Jockey Slut
Encyclopedia
Jockey Slut was a British
music
magazine
which ran between 1993 and 2004, focusing mainly on dance music
and club
culture. It started as a self-published bi-monthly fanzine
in 1993 before graduating to a monthly by 1999, following a buy-out
from Swinstead Publishing. By 2004, it had gone quarterly, with a beefed-up web presence, a change which only lasted three and a half months before Swinstead decided to close it down in late May that year.
Its readers tended to refer to the magazine as just 'The Slut'.
) and enjoying the city's notorious clubbing scene, most notably the Haçienda
. The two main inspirations for it were Manic Street Preachers
' recurrent slogan "culture slut" and the increasing adoration DJs
were getting from fans at the time. Regarding this one, Burgess adds: "Disc jockeys were attracting as many groupies as pop stars. Except, unluckily for the DJs, their groupies were usually after one thing; the name of the label that wicked tune was on".
Starting out as a bi-monthly fanzine, Jockey Slut soon started gaining a cult, largely because of the way it consciously set itself apart from its direct competition. With dance music and club culture steadily growing in popularity and the subsequent advent of superclub
s and the cult of the superstar DJ, bigger and better distributed magazines like Mixmag
, Muzik
and DJ Mag
started to focus more on the flashy, rock ‘n’ roll
-like aspects of clubbing (namely the recurrent drugs features), while devoting less space to the music itself, much less championing more groundbreaking sounds and artists. Jockey Slut responded to this by adopting a much more music-centered coverage, coupled with a writing tone which somehow managed to harmoniously strike a balance between witty, opinionated fanzine-style writing and an irreverent, caustic sense of humour inspired by the golden years of pop bible Smash Hits
. On the other hand, Jockey Slut also tended to be more risky in its choices and started to build its cutting-edge reputation early on. In 1993, the magazine gave the The Chemical Brothers
(around the time when they were still called Dust Brothers) their first interview. Two years later, around the time of the release of their classic and influential debut album, Exit Planet Dust
, Jockey Slut gave them their first magazine cover. In 1994, Detroit techno
luminary and Underground Resistance
’s leader “Mad” Mike Banks
not only conceded a rare exclusive interview, he was also given his first magazine cover . Daft Punk
also got their first interview on Slut, in 1993.
Jockey Slut also wasn’t afraid to give space to some rock
and indie, giving prominent space to bands like Nirvana
, Blur
or Beck
as much as they would any dance or electronic
act. In this aspect, Slut has arguably anticipated the indie/rock/dance crossover
which is now common practice among dance magazines (a practice which, in truth, reflects the current state of affairs in clubland). In some ways, it was this open-mindedness which gave Slut’s now legendary tagline “Disco Pogo For Punks In Pumps” (a line stolen from an old Smash Hits review, according to Burgess) its full sense. Its coverage of Urban
styles such as hip-hop
and R&B
was also above the average dance magazine of the time.
In 1995, American underwear company Jockey
threatened a lawsuit, claiming the magazine’s name could be hurtful to their image. The suit was settled out of court, with Jockey Slut authorized to keep its name, but forced to remove the word “jockey” from its merchandising.
In 1996, Jockey Slut went through a redesign to incorporate full colour. But the issue which marked it had other firsts and lasts, which, with the time, became somewhat iconic. Daft Punk got their first magazine cover here, and also their last ever unmasked photographs since. A big problem with the issue’s printing left it looking like a low-rent pornographic magazine
, prompting Daft Punk not to pose for any future photographs unless they were wearing masks or disguised themselves as robots, a decision they maintain to this day. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/06/how_daft_punk_became_the_visor.html
In 1997, Slut scored another first, by securing a full in-depth feature on German
label
International DeeJay Gigolo
, arguably anticipating the short-lived electroclash
craze which would happen four to five years later.
