Mixmag Hits Pause, For Now...
Oh print, stay a little while longer won't you please?
Here we are, back again with another edition of Music Is The Answer, a fortnightly newsletter by myself, Marcus Barnes.
First of all, thanks to all the new subscribers and to everyone who’s been supporting over the past month or so. All the feedback has been positive so far, which is really encouraging. I feed off comments and interaction so do please keep it coming, positive or negative.
Below you’ll find a little bit from me about Mixmag plus an exclusive interview with Nick Stevenson, Managing Director at Mixmag publisher Wasted Talent. There’s also an interview from my Independent archive with Prosumer on mental health, a brilliant audio documentary recorded in Brixton prison, a few album, mix and reading recommendations, as well as my latest radio show.
A Few Words About Mixmag…
This week I thought I’d begin with a few words about the extended suspension of Mixmag’s print edition. It’s a topic very close to my heart as I’ve been part of the family, as Techno Editor, for seven years. As I understand it, the plan is to bring the magazine back in a year or so, when, I guess, events will be back in business to a certain extent and the ad sales that form part of the mag’s income stream return.
I’m speaking completely independently here and I’m by no means a spokesperson for the publisher, but that was my first thought when we went into lockdown and music events ceased to exist overnight; Ad sales support a lot of magazines and websites, without events paying for ad space a lot of publications are going to struggle. A reactive simplification of a more complex situation but that’s where my mind went. I immediately told a few people of my fears about the future of Mixmag, so the initial three-month suspension wasn’t a surprise, nor was the follow up announcement that went out last week. That doesn’t make it any less of a tragedy, especially for all the staff who are now out of a job.
The complexities of running a successful electronic print music magazine in the 21st Century cannot be underestimated. Economic pressure, time constraints, space limitations, difficult artists, industry politics, competing with online entities, rapid news cycles… How do you get a quality magazine out every month and maintain its reputation and legacy? I struggle just putting together this newsletter and I’ve only got to rely on myself.
Everyone on that team, with Editor Duncan Dick as their trusty captain, worked so hard to get the magazine into the best shape it’s been in for a long while. No dance music magazine is perfect and there is always room for improvement but we established, and maintained, a strong diversity focus, coverage of connected genres (grime, footwork, jazz etc..), investigations into locals scenes around the world and a genuine commitment to good quality editorial illustrated with a strong visual representation of the music we love.
Music journalism is under such a ridiculous amount of pressure. So many people have lost their jobs, budgets are being slashed, live event organisers are struggling and the Mixmag news is just the latest in a long list of suspensions, closures, redundancy rounds etc… I wonder what the future holds? There doesn’t seem to be many ideas or suggestions at the moment. I think more sustainable economic models, whatever form they take, are part of the answer. This Twitter thread, by Study Hall, offers some great insight into why there have been so many layoffs recently. I think about independence a lot, on an individual level and for the publications themselves. We can’t keep allowing our beloved outlets to become ravaged by corporations that want to squeeze all the money they can out of them, while slashing staff numbers and budgets. Lessons must be learned and these unsustainable, broken models must be fixed for everyone’s benefit.
The ‘death of print’ has been a hot topic for ages now and I’m always sad to hear of publications closing their physical edition and going exclusively online. Part of that sadness is connected to my formative years, growing up in the pre-internet world. Picking up a new magazine, pages still smelling fresh off the press, virgin to the touch, getting sucked into the most interesting articles, putting it down, coming back to it… By the end of the month you’d usually have read the whole thing from front to back, maybe lent it to a mate and got it back dog-eared. It’s an often romanticised experience but inherent to how most people from my generation interacted with written media.
I struggle to admit it but the less romantic, realistic part of me imagines print will be less and less relevant to younger generations. Maybe that’s a huge generalisation. Then there’s the part of me that hopes print media will always have its place, no matter how niche it becomes. Another part of me thinks I should just accept that things are moving on and print is an antiquated mode of sharing words and pictures. I’m at odds with myself a lot of the time. Whether print survives or not, it’s important to be optimistic about how things will pan out. I have visions of the music journalists of the future capitalising on technological advances to take the craft into new places.
On a personal level, it’s like this… All my online pieces are screenshots neatly filed away in a folder on one of the many mega-servers that power Google Drive, easy to access within seconds via my laptop or my phone from anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, all my print articles are sat in piles and piles of boxed-up magazines taking up space in my bedroom and in my garage. Heavy boxes full of mags that never get opened, moving with me from one property to the next. But somehow I still can’t let go of them. What if I digitise them all, throw them away and the internet is wiped out by an electromagnetic pulse?! Stranger things have happeneed…
One thing is certain, getting a byline in print still feels a hundred times better than a byline on a website - and at least my Nan can go out and buy a magazine or newspaper when I’ve written for them, proudly telling the newsagent that her grandson has a piece in said publication. She’s probably the only 84-year-old in the world who has a subscription to Mixmag!
