“There is no story that is not true. The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”
In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe explored cycles: how societies change, how old structures collapse, and how failing to adapt can leave communities behind.
Music journalism has lived through those cycles for decades. From the power of print magazines and specialist radio, blogs and online platforms, to today’s barrage of social media, playlists and algorithms, the way we discover, understand and talk about music has completely transformed.
There has never been more music, more artists or more ways to share a story. The question is certainly not whether there is enough content. The question is whether there is enough context.
When artists and labels can speak directly to millions of fans, what role does independent editorial play? Who connects the dots? Who digs into the history, the influences and the moments that make a scene more than just a collection of songs?
The business model that historically supported that work has almost disappeared. Advertising moved elsewhere and our attention spans have become dominated by platforms. Independent writers and specialist publications are fighting to survive in an environment where credibility is invaluable, but incredibly difficult to see.
Is there a new model that supports artists, labels, journalists and fans? One that rewards the time, knowledge and human connection required to tell meaningful stories?
We sat down with the legend Dave Columbo Jenkins to explore the past, present and future of music journalism. From his early days as a failed DJ turned writer, and decades working across magazines, Drum&BassArena, UKF and beyond, Dave has witnessed almost every major shift in how electronic music tells its stories.
The story of music journalism is not one of things falling apart, but of finding what needs to be rebuilt. Because every scene, every movement and every community survives through the same thing: people who care enough to protect it, adapt with it and carry it forward.
Let’s get into it.
Hey Dave! Welcome to the other side of the website! How are you and what have you been up to recently?
Thanks for having me! I’m having quite a memorable summer. I’ve finally finished co-writing Eastman’s book, which has been an incredibly soulful experience. He’s one of the most inspiring and integral people in our culture. Since finishing that I’ve bought a van and you’re more likely to find me delivering for Amazon than at my desk because these times are very tricky for freelance creatives and music journalists!
Can you tell us about your music journalism journey?
I became a journalist to get DJ gigs but ended up becoming a much more successful journalist. I worked at iDJ and it was the best job for my brain and personality type; having a very rigid routine, but also complete variety and creative freedom. They were some of my best working days of my life. Because it was a small company, I very quickly went from being a staff writer to clubs editor to news editor to deputy editor to editor within three or four years. But I got jaded with music journalism just as quickly. As the editor I had to have an opinion on every single genre and I only really passionately loved the more extreme and bass-related genres.
At one point I had a little dabble in food journalism and did a curry magazine but found that most food journalists are entitled snobs! Then, just as I started to worry I’d made the wrong decision, AEI called me up, and Del [AEI founder] asked me to come on board and create drum and bass focused content.
This was pivotal as I was able to specialise in one area of music and become a real specialist. I started at Drum&BassArena then UKF and the rest is history. At the time journalism was changing rapidly. Digital, online journalism is a lot more responsive, a lot quicker and a lot more engaging. More two-way with the audience, too.
From here I got really into digital journalism but applied a magazine style and professionalism to how I did it. This made me stand out in the community and develop the roles and reputation I have today. AEI pushed me towards a broadcasting role, too, which was huge for me. I thought I was too old for that, but in 2018 at the age of 40, I started to become a presenter. That led to doing Vision Radio and then eventually launching 1 More Thing where I’ve fused journalism with a label and a wider platform. And it all started with magazines.
So for those who weren’t around when magazine journalism was at its peak, can you explain who read magazines and what they were for?
Before the internet, that’s where you found out everything. Magazines had a real voice and a character to them. You didn’t want to miss an issue. Specialist magazines are for people who really cared about that topic. For me that was music and gaming and in both worlds I really felt part of that readership. You also have had radio specialist radio or TV shows but magazines were the best information sources in terms of keeping people up to date and feeding their thirst for knowledge – or helping them break into that world too.
How Wales is reclaiming its place in electronic music history– Dave Jenkins DJ MAG
Can you explain what editorial means?
I always thought it was more related to good journalistic practices and the authentication of something that’s been written. That is kind of right, but it also represents an editorial voice. Editorial represents the entire writing team, the brand and the platform. Editorial freedom is the autonomy of journalists and editors to make content decisions about what to report, how to report it and which research to publish without external influence like owners, governments or advertisers.