got their first magazine cover ever in 2000, and The Avalanches
also secured theirs a year later, almost four months ahead of the release of their now classic debut album, Since I Left You
. Throughout these years, artists like The Streets
, Erol Alkan
, Junior Boys
, Kasabian, Audio Bullys
, Headman or Danger Mouse
got very early support through the magazine, even at an age when the Internet
was taking away the cutting-edge qualities publications like Slut undeniably had at one point
By 2002, however, a good number of old-guard readers started to complain the magazine was getting too self-consciously trendy for its own good, giving cover space to flavour-of-the-moment acts like The Rapture
, 2 Many DJs
or The Neptunes
and beefing up the rock coverage, with big features on acts like Mogwai
and The Polyphonic Spree
, retro pieces on My Bloody Valentine or Talking Heads
, and giving critical praise to acts like The White Stripes
. The January 2004 issue even had Luke Steele of alternative rock
ers The Sleepy Jackson
on the cover. Maybe as an indirect response, John Burgess started Jockey Slut's 10-year anniversary dissertation, "Blowing Our Own Trumpet", with the following line: "Paul liked the Pixies, I liked Prince
, but - like most 22 year olds in 1992 - we had a shared love of 'dance' music, which meant anything from the poppy KLF
to heavy Belgian
techno
".
In January 2004, with Paul Mardles at the helm since 2002, Jockey Slut changed its periodicity to a quarterly at the extent of beefing up its Internet presence, creating a webzine with daily updated content such as news, features and reviews. The print magazine would, from that moment, feature more in-depth material and selected highlights from the quarter past and anticipating some from the next, with its publication date dates carefully chosen to coincide with key periods in the music industry like the Spring, the Summer festivals, the Autumn and Christmas
/Year-end. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=24951 http://www.rhythmism.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-236.html All these changes tried to reflect the fact that most of Slut’s primary audience was now online, wanting its fix faster and far more effectively.
(which had just been renamed Sleaze), in a move which insiders considered as unexpected and shocking. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=25985
, musician
s, DJs or label owners. These include:
A year later after Slut Trax, Slut Smalls was launched, with the aim of releasing split 7” singles with unreleased material from established and up and coming artists. This enterprise lasted until the demise of the magazine, with a total of 11 releases. Some of the pairings have included Barry Adamson
with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
, Add N to (X)
with Andy Votel
and The Dirtbombs
with Justin Robertson
.
Parallel to this, the magazine would occasionally give away free CDs with an issue. This practice became steadier in 2003, during which Slut released 13 volumes of the Disco Pogo For Punks In Pumps series, which consisted of compilations mainly reflecting that issue’s contents. Artists like Mylo
, The Go! Team
, M.A.N.D.Y.
, Ricardo Villalobos
and Justice
all got relatively early exposure through this series.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
which ran between 1993 and 2004, focusing mainly on dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
culture. It started as a self-published bi-monthly fanzine
Fanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
in 1993 before graduating to a monthly by 1999, following a buy-out
Buyout
A buyout, in finance, is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" control of the target company....
from Swinstead Publishing. By 2004, it had gone quarterly, with a beefed-up web presence, a change which only lasted three and a half months before Swinstead decided to close it down in late May that year.
Its readers tended to refer to the magazine as just 'The Slut'.
The Manchester Years (1993-1999)
According to one of its founders, John Burgess, he and Paul Benney (the other founder of the magazine) intended Jockey Slut to just be a slogan for a T-shirt. The expression was born while both were studying at Manchester Polytechnic University (currently Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
) and enjoying the city's notorious clubbing scene, most notably the Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
. The two main inspirations for it were Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
' recurrent slogan "culture slut" and the increasing adoration DJs
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
were getting from fans at the time. Regarding this one, Burgess adds: "Disc jockeys were attracting as many groupies as pop stars. Except, unluckily for the DJs, their groupies were usually after one thing; the name of the label that wicked tune was on".
