DIY Cyber-accessories... and the dangers of filthy computers!

Today I worked on my latest DIY project. I've had access to a bunch of old computers and circuits, knowing that they're the best resource for finding cool little parts to add to cyber clothing and accessories. I put some circuits onto a pair of goggles that I bought cheap at a market recently. The goggles weren't anything special, I didn't like the colour, so thought I would make some additional changes.

Here are the goggles, being modelled by my good friend Elsie (my first DIY fashion sale, too!). What do you think?

Anyway, this post isn't exactly about the goggles, but the other horrors we found inside the old computers. Going through old hardware can be fun but it doesn't come without some nasty surprises. . Maybe you should just see for yourself. Here are the pics from when I opened the first PC box a few days ago...

 

The computer was from a high school that was refurbishing one of its IT rooms with new gear, and I was able to get some extra gear that would otherwise be chucked in the dumpster. Maybe it should have stayed there. My friend Ken (who works in the IT department at the school) promised me I could take all I wanted. I did, and I got more than I bargained for...

By now I was coughing and sneezing because of the dust. Also, the smell was beyond belief. It smelled like a cross between singed human hair and a gravel pit. The worst part was the fluff on the fan, as if the computer had a life of it's own, and that organic lifeforms were infesting on its insides, becoming one with the computer!

Here's the front panel, right after I took it off. What the hell were they doing with these computers?! 

 

Well, I walked away with a few cool pieces but mostly I was put off by what I had seen. Man, I love making my own cyber gear but that was almost too much for me, so I think I'll let others do the hard work from now on. There were a few leftover pieces and I made these cute little wristbands (after I washed every usable piece thoroughly by soaking them on a tub of hot soapy water!). 

It was so gross, I thought I might wake up with robot parts growing out of me like in Testuo: The Iron man or something. Sheesh...

Will the real Cyborg please stand up?

We all know the influence cyberpunk and industrial design has on cybergoth fashion. Computer circuits, post-humanism, trans-humanism, robotics… but did you know that these mere fashion accessories just may herald the first wave of cyborgs? 

 Hot topics: dressing mechanical is a big part of the cyber goth fashion, but how long before the rest of humanity takes the next step and become the future?

I recently read about the artist and musician Neil Harbisson –the man considered by many to be the world’s first officially recognised cyborg. No, Neil does not wear artificial limbs or battery-powered prosthetics, but something far more exotic—an eyeborg! The eyeborg is a device that allows him to—get this—experience colours through soundwaves! Neil is unable to see colours as he suffers from sonochromatopsia, a condition that limits his vision to black and white. Neil wears the eyeborg frequently, and even features the piece in his official passport photo, thus deeming this technology as a legitimate mechanical extension of the human body. 

 I, Robot: Neil with his Eyeborg on.

Incredible stuff, huh. So next time you’re playing make believe and walking down the street with some cool, but ultimately fake, cybergoth head-piece, you might just bump into someone who’s the real deal. Maybe cyber goths are paving the way towards a cyber future, but sooner or later our numbers will grow as the technology progresses and the cybers you see might not be part of a subculture, but an emerging mainstream ready to plunge head-first into real life transhumanism...

 

 This ain't no dream: the eyeborg component on a quartz head

You can read more about Neil and his Eyeborg at his official website here.

PS. What do you guys think about all this? Is Neil just another Internet crackpot or does he really represent the first of a new generation? If the future's already here, what kind of robotic component will you wear? And what needs to be made commercially available next?

When Goth Fashion Fails, Part 1

Goths are a serious bunch, I know that for sure. But we do have a sense of humour, just like everyone else. Things have been getting pret-ty serious here, so let’s take this post to chill out and have a laugh at ourselves. I present to you the first (of hopefully several more to come) goth fail pics, photos that show goths might not be the fashionable freaks they make themselves out to be. Hell, everyone makes fashion faux paus once in a while, especially those on the dark side. Welcome to the circus...

We've already covered the falls and gas masks, staples of the cybergoth fashion world, but it goes without saying that a little tact can go a long way, otherwise you join the world of muppets and toilet brush heads. 

 DIY or die. But not necessarily when it means raiding Dad's backyard shed.

 This one's more of an observation than a joke, but being cyber means looking the part 24/7. Returning to the real world means you may as well hang out with those in the cancer ward.

