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

Music ConnectionIndustry

Staff Picks With Pet Shop Boys and Amon Amarth

October 15

Senior Editor Brett Callwood Pet Shop Boys "It's a Sin" A tale of coming to terms with oneself in the face of oppressive religious dogma, all wrapped up in the catchiest of synth-pop melodies.

Read at Music Connection ↗

Also covered by: Rockdelux

One letter a week, starting soon.

Latest

Staff Picks With Pet Shop Boys and Amon Amarth

More from Music Connection on XLR MAG

IndustryPrince Pairings: Scenes From a Music and Food Tribute to The Artist in Denmark Music Connection

IndustryHappy Birthday Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues Music Connection

IndustrySOLID STATE LOGIC POWERS THE VOICE – LA PLUS BELLE VOIX WITH ADVANCED LIVE AUDIO TECHNOLOGY Music Connection

IndustryFILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: Drops for October '26 Music Connection

IndustryThe Riff That Blew My Mind: Citizen Zero Digs Dark New Day Music Connection

IndustryWarner Music Group Wants a Video Rights Management Coordinator Music Connection