Starting out as a bi-monthly fanzine, Jockey Slut soon started gaining a cult, largely because of the way it consciously set itself apart from its direct competition. With dance music and club culture steadily growing in popularity and the subsequent advent of superclub
Superclub
Superclub is a term used to refer to a nightclub owned and managed by a dance music record label, such as The Haçienda club, which was owned by Factory Records...
s and the cult of the superstar DJ, bigger and better distributed magazines like Mixmag
Mixmag
Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
, Muzik
Muzik
Muzik was a UK dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.Muzik was created by two former Melody Maker journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of Muzik from its launch until he left the magazine in 1998, at which point Turner took over as editor...
and DJ Mag
DJMag
DJ Mag is a British monthly magazine dedicated to Electronic dance music and DJs. Founded January 31, 1991, the magazine is translated monthly to Portuguese, Polish , Ukrainian, Lithuanian, Chinese, Bulgarian, Spanish, French, German and Italian.- DJ Blackbook :In January 2008, the magazine...
started to focus more on the flashy, rock ‘n’ roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
-like aspects of clubbing (namely the recurrent drugs features), while devoting less space to the music itself, much less championing more groundbreaking sounds and artists. Jockey Slut responded to this by adopting a much more music-centered coverage, coupled with a writing tone which somehow managed to harmoniously strike a balance between witty, opinionated fanzine-style writing and an irreverent, caustic sense of humour inspired by the golden years of pop bible Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
. On the other hand, Jockey Slut also tended to be more risky in its choices and started to build its cutting-edge reputation early on. In 1993, the magazine gave the The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
(around the time when they were still called Dust Brothers) their first interview. Two years later, around the time of the release of their classic and influential debut album, Exit Planet Dust
Exit Planet Dust
Exit Planet Dust is the debut album by British electronica duo The Chemical Brothers, released in the UK on 26 June 26 1995 and the US on 15 August 1995. The title is a reference to their departure from their earlier name "The Dust Brothers"....
, Jockey Slut gave them their first magazine cover. In 1994, Detroit techno
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is an early style of electronic music beginning in the 1980s. Detroit, Michigan has been cited as the birthplace of techno music. Prominent Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson...
luminary and Underground Resistance
Underground Resistance
Underground Resistance is a musical collective from Detroit, Michigan, in the United States of America. They are the most militantly political example of modern Detroit Techno, with a grungy, four-track musical aesthetic and a strictly anti-mainstream business strategy...
’s leader “Mad” Mike Banks
Mike Banks (musician)
Michael Anthony Banks, better known as "Mad" Mike Banks, is an American techno producer. He is the co-founder, along with Jeff Mills, of US record label Underground Resistance and was a key player in the "second generation" of Detroit techno....
not only conceded a rare exclusive interview, he was also given his first magazine cover . Daft Punk
Daft Punk
Daft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...
also got their first interview on Slut, in 1993.
Jockey Slut also wasn’t afraid to give space to some rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and indie, giving prominent space to bands like Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
or Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
as much as they would any dance or electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
act. In this aspect, Slut has arguably anticipated the indie/rock/dance crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
which is now common practice among dance magazines (a practice which, in truth, reflects the current state of affairs in clubland). In some ways, it was this open-mindedness which gave Slut’s now legendary tagline “Disco Pogo For Punks In Pumps” (a line stolen from an old Smash Hits review, according to Burgess) its full sense. Its coverage of Urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
styles such as hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
was also above the average dance magazine of the time.
In 1995, American underwear company Jockey
Jockey International
Jockey International, Inc. is a manufacturer, distributor and retailer of underwear, sleepwear for men, women, and children. The company is based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Jockey is known for having invented the first men's Y-Front brief in 1934. Jockey is a recognized trademark in 120...
threatened a lawsuit, claiming the magazine’s name could be hurtful to their image. The suit was settled out of court, with Jockey Slut authorized to keep its name, but forced to remove the word “jockey” from its merchandising.
