Hellvelvet Webstore – web-store records on a concept that appeals to a certain aesthetic: uniting dark music genres, mainly the apparent opposed spectrum of dark ambient and extreme metal, from a very personal perspective. It represents mainly the sale of a part of my personal collection. As well as marks a restart in shop collaborations with labels & underground artists (small trades are welcome).

Story

More or less intended (personal taste based), the webshop focuses mainly on the genres and artists that were a constant part of my musical journey which began in early nineties. It all comes together from equally important historical directions: from the black metal incipient times (also reflected in the logo) and dark ambient music & dungeon (from the times when we had no name for the genres) – and the sub-genre of extreme metal (growing up with Death – Human, early Sepultura, Ripping Corpse, Deicide…).

This journey through all kinds of darker music weirdness, along with a fetish for physical releases, collectibles, culminated into a record label since 2005 and a record store in the making.
Essentia Mundi Records is a personal record label that was founded in 2005 in Sibiu, Transylvania. Based on a strong desire to try the experimental waters of the unknown darker sounds, to boost the then-not-defined scene of dark ambient & experimental, with the main goal of releasing the personal projects and, along the way, other interesting projects that would fit the label. In parallel, even since 2001, the Ancient Beliefs Prod. was born as a small underground DIY webzine focused mainly on the extreme metal side. All this was done at a small scale and only as hobby project, which then and now turned a bit more serious, culminating nowadays (2021) with the release of two full length vinyl records.

Store

Having all this story in mind, please note that a good part of the shop should be seen as a memorabilia store, like a real record store chamber with one time items, second-hand items even rares. As stated, most of those items are from personal collection but they bear a very fair gradation information and even with negotiable prices. And the other part of the store is our friend’s and collaborators, distributor’s items we encountered along the journey.
I do my best and considering the many years in the scene I can do some decent work as a record store owner demands: carefully handling, storing, cleaning, grading records and packing very well (hate that corner bends!). The funds I have from this, are totally “recycled” into new music.

Name

Hellvelvet name unites under the same concept the two music worlds. Logo design was inspired by the first black metal shop from Norway. The main intend beside the aesthetics of it, is to pay a small tribute to the label which paved the way, by releasing the firsts bands of the second true black metal wave.

Essentia Mundi Records

Contact email: info_at_essentiamundi.com

Copyrights
Images are for exemplification only, their copyright belongs to the respective artists/record owners.