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

The Line of Best FitScenes

Forest dives into the dark on “Vulture”

September 25

]]> On the grunge-tinged opening track to her debut album Swan Dive, the Los Angeles-based artist turns the growing pains of early adulthood into something visceral.

Tracks

Read at The Line of Best Fit ↗

One letter a week, in your inbox.

Latest

Forest dives into the dark on “Vulture”

More from The Line of Best Fit on XLR MAG

ScenesMorphine announce posthumous album Cocoon, comprising abandoned 1998 sessions The Line of Best Fit

ScenesOasis photograph takes public vote at Abbey Road's 2026 photography awards The Line of Best Fit

ScenesZora Jones is forging her own fantasies The Line of Best Fit

Scenes2hollis announces fifth album Pirouette and shares “Warhorse” The Line of Best Fit

ScenesSamuel Jack made peace with a hit he never really loved The Line of Best Fit

ScenesWet Leg team up with CBeebies character Yukee for 7 inch single The Line of Best Fit