In 1996, Jockey Slut went through a redesign to incorporate full colour. But the issue which marked it had other firsts and lasts, which, with the time, became somewhat iconic. Daft Punk got their first magazine cover here, and also their last ever unmasked photographs since. A big problem with the issue’s printing left it looking like a low-rent pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazines, sometimes known as adult magazines, sex magazines or top-shelf magazines are pornographic magazines that contain content of a sexual nature. Adult magazines are mainly aimed towards men, and in some parts of the world, many men's first sight of a naked woman has been in an...
, prompting Daft Punk not to pose for any future photographs unless they were wearing masks or disguised themselves as robots, a decision they maintain to this day. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/06/how_daft_punk_became_the_visor.html
In 1997, Slut scored another first, by securing a full in-depth feature on German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
International DeeJay Gigolo
International DeeJay Gigolo Records
International DeeJay Gigolo Records is a German electronic music record label run by techno artist DJ Hell . The label was founded in Munich in 1996 as an affiliate of label Disko B. It is now based in Berlin and is Germany's most successful electronic music record label, specialising in electro,...
, arguably anticipating the short-lived electroclash
Electroclash
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
craze which would happen four to five years later.
The London Years (1999-2004)
In 1999, Jockey Slut was sold to Swinstead Publishing, on the grounds of expanding its distribution and taking the magazine to a monthly format. With this change came a trip to set up shop in London and John Burgess's step-down as editor to become the magazine’s editorial director. Rob Wood essentially maintained the same tone and music coverage policy, but with added slickness in both writing and visual contents. It was around this time Jockey Slut cemented its somewhat trendy status. At a time when the superclub culture was hitting its peak, Slut doggedly chose to keep on staying ahead of the game. Boards of CanadaBoards of Canada
Boards of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin...
got their first magazine cover ever in 2000, and The Avalanches
The Avalanches
The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in 1997 with mainstays Robbie Chater on keyboards, Tony Diblasi on keyboards, bass and backing vocals, and Darren Seltmann on vocals and keyboards. They are known for their live DJ sets and their debut album Since I Left You , which was...
also secured theirs a year later, almost four months ahead of the release of their now classic debut album, Since I Left You
Since I Left You
Since I Left You is the debut studio album by Australian music group The Avalanches released on 27 November 2000. Produced by Avalanches members Robbie Chater and Darren Seltmann, it was released on Modular Recordings. The album was created in two separate near-identical studios by Chater and...
. Throughout these years, artists like The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
, Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan
Erol Alkan is a London-based electro DJ of Turkish Cypriot descent.-DJ and club promoter:In 1993, Erol Alkan started DJing in various Indie nightclubs in London....
, Junior Boys
Junior Boys
-History:Junior Boys formed in 1999 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada as a duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark. Years of collaboration followed and a demo was produced, but after many rejections and near-misses, they were resigned to being bedroom beat constructors. Soon after, Johnny Dark left the...
, Kasabian, Audio Bullys
Audio Bullys
Audio Bullys are an electronic music group from London, consisting of Simon Franks and Tom Dinsdale. The group were once managed by DJ and presenter George Lamb....
, Headman or Danger Mouse
Danger Mouse
Brian Joseph Burton , better known by his stage name Danger Mouse, is an American musician, songwriter and producer. He came to prominence in 2004 when he released The Grey Album, which combined vocal performances from Jay-Z's The Black Album with instrumentals from The Beatles' White Album.He...
got very early support through the magazine, even at an age when the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
was taking away the cutting-edge qualities publications like Slut undeniably had at one point
By 2002, however, a good number of old-guard readers started to complain the magazine was getting too self-consciously trendy for its own good, giving cover space to flavour-of-the-moment acts like The Rapture
The Rapture (band)
The Rapture is an Indie rock band based in New York City. The band mixes influences from many genres including post-punk, acid house, disco, electronica and rock, pioneering the post-punk revival genre...
