Today marks 23 years since the website published its first review. Think the forums went live in the same day but I’m not sure if they took a little bit to be ready.
Not sure I had any concept of the journey from that day but here we are.
I’m currently working on a series of podcasts about the future of music journalism which will rollout across this month covering everything from climate change to Running Punks. Subscribe for free to hear these conversations when they drop Drowned in Sound
Feel like I should ask a question here to drive responses but let’s flip it, what would you like to know about DiS?
Starting it? No.
Preserving through the crap times? Also no.
Not listening to my instincts about many things? Often.
Have far too many great memories to outweigh the bad and it’s still discombobulating to think what the community has become over the years with marriages and club nights and endless conversations, many of which are incredibly important and feel so different to anywhere else online.
I think my favourite review I’ve written for the site was this Nick Cave review. It felt like an out of body experience writing it and reading it back I wish I could tap into that writer more often. I got a note from his manager saying they all really enjoyed it (so think that means Nick read it?!)
There are so many favourites by other writers but these two instantly come to mind
Broken Social Scene because it’s had a lot of lead singers, has a post rock underbelly, isn’t afraid of beautiful songs, cringy love songs, blissed out instrumentals and loudness.
The last few years have been really special. The mental health threads and the way people look out for one another especially.
The music boards definitely had a special time when the likes of James Blake and Burial were bubbling up. Maybe because I had more time to keep up but I discovered so much music around that time.
I’d really like to do either a 25 date tour or a residency somewhere like the Brudenell have see if I can get some of our favourite acts out of retirement. Could be fun?
