’s the answer to commercial success — and should other underappreciated acts take note and consider replacing their mics?

S: Yeah, definitely. I’m not really an audiophile or anything, but it sounds well better now with the new mic. What’s the point in having bars if they aren’t getting heard properly?

Quite. So, fresh mic in hand, the decision has been made to release The Grand Elegance Hotel in two parts — another first for the two of you. Why?

S: Well, this is kind of the problem when you have a story; it’s difficult to choose a single to release because the songs are all part of a whole. So, instead of choosing a single track we’re releasing it in two parts. I expect the two-week gap to be filled with frenzied theories and media debate about what’s to come in Part II, you know, similar to the ‘Who Killed Laura Palmer’ craze in Twin Peaks. That’s why we didn’t leave the gap too long, like, because I think people will be desperate to hear Part II.

B: Yeah, definitely a bit like how when I watched Sharknado I was desperate to see the next one because the plot was so intriguing and intricate and the effects really made me feel like I was watching a documentary. Those are some rich movies, you know? You seen ’em?

I have not.

B: Mate, you got to. There’s six of ’em, all masterpieces.

Lofty aspirations all around then. The forums will undoubtedly be ablaze in the interval between releases; are there clues peppered throughout Part I that the wily may be able to decipher? Can we expect a Fire Talk With Me full-length prequel at some point?

S: Good question. The answer is, ‘no, absolutely not’. We wrote it as it was happening and didn’t have a clue what the fuck was going on or who did it. Well, until we knew.

B: Yeah, you have to remember we don’t plan any of this shit out. Things happen to us, then I sit down and make some noises in GarageBand that feel like how I’m feeling, and then we rap over it and that’s the song. That’s our process.

Was the Halloween release date selected to keep with the theme?

S: Another good question. No. It was a complete coincidence. We don’t care about any of that stuff. Much like how our first album was released on Friday the 13th — that’s just when it was ready.

Very convenient timing then. Well, bizarre as the experience must have been, had you not found yourselves in the hotel together the album would not have materialised. Do you sometimes feel lucky to consistently encounter such outlandish situations for that reason, or does it get exhausting?

S: No, being accused of murder is lame as fuck to be honest, but I’ll let you off asking that question as you’ve only heard five tracks.

B: Mate, you’re spoiling the record.

S: Mate, Part I’s out already, they can see where it’s going. But anyway, next time we’re just going to book a studio, no concepts, no stories or gimmicks. We’re just gonna write jams. The album is gonna be called Only Jams.

B: We will be using Only Jams to promote my new website coming shortly, OnlyDans.

…and if you’re subject to another multidimensional mishap?

B: Yeah, like I said, you can’t plan these things. Or at least, we don’t plan these things, so who the fuck knows what the next album will be? The plan is to make bangers but that was also the plan here and we ended up on some murder mystery bullshit.

Outside of the themes, which are assuredly your own, are there any artists that have had an influence on your rapping style / choice of beats? If not, who do you admire?

S: Yeah, personally I love the kind of shit you get in that UK boom-bap-inspired scene. You got Lee Scott with Blah! Records constantly churning out incredible stuff — so consistent — especially the Cult of the Damned albums; they’re classics to me. I also love Jam Baxter’s recent output with Fetch The Poison, the Granuja collab, and the Dead Players reunion album. All sick.

B: Bliss n Eso are the greatest musical act of all time.

Interesting choices, I can certainly see some of the influence of those acts in your music. Do you try to market your music toward that fanbase, or would you prefer to be recognised on your own terms first?

B: Nah, we don’t know what we’re doing with any of that stuff. We just want people to listen — loads. And hopefully make some money.

S: Yeah I don’t think there’s really anyone doing what we’re doing anyway cuz I don’t think anybody else has been trapped in pocket dimensions or accused of murder. Or at least if they have, I don’t think they’ve rapped about it.

Haven’t there been quite a few hip hop artists accused of murder who have incorporated those themes into their music?

S: Yeah, but not at The Grand Elegance hotel.

I suppose that’s true. I’ve also been noticing a more aggressive marketing push with this album specifically, has it been paying off?