, 2 Many DJs
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
or The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
and beefing up the rock coverage, with big features on acts like Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
and The Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree is a choral symphonic pop rock band from Dallas, Texas that was formed in 2000 by Tim DeLaughter. The band's sound relies on a variety of vocal and instrumental color by featuring a choir, flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, percussion, piano, guitars, bass, drums,...
, retro pieces on My Bloody Valentine or Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, and giving critical praise to acts like The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
. The January 2004 issue even had Luke Steele of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
ers The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson
The Sleepy Jackson are an Australian alternative rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia. The band's name was inspired by a former drummer who was narcoleptic. The band revolves around the distinctive vocal style of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Luke Steele...
on the cover. Maybe as an indirect response, John Burgess started Jockey Slut's 10-year anniversary dissertation, "Blowing Our Own Trumpet", with the following line: "Paul liked the Pixies, I liked Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, but - like most 22 year olds in 1992 - we had a shared love of 'dance' music, which meant anything from the poppy KLF
The KLF
The KLF were one of the seminal bands of the British acid house movement during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
to heavy Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
".
In January 2004, with Paul Mardles at the helm since 2002, Jockey Slut changed its periodicity to a quarterly at the extent of beefing up its Internet presence, creating a webzine with daily updated content such as news, features and reviews. The print magazine would, from that moment, feature more in-depth material and selected highlights from the quarter past and anticipating some from the next, with its publication date dates carefully chosen to coincide with key periods in the music industry like the Spring, the Summer festivals, the Autumn and Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
/Year-end. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=24951 http://www.rhythmism.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-236.html All these changes tried to reflect the fact that most of Slut’s primary audience was now online, wanting its fix faster and far more effectively.
The End
Although the website was actually seeing strong ad revenues from the very start, this change was very brief. In a fell swoop, Swinstead Publishing decided to close not only Jockey Slut, but also its sister title, style magazine SleazenationSleazenation
Sleazenation was a monthly London based fashion and lifestyle magazine printed by Swinstead Publishing. The founding editor was Steve Beale, who left in 1999 to work at EMAP on The Face and Arena. Subsequent editors were Stuart Turnbull, Steve Slocombe and Neil Boorman. The magazine closed at the...
(which had just been renamed Sleaze), in a move which insiders considered as unexpected and shocking. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=25985
Legacy
Although it ceased publishing in 2004, both Jockey Slut’s open-minded view on club culture, spirited yet informed and witty writing style and stylish yet sober design are traits which magazines like FACT and especially Dummy carried over to this day and age. The latter magazine was even set up by Slut founder John Burgess and many of its contributors and staff writers are Slut luminaries.Notable writers
Through its existence, Jockey Slut employed a group of staff and contributing writers which included some of the most respected British dance music writers, as well as providing excellent review and opinion columns to people who managed a career in many aspects of dance culture, such as producersRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, DJs or label owners. These include:
- John Burgess
- Paul Benney
- Kris NeedsKris NeedsKris Needs is a British journalist and author, primarily known for his writings on the music scene from the 1970s onwards. He became editor of ZigZag Magazine in August 1977, at the relatively young age of 23, and has written biographies of numerous rock and dance stars including Primal Scream,...
- Rob da BankRob da BankRobert John Gorham, known by the pseudonym Rob da Bank, is a British disc jockey. He presents a Friday-night/Saturday-morning show, Rob da Bank, on BBC Radio 1 from 5am-7am, focused on promoting new left field music...
- Kevin McKay
- Steve Yates
- Chantelle FiddyChantelle FiddyChantelle Fiddy is a British journalist, columnist and event promoter. She is well known as a commentator on London's grime scene and as a social activist as the former editor of Ctrl.Alt.Shift. She is currently contributing editor at RWD Magazine and urban editor at Mixmag. Her work has also...
- Chris Duckenfield
- Miles Holloway
- Elliott Eastwick
- Bill Brewster
- Frank Tope
- Jim Butler
- Rob Wood
- Richard Brophy
- Ben Mortimer
- Chris Wilson
- Mike Carhart-Harris
- Luke CowdreyOnly Child (musician)Only Child is DJ and musician, Justin Crawford from Manchester, England. He was formerly a member of the English band New Fast Automatic Daffodils....
