Three pins, and nearly every signal in this business passes through them.

The magazine is named after the cable: the microphone in the booth, the line to the desk, the DMX run that fires the lights. Studio, stage and rig share the same cable. Most magazines pick one of the three. This one covers all of it, because the people we read do too — the engineer mixing a record on Tuesday is on front of house by Saturday.

Around a hundred and sixty sources, in English, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Chinese and Italian: makers and their release notes, reviewers who put a hand on the thing, studios and touring crews, the producers and collectives surfacing this month and the scenes they came out of. Synths and modular, plugins and DAWs, guitars and drums, microphones, monitors, PA and lighting. What the trade is talking about is counted and plotted. The editor's letter has just started; it will find its rhythm.

For each story: a headline, a short excerpt, one picture and the link out. We never reprint the article, and the picture belongs to the maker or the photographer. A German review appears in German and a Japanese one in Japanese, as the writer published it; the link goes to the original.

Nothing is sold on this site. When a link leads to a shop, it is the maker's shop, not ours.

← XLR MAG Archive

Happy MagScenes

Blondie announce first new album in almost a decade

October 15

Happy Mag https://happymag.tv The tide is high with new Blondie music. Unlock your hearts of glass, because Blondie is bringing us new music. And it’s the first time they’ve done so in nearly...

Read at Happy Mag ↗

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

Blondie announce first new album in almost a decade

More from Happy Mag on XLR MAG

ScenesOn ‘Will U Miss Me?’, Jazarah reconciles with young love through emotive lyrics and plenty of guitar Happy Mag

ScenesNine Tracks, Zero Straight Answers: Tegan Clark’s ‘Sick or in Love?’ Happy Mag

ScenesHere are 15 Bands named after food Happy Mag

ScenesKarhein on memory, music and finding his way back Happy Mag

ScenesThe Celestial debut album by Wolf-Rayet finds its place in amongst the brightest of stars Happy Mag

ScenesZankarlmang on bringing distortion to Seoul’s electronic music scene Happy Mag