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| XLR8R | |
|---|---|
| Title | XLR8R |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Category | Music magazine |
| Firstdate | 1993 |
| Finaldate | 2011 (print) |
| Country | United States |
| Based | New York City |
| Language | English |
XLR8R is a magazine and online publication that covered electronic music, dance culture, and related genres. Founded in 1993, it documented scenes ranging from techno and house to hip hop and experimental electronic music, providing news, reviews, interviews, and multimedia features. The outlet intersected with festivals, record labels, artists, and distributors across the United States, Europe, and Asia, influencing readership among DJs, producers, promoters, and music fans.
Founded in 1993 in Seattle, XLR8R emerged amid the rise of rave culture and the growth of independent labels such as Warp Records, Ninja Tune, Mo' Wax, Mute Records, and 4AD. The magazine expanded coverage through the 1990s alongside artists from Detroit techno pioneers like Juan Atkins and Derrick May to Detroit-adjacent labels like Metroplex and Planet E Communications. In the 2000s XLR8R moved operations to New York City, intersecting with outlets including Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, Mixmag USA, The Fader, and Rolling Stone as digital distribution reshaped media. During its print tenure XLR8R charted transitions involving events such as the Burning Man gathering, the rise of Coachella and Movement Electronic Music Festival, and the globalization of electronic music into markets like Japan and Berlin. The magazine ceased regular print publication in 2011, transitioning content to online platforms amid consolidation trends affecting publications such as Wired, Village Voice Media, and Alternative Press.
XLR8R published features encompassing album reviews, single reviews, gear reviews, and scene reports that referenced releases on labels like Def Jam Recordings, Sub Pop, Kompakt, Ghostly International, and XL Recordings. Regular columns covered DJ techniques referencing equipment from Technics turntables, Ableton Live, Akai Professional samplers, and controllers from Native Instruments. Features included in-depth profiles of scenes in cities such as Berlin, London, Detroit, Seattle, and Los Angeles, and spotlights on festivals like Sonar, Mutek, Sónar, and Dekmantel. The publication integrated multimedia via downloadable mixes, MP3s, and video premieres similar to initiatives by YouTube, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp while cross-referencing distribution networks like Beatport and Juno Records.
Contributors and interview subjects spanned a broad range of artists, producers, DJs, and industry figures. Interviews and profiles featured artists and producers such as Aphex Twin, Amon Tobin, Four Tet, Burial, Skrillex, Daft Punk, Flying Lotus, Thom Yorke, Brian Eno, Richie Hawtin, Carl Craig, Erol Alkan, Jamie xx, Solex, Moby, Diplo, The Chemical Brothers, Sally Shapiro, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Peaches, Tricky, Massive Attack, Kraftwerk, Boards of Canada, Underworld, Sinead O'Connor, Arca, Sade, Grace Jones, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Kelela, Nicolas Jaar, FKA Twigs, Imogen Heap, and Bjork. Industry interviews included figures from labels and companies such as Subterranean Records, Matador Records, Island Records, Capitol Records, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and independent promoters like PLAYgroup and Scarlet.
XLR8R produced compilation CDs, mixtapes, and branded events partnering with festivals and venues including Sónar, Mutek, South by Southwest, SXSW, The Warehouse Project, Output, Berghain, Fabric, Ministry of Sound, Razzmatazz, and Bunkr. Compilations showcased tracks from artists on Rough Trade, Stones Throw Records, Young Turks, Domino Recording Company, Warp, and Hyperdub. The magazine curated stages and showcases at conferences such as ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event), and released mix series that paralleled releases on Ninja Tune and K7 Records.
Operating initially as an independent print magazine, XLR8R relied on a blend of advertising, covermount CD sales, and subscription revenues in a market alongside publishers such as Vice Media, Condé Nast, and Bauer Media Group. The shift to digital aligned the brand with online ad networks and affiliate sales through platforms like iTunes, Beatport, and streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Ownership and partnerships evolved through acquisitions and distribution deals similar to transactions seen with Emmis Communications and corporate consolidations involving NME and Time Inc..
Critics and readers credited the magazine with documenting underground and cross-genre trends, influencing DJ setlists, club programming, and A&R decisions at labels including XL Recordings, Ninja Tune, and Sub Pop. Media commentators compared its editorial stance to peers like Resident Advisor and Pitchfork Media while journalists from The New York Times, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and NME cited coverage in broader cultural reporting. Alumni and contributors moved into roles at labels, festivals, and media companies such as Red Bull Music Academy, BBC Radio 1, KEXP, Dazed, Mixmag, and FACT Magazine, extending the publication's influence across electronic music ecosystems.
Category:Music magazines Category:Electronic music