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

Crack MagazineScenes

Bristol’s Simple Things completes 2026 line-up

September 24

The Bristol festival unveils its final additions, including guest-curated programmes from Cobrah, Squid, Shabaka and Jeremy Deller.

Read at Crack Magazine ↗

One letter a week, in your inbox.

Latest

Bristol’s Simple Things completes 2026 line-up

More from Crack Magazine on XLR MAG

ScenesBoards of Canada reissue Hi Scores for 30th anniversary Crack Magazine

ScenesDrumsheds announces AW26 season Crack Magazine

ScenesFRAMELESS is running immersive art sessions until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays Crack Magazine

ScenesApple to open Apple Music Hall, a brand new live music venue in Battersea Power Station Crack Magazine

ScenesLe Guess Who? Announces full programme for 20th anniversary edition Crack Magazine

ScenesThe Warehouse Project adds XXL, Kneecap, The Haçienda, Eat Your Own Ears and Silva Bumpa to WHP26 Crack Magazine