Remember when Mother dearest used to dress you in the 'finest threads' complete with comb-over and spit-wiping your face? And how much you hated it, especially when it was in front of the school gates? Well spare a thought for the children of goths. Yep, their parents vaccuum the house to Sisters of Mercy, have blood-drinking sessions instead of Sunday afternoon BBQs, buy you your first PVC corset when you're 13 (boys not excluded) and decorate the house like it's Hallween every day. A world of white picket fences, golden retrievers and Abercrombie and Fitch is a world away, but a destination they just one day may reach.

 This is just bat-shit crazy.  Points for the effort, though.

 The Mortal Kombat's Sub Zero influence is not lost on us.

 ...and if anyone of the above examples weren't enough for you, then let me make this clear: Goth expression is limitless and can cover clothing, acessories and hell, even furniture (provided you don't do the full Ed Gein) but for Satan's sake, stay away from the god damn car!

Assorted hot pics

You might have many emos/Mall Goths stopping you to ask you where you got your clothes/shoes/hair from, and although this may seem fun, the novelty soon wears off, and it becomes annoying. This is just the price of looking amazing. - From this page. Worth a look if you need a chuckle or three. 


Hope you guys are having a great weekend!  

Greeeeen! Getting lots of inspiration from these two pics for my own designs.  

Caution: Needle-sharing ain't cool.

Ministry - Just One Fix

Uhhhrgh, it's been a long week. I'm glad to have finally gotten the new blog going. I shut down the one at Wordpress because, even though you can do heaps on there, it isn't as convenient and streamlined as Blogger. Anyway, I've got to get back to all my final studies for the weekend (I'm a student when I'm not updating Toxic Government, eeeek), and thought that there is no better way to end your week (or start your homework, for that matter) than with a bit of the good ol' MINISTRY.

JUST ONE FIX! I remember when I first heard this in my cousin's car. It still tears up the dancefloor as much as it likely did in 1992. No other metal or industrial bands come close to this sound, it's just so addictive. The other albums are great (special nod goes to 'The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste') but this one is just insurpassable. Anyway, thanks for your support, back with more pics soon. I'm also working on my own guide to making synthetic dreads and falls! By the way, if you are still on Vampire Freaks, I occasionally hang out there too, but I've got a new account to match this blog name - add me if you like :)

Synthetic dreads

 All true Cybers have them but they're a tough look to get right. The last thing you want is to wander around with a bunch of pipe-cleaners and plastic noodles sticking out of your head, looking like a Jim Henson rendition of a mop. Then again sometimes really good synthetic dreads and falls look TOO good, and they make you look like a bobble-head animal you see in the back window of someone's car. Here are a few pix of my fav synetic-dread/falls hair styles-- examples when people have managed to get them RIGHT.

Awesome electric blue hair-colours above and below. Wigs/falls allow you to retain the vividness of this awesome colours. 

 An example of pipe-cleaner hair... but it's just so imaginative this one gets away with it!  Awesome, she must be a fan of Testuo, for sure!

 Super cut pink outfit. The hair pieces are fabric tubes. Be careful-- too many of these will leave you looking like someone poured radioactive spaghetti on your head!

Even guys can get in on the fun. This one works because the hair looks more like conventional hair pieces-- it's not trying to look over the top by retaining that human hair look, yet allows itself to have it's own distinct colourful style.

The great thing about synthetic dread is that you can always have different pieces to change into. That way, you can colour co-ordinate your outfit in ways that people with real/permanently dyed hair can't.

Gas Masks

What cybergoth get-up would be complete without one? I'd sure like to see it. Sure, they're hilarious and you'd probably be the laughing stock if you wore it down to your local 7-11, but you never know when you'll need it. Get yours before the plague gases turn the world into a No Man's Land of dance floor devastation. Here are some thoughts on this much maligned cybergoth accessory...

 Watch out: most of these don't come with disclaimers. You can't actually use them like a real respirator. Once my Dad was doing some painting with aerosol cans outside and I found him wearing my mask (like one above but green). I brought him a pair of phat pants and said he should hunt for work as an extra on the next Mad Max film.

 

Good cybergoth gasmask etiquette means knowing when to take it off. You don't want to offend your friends by making them paranoid about their body odour. 

 

 Then again, if B.O. really is an issue, I would grab one like this. They're available from your local, run-of-the-mill army surplus/disposals store. You ain't gonna smell shit through that, and they're much, much cheaper too.

Hello Kitty-core. Interesting.

If only the Cold War was as cool as that.

I'm more interested in what's under those tights than the mask. You can keep that on, babe... and no I am not a sexist or misogynist--I'm a girl, too!

Well, hope you enjoyed the pics. Sometime soon we'll look a bit more thoroughly at the styles, their price and, gulp, practicality. xxo.