That’s interesting, because advertisers are an important part of how magazines make money…
Totally! That’s the wonderful balance when a magazine or any editorial platform has the right people and culture and balance. There’s a group of creative enthusiasts who want to make this informative content and entertain and educate and enthrall people and tell amazing stories. But on the flip side, there’s a group of commercial people who are just as inspired about making money and love business. A really well-run magazine would have an editorial voice that is so strong and so clear that it attracts a particular type of audience that advertisers want to attract too.
What’s the difference between an editorial editor and a DSP editor?
I think written editorial is real editorial and editors on DSPs are gatekeepers. There’s nothing editorial about creating a playlist or curating artists. I think it’s a really brash appropriation of a word that had a hell of a lot of value and no longer has.
Editorial is much more than curating. It’s a way of telling a story and having a dynamic that entertains people but takes in a much wider and deeper context. Whether that’s Jeremy Clarkson getting boomers hot under the collar in the Daily Mail or yourself talking about something really important that needs to happen within dance music. There is a beginning and an end, a flow and a good storytelling device. There’s an emotional attachment and there is a balanced opinion. That’s what proper editorial is to me.
Can you talk to us about the difference for an artist between editorial and promo…
I think music journalism is really special in that a lot of music journalists are musicians or creators themselves and are very creative people. We’ve chosen that path in life because we really really love it. And we also know how hard it is to become a producer or a DJ or a musician in any way. There’s a level of respect.
But this passion makes the line between editorial and promo almost invisible. An interview on UKF or an article in DJ Mag is amazing promo but it should be written with an editorial voice meaning that it’s not just saying about how good someone or something is but taking in a much deeper context and history. Reviews are a great example; they’re getting some exposure, but they have no control over what you say. You have editorial freedom to be as critical as you feel you need to be in terms of keeping standards high and also what the magazine and their readership are going to be interested in.
Another big difference is who it’s come from. Anybody could get their manager or their friend to interview them on a video and put it on social media. That’s promo. But if you or me or any one of your writers interview them that’s editorial because they’ve got a professional in who they’re going to trust. They’re not going to have so much control over what is said, but they know what the outcome will be. It will be worthwhile, valid and authentic.
Essentially, editorial is great PR because the artist is allowing the writer or content maker’s own creative perspective and integrity.
What’s the role of PR?
So PRs were in the centre of everything for a long time. Besides the journalist’s own experiences, knowledge base and contacts, a very prominent source of input into any music platform would be a PR. Back in the zine days they’d be ringing up the office chewing your ear off being like, “I’ve got this, maybe we could do an exclusive with that, maybe we could send you to Belgrade to interview this person”.
Good PRs are great. They’re part of that whole system. They know the scene, the artists, labels, journalists, who the specialists are and would work with you to create something unique for the platform. Bad PRs can be really awful though. They can throttle space and end up getting similar articles on rival titles which would totally dilute any exclusivity.
Let’s go back to magazines a little bit. Where did that money come from? How did magazines make a profit?
Advertising. I still remember my first falling out with the advertising sales department. It was at iDJ and suddenly four pages were taken right at the end of the creative cycle of an issue because more ads had been sold. One of my earliest features got pulled as a result. I remember being upset and having a strop but was pulled aside by Russ, my old editor, who’s amazing and I learned so much from. He said, “Without them selling advertising, we don’t have a job. We don’t have wages. Open your eyes. This is a commercial operation.” That was a realisation for me and led to me understanding the balance between creative and commerce and how to find a story in anything. Basically if sales want you to cover something to sweeten an advertiser, you need to find what is interesting to tell that story. Everyone has a story, there’s something interesting to say about anything if you dig deep enough or consider the right angle. Mags taught me how to do that.
A really good example at iDJ was around 2010. Sub Focus was blowing up and I had him on the cover but the sales team wanted to do a tech special and feature loads of kit. So I suggested Sub Focus reviewing and playing with all of this kit and everyone was on board. We went down to his studio and had this amazing day. The sales team were happy because they’d made a lot of clients very happy. The editorial team were happy because we had this amazing exclusive and Sub Focus was in his element too because he could talk about tech and get super nerdy. That’s one of my fave examples of creative and commercial working in harmony.