- Chris Blue
- Kevin Martin
- Elle J. Small
- Emma Warren
- Martin Clark
- Lulu Le Vay
- Sarah Bentley
- Nick Doherty
- Jon Wilde
- Tom Magic Feet
- Cila Warncke
- Joe Madden
- Tim Sheridan
- Ben Arnold
Slut Trax and Slut Smalls
In 1997, Slut launched Slut Trax, a record label which went on to become very short-lived, launching only two singles in a year. One of them, Christopher Just’s I’m A Disco Dancer, was licensed from International Deejay Gigolos and became something of an electroclash anthem and a dance classic, with remixes of it still being released as of today.A year later after Slut Trax, Slut Smalls was launched, with the aim of releasing split 7” singles with unreleased material from established and up and coming artists. This enterprise lasted until the demise of the magazine, with a total of 11 releases. Some of the pairings have included Barry Adamson
Barry Adamson
Barry Adamson is a British rock musician who has worked with rock bands such as Magazine, Visage, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the electronic musicians Pan sonic and Depeche Mode. Adamson created the seven-minute opus "Useless " remix for the latter band in 1997...
with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion are an American alternative rock trio, formed in 1991 and based out of New York City, New York. The band consists of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spencer on vocals, guitar and theremin...
, Add N to (X)
Add N to (X)
Add N to were a three-piece British band specializing in electronic music performed on analogue synthesizers, formed in London in 1994.The original band members were Andrew Aveling, Barry Smith and Ann Shenton...
with Andy Votel
Andy Votel
Andrew Shallcross, known by his stage name Andy Votel, is an electronic musician, DJ and record producer, co-founder of Twisted Nerve Records and the reissue label Finders Keepers Records...
and The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
with Justin Robertson
Justin Robertson
Justin Robertson is a British DJ, remixer and electronic music producer from Manchester, England. He has remixed dozens of high-profile music artists as himself or as The Prankster, fronted the group Lionrock and has released albums and singles of original music under his own name and the name...
.
Parallel to this, the magazine would occasionally give away free CDs with an issue. This practice became steadier in 2003, during which Slut released 13 volumes of the Disco Pogo For Punks In Pumps series, which consisted of compilations mainly reflecting that issue’s contents. Artists like Mylo
Mylo
Myles MacInnes , better known by the stage name Mylo, is a Scottish electronic musician and record producer.-Career:...
, The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
, M.A.N.D.Y.
M.A.N.D.Y.
M.A.N.D.Y. is a Berlin-based electrohouse group consisting of Patrick Bodmer & Philipp Jung. Their first official release was a popular remix of a Galleon song. They were cofounders of Get Physical Records, along with Booka Shade and DJ T...
, Ricardo Villalobos
Ricardo Villalobos
Ricardo Villalobos is a Chilean-German electronic music producer and DJ. He is well-known for his work in the minimal techno and microhouse genres, and is one of the most significant figures in today's minimal techno scene....
and Justice
Justice (French band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
all got relatively early exposure through this series.
External links
- Jockey Slut's old official website - archived at Internet Archive's Wayback MachineInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Jockey Slut's covermount CDs - Discogs.comDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Slut Trax releases - Discogs.comDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Slut Smalls releases - Discogs.comDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Jockey Slut goes quarterly but beefs up web presence - Press GazettePress GazettePress Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette , is a British media trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. It was first published in 1965, and currently has a circulation of about 2,500, although it had enjoyed higher circulations earlier in its history...
- Editors' shock at closure of Sleaze and Jockey Slut - Press GazettePress GazettePress Gazette, formerly known as UK Press Gazette , is a British media trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. It was first published in 1965, and currently has a circulation of about 2,500, although it had enjoyed higher circulations earlier in its history...