B: Yeah, well, I really need to make some money from this.

S: Yeah, it’s got nothing to do with me, I don’t even own a computer. I do have a phone though, so I’ve been doing a more covert approach. I’ve been setting up Tinder profiles all over the country because single people are more likely to have time to jam our music, as well as more money to spend. Theoretically. So yeah, I’ve been targeting people with fake dating profiles.

More power to both of you, hopefully this is the album that nets you success on a wider scale. I’ve heard a whisper about a potential album or EP of collaborations, which would certainly expose you to a broader audience. Is that still going ahead?

S: Wow, you’ve got your ear to the ground, fair play. Um, no, I’m not sure it is. I’ll rap on anything if there’s a chance of getting paid, but yeah, nothing’s come up yet. But never say never innit.

B: Yeah, I probably won’t be on it anyway because Shem keeps me too busy — demanding new beats, asking for mix changes all the time…

I must say, the dynamic between the two of you is quite fascinating. To get into the roots of Bello & Shem as artists, how did you meet?

S: Well, I was releasing some solo stuff but the beats were really shit cuz, like I said, I don’t have a computer. Then Bello heard me and got in touch and was like, ‘’ere have a go on this’, and his beat was sick and we haven’t looked back.

B: Yeah, I definitely thought I was more likely to make some money linking up with a Pommie because hip hop is more popular there than in Aus. Maybe I should’ve found an American in hindsight.

Definitely true, although you do seem to have garnered a following in the UK. Is touring an ambition?

S: Yeah, we have a few listeners, which is nice, but yeah, never say never. Although it would take a big offer to get Bello to leave Aus…

B: Yeah, it’s true, it would take literally hundreds of dollars and I don’t think anyone is willing to pay that kind of money.

Well, with a bit of luck on this album, you never know — in many ways it feels like it fills a niche the rap game didn’t know needed filling. Do you worry that your approach to hip hop may not be taken seriously?

S: Yeah, we like to joke and punchlines are important in hip hop generally in my opinion, but I think the beats and delivery speak for themselves. We’re serious about what we do and of course, the subject matter of our two LPs are no joke.

B: Yeah also people seem to think I’m joking about loving mums, but I’m really not. I take that very seriously too.

As well you should. With the self-seriousness of hip hop in the modern age it’s certainly refreshing to encounter an act that puts humour very much at the forefront. That said, is there any overall meaning running through this record?

S: Yeah, actually there’s a really serious message we’re trying to get across which definitely comes out in the song “A Problem Halved”. We really hope everyone takes it on board, and people understand they shouldn’t be a knob.

B: Yeah, don’t be a knob man. It’s that simple.

Nice to see you both taking a firm stance on social issues. You’ve also chosen to remain anonymous as a group, which could be tricky to maintain if touring becomes an option. Was that decision made for practical reasons, and do you think it might create challenges as your popularity grows?

S: I quite like anonymity, I think it adds an air of mystery and we’re not in this for fame. We just want to make music. I also thought that Bello was making the art and it wasn’t AI — so that was disappointing to learn.

B: Yeah, I dunno why Shem thought I was some kind of artist — I just used AI because he wanted to be mysterious or whatever and AI is free.

It’s 21:26, and Part I will be releasing in less than 24 hours. What are your plans for the rest of the night?

S: Yeah, we’re gonna get shitfaced and you’re gonna pay mate, it’s gonna be sick.

B: It’s 08:30am here, but yeah I’m gonna have a shower and then smash a few breakfast beers and see where Saturday takes me.

Any parting words for our subscribers?

S: Do you have a lot of subscribers? It would be really good if more people listened to our stuff.

B: Yeah, please listen to our album and tell all your friends to put it on playlists and shit, yeah.

S: Oh yeah, that’s a good point, yeah, playlists that other people listen to.

B: Yeah, like even if you don’t like it that much, just force it on other people.

S: Yeah, exactly, streams are money innit. Those sixteenths of a penny add up.

B: Yeah, and mums are expensive and hot.

Stream Bello & Shem’s new album The Grand Elegance Hotel Part I here: Spotify