Let’s talk about the changes in journalism in recent years…
So an interesting turning point about 20 odd years ago was blogs. They really set the tone for digital journalism and came from fans who were so passionate and connected to the music they were on the cutting edge. They didn’t rely on PRs or any of the old structures. But wages and the economy were in such a different situation then that more people had more time to have hobbies and people still sought and bought music instead of streaming things for free. Blogs changed the game but even that seems old school now. 20 years deeper into internet culture and social media giving everyone that platform – but also controlling what people see through algorithms – people have gone back to appreciating print because, just like vinyl, it’s no longer throwaway. It might not fall off a web search in three or four years. It’s there, it’s in print. It’s happened and it’s in your hands. Magazine authenticity has held value because the internet has become so throwaway and full of slop.
Where did the whole monetary ecosystem surrounding journalism disappear to? How do the professionals get paid?
Any ad revenue that could be made – say from labels, promoters, kit companies etc – is now all spent on Meta and Google, every single bit. Artists sometimes say, even recently, “Yeah, well my interview will attract people to your site and then you will get ad revenue from that.” But that doesn’t happen any more. Hasn’t in years. That’s how all-encompassing social media has become, especially Meta.
But there is another model that’s inspired me… UKF, Bandcamp, Beatportal. These are solid sources for editorial yet they have a different funding structure; either streaming, merch, events or music sales. The editorial then acts as a shop window to what that brand stands for and helps validate the brand’s standing within the wider picture and give it authenticity and a stronger voice that supports the wider culture. Unfortunately for brands, that type of credibility is hard to quantify or put a metric to so it means it’s always the first to be chopped from a budget when purse strings are being tightened.
An Interview With A Ghost Producer- Dave Jenkins UKF
There can be a lack of understanding of how important authenticity is to a brand but it’s a hard sell without metrics to back it up.
There’s no spreadsheet that could ever tell anybody. It’s like, “What the hell is this guy doing? Where’s the returns?” It’s only when you talk to the fans or the person being interviewed or their collective and you’ll hear how credibility was tangible. Editorial almost needs to be put down as marketing spend like advertising. Ironically.
So the money has gone somewhere else, but editorial is still providing this currency of credibility. But journalists still need to eat. What’s the new model?
This is the big question and I think the fact that UKF still exists and interviews people is a great example. I’m really proud that a big chunk of my career was being part of that type of model with such a big brand while having so much editorial freedom and I’d like to see more of that from other big platforms. Also Vision Radio is another good example. Even back as Noisia Radio – the guys never had to support so many other artists but they did because of their appreciation of the wider picture. And still do now as Vision Radio. Again, I’m incredibly proud to be part of that.
Another model – for existing music journalists who have earned their stripes and have credibility – is for artists and brands to invest in those journalists to create editorial that can’t be made by any old person. Editorial coverage from smaller brands – like my own platform 1 More Thing for example – simply cannot be free any more. So, like paying for a photographer or PR, a journalist writing an interview on you is an investment. We can help you find your story and really identify what it is about you that will resonate with the world and help you reach more ears. That’s the way that I’ve kind of pivoted 1 More Thing – if you’ve got something special to say or you want to push the boat out, get a nice piece of editorial and then really exploit and utilise that content. Don’t just give it one little share but frequently draw upon it like you would use press shots.
So if people can pay do they automatically get coverage?
The most important thing for me in terms of how this is structured is making sure it’s inclusive but also has integrity.
I believe everyone has a story to tell and a good journalist will help all artists find their story. So unless the music or source is right wing, abusive, unethical or simply unimaginative cut and paste Splice rinsing, or AI slop, then I’ll be as inclusive as I can. And if we can’t work out something then I wouldn’t take their money or compromise the space I’m providing.
As I mentioned before, I really want to encourage anyone who has any editorial coverage to use their interview a lot more than they do. It seems like just sharing it once is enough when it’s not. If you have an interview – whether it’s paid for or you’re lucky to get a spot on UKF or DJ Mag or something – rinse the hell out of it! Get clips, do quote graphics, share it on stories every day, email it out to people, send it on a Whatsapp group. That’s something that I talk about a lot with anyone who’s asking about paying for editorial – we’re not just doing this just to put hype around your single, let’s have something that you can share a bunch of times and still come back to it a year and be like, “Yeah, that was really cool.”
