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

NMEScenes

Sombr hits back at “incredibly insane” nepo baby claims

September 23

Sombr has hit back at claims that he is a “nepo baby” or industry plant, saying suggestions that his father’s career helped with his rapid rise are “incredibly insane”.

Read at NME ↗

More from NME on XLR MAG

ScenesKurt Vile talks Fontaines D.C. collab, his shoutout from Sam Fender, and paying tribute to Philadelphia: “It’s like rap – I’m calling out my fucking zone!” NME

One letter a week, in your inbox.

Latest

Sombr hits back at “incredibly insane” nepo baby claims

More from NME on XLR MAG

ScenesQueens Of The Stone Age remember teenage love on nostalgic new single ‘Where The Goth Girls At?’ NME

ScenesWatch Brandon Flowers perform ‘An American Dream’ and tease next Killers album on ‘Fallon’ NME

ScenesWoman from Black Sabbath’s album cover creates AI-themed rock opera NME

ScenesOasis ‘Live ’27’: New UK, Italy and Germany dates announced due to “phenomenal demand” NME

ScenesOutKast sue rapper/producer Ovrkast for trademark infringement and “malicious intent” NME

ScenesKurt Vile talks Fontaines D.C. collab, his shoutout from Sam Fender, and paying tribute to Philadelphia: “It’s like rap – I’m calling out my fucking zone!” NME