To wrap this up, here’s a quick interview with Nick Stevenson, Managing Director at Mixmag publisher Wasted Talent.
What were the main factors that led to the decision to pause for a year?
The live sector being paused has meant no advertising from clubs, festivals or travel (Ibiza etc) which make up 80% of the revenues needed to keep the magazing going. The same is true for Mixmag's sister title, Kerrang!, which relies on gigs and bands being able to to tour.
What's the current plan in terms of the coming year, now the mag is on pause?
The overwhelming majority of our audience connect with Mixmag through web, social, video and events and those are the areas we will will continue to concentrate on, develop and evolve. I've been at Mixmag 18 years and no one year has been the same in terms of how we get our message to our audience. As a brand we've been going for 37 years and Mixmag has always adapted and changed according to how people consume music and media - we used to make cassettes and CDs from a single UK office - today we reach over 100m people a month digitally from 16 global hubs.
A couple of people suggested crowdfunding might be a good way to keep the mag going, how do you guys feel about that?
I'm personally still optimistic that the print magazine can return when ad revenues bounce back next year. We'll look at other models of revenue too. The magazine is something we are very proud of and means a lot to so many people, not least of all the incredible staff who made it such an important publication.
How can readers support Mixmag?
Mixmag is an integral part of the dance music landscape - and it has been since 1983. By continuing to read, share, like, follow and enjoy our content that gives us the ability to pay for stand-out music journalism, quality video, landmark events and break the artists that deserve a global platform.
Slightly bigger question, how do you feel about the future of print/music journalism?
When The Face (another title from Mixmag's parent company, Wasted Talent), under Emap, originally closed in 2004 there were plenty of articles questioning 'the future of print'. The Face's triumphant return last year showed that print journalism is still a hugely beloved and important format for enjoying, documenting and understanding culture.
Indie Blog Archive 003: Prosumer, Depression & Anxiety
In this interview from December 2014 I spoke to Prosumer and Laura Nolan about mental health and electronic music. This was one of a few pieces to touch on the subject when it was still quite taboo, so I’m very proud to have played a tiny part in instigating a more public discussion of mental health in our industry.
Sounds Inside
This is an incredibly original, unnerving, emotive audio documentary recorded inside Brixton Prison. It’s by a mate of mine, Carl Cattermole, who has become one of the leading voices in the battle for prison reform. He wrote this highly-acclaimed book ‘Prison: A Survival Guide’ and has featured on the BBC, Channel 4 and numerous other channels to discuss the failings of our outdated prison system.
Take half an hour out of your day to kick back and absorb this often haunting recording.
Also - check out this audio book adapted from 1989 book ‘No.1 Clapham Road - Diary of a Squat’
Album Recommendations
Every other fortnight I’ll put forth a couple of albums that, in my opinion, are worth investigating. Of course, you may not always agree with me but I hope that some of the suggestions hit a chord and make a positive impact on your life. If not, I’m happy to hear the reasons why you’re not feeling them.
Metamatics - Midnight Sun Pig
(Full disclosure: I wrote the press release for this reissue of this album). I didn’t know much about Lee Norris before I got commissioned to write the release for this album, which made it all the more enjoyable to go on a voyage of discovery through his discography. What an wonderfully original take on electronic music. Everything from house to techno and drum’n’bass is filtered through his quirky lens and comes out sounding full of life and character. Midnight Sun Pig is one of his most lauded albums and it’s been reissued on a lovely piggy pink double vinyl pack. Brilliant.
Urban Tribe - Collapse of Modern Culture
This is another recent discovery, which came up while I was editing a book (Bedroom Beats & B-sides: Instrumental Hip Hop and Electronic Music at the Turn of the Century, in case you were wondering). It’s humbling to realise that there is such an abundance of great music out there that you haven’t discovered yet. Gems like this remind us that there are rich mines of long forgotten music still waiting to be tapped into and shared for the benefit both the artist and the listener.
A Few Mixes
No Soundcloud algorithms this time, just accidental discoveries and mixes I’ve found while researching for articles. Some absolute killers though…
Some Reading
A few wellbeing-based bits this time around.
You’re sitting wrong — and your back knows it. Here’s how to sit instead - if you read anything today, please read this and watch the short clip, it will make an immediate difference!
My Radio Show
Every month I host a two-hour show on Netil Radio. I’ve been doing online and FM (pirate) radio since 2012 and I still absolutely love it. At the moment Netil’s studio is the only place I get to listen to music at a significant enough volume to actually feel it.
Here’s a link to this month’s show.
That’s It For Now…
This book I recommended in my first newsletter won the prestigious Desmond Elliott Prize, so I’m going to shout it out again - That Reminds Me by Derek Owusu.
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In the meantime, tell your friends!