What about models where the fans pay for the content- like they did with magazines?
That’s a really successful model in other cultures like sport but I feel music has been devalued so much that’s hard to create paywalls. Patreon has showed that it can work but it seems to work best with individuals and not editorial brands. It’s amazing when anyone supports 1 More Thing on Patreon but it also creates an additional expectancy from the subscriber that can get in the way of the platform’s process. Plus for me, this puts the onus on the people who can’t afford to pay for it – the fan, the emergent artist, the person who, like me, has no money. This is why I feel that in music the bigger organizations, and the bigger labels, the artist agencies or massive promoters who have profited from the music should be more invested in the future and the wider picture.
For example, if I was a manager or a profit making label or brand, I would be investing in editorial platforms because that’s where I’m going to find my new artists and see where the music is heading. If working in music for 20 years has taught me one thing it’s that everything is just a phase. Some headliners stick around, most have a lifespan and the new generation has its own energy and ambassadors. An editorial site that gives space to those emergent people – and the artists on the fringes and under-represented groups – is where you are likely to find the next headliners. I would love to see the people who’ve made a lot of money from this culture invest in editorial with this in mind. It’s a holistic approach of being a bit more community-minded and not so painfully greedy, commercial and blinkered.
How are labels and artists reacting to this newer payment model?
When I first announced paid editorial I thought I’d get a lot of backlash but actually it was encouraging. Sadly the main people paying are those with the same tight budgets as me but bigger labels have invested. Dispatch and Metalheadz have all invested in editorial on 1 More Thing at one point and I’d love to see more of that.
Benny V Interview– Dave Jenkins 1 More Thing
What about up and coming artists and smaller labels?
Because they’re mainly run by younger heads – a lot of whom grew up reading and watching my interviews – they get it and make up the majority of people requesting editorial. Labels like Yamatai or Run Da Riddim for example.
But I don’t want to exploit younger brands with smaller budgets. Over time, if I can get it right, then hopefully I’ll be able to give some coverage for free to people who I know can’t afford things yet. The main thing for me is to create something that gives value and helps artists on their journey. If I do that right then we all benefit.
So the stand out line is, in a world of social media and self-releases, independent editorial is still necessary. We just need to find a way to pay for it…
I think so. Because there’s so much noise and so much nonsense. Everybody’s trying to make a noise and trying to get attention. Especially on social media. Videos I’m seeing on my thread now are so needy and beggy and ego-obsessed making it even more important to have some form of third party validation to tell your story.
Also, it’s created this unfair split. Some artists are naturally very good at making content and they’re able to cut through the noise or they’re making the right noise at the right time with the right people. But there are so many others who can’t do that because it’s not in their nature. Yet they make amazing music that should be given the same opportunity.
But there are some great blogs and great writers out there who can help people cut through. And even if an interview boosts that artist’s confidence, then it’s part of their journey really. And the human touch and authenticity is more important than ever.
Any final thoughts?
We all need to look at the bigger picture. I think any DJ, brand, manager or platform or anybody who’s made a lot of money from this music should bear in mind that 99% of us haven’t. And sharing is caring and don’t be so f****** greedy! Sponsor a podcast, help a grassroots project, invest in editorial and look beyond your own profile because culture is about everyone and not just a commercial rat race to the top while removing all the foundations.
And also to music fans – please be better fans! Stop being so passive! My fave memories of being on UKF was when social media was a lot less toxic and I’d drop an interview and everyone would get really excited. I’d see so many people sharing it or talking about it. People gave a sh*t and it feels like because of the way of the world and the internet, we just don’t have bandwidth or time to care as much. But we need to or the commercial derivative slop will win. Buy the music, don’t just stream it. Actively search for new artists to support and check the editorial more! Read it, share it, and get in touch with the artist or the interviewer and say what you feel about it. A little positivity goes such a long way in this game.
Bottom line – I think if we continue to rely purely on using social media for promotion and only focusing on ourselves and our own profile and audience then we are in trouble. Letting the big brands and artists with money lead the conversation, the line-ups and all the ‘editorial’ playlist picks in the way that is currently dominating dance music is a surefire way to lose everything we had that made this scene special. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk!
