11 Years of Decoded Magazine (Well, 12 If You Count Our Past Lives)

Right then. Let’s get one thing straight, Decoded Magazine turns 11 years old this week, and we’re feeling a bit sentimental. But if we’re being really honest (and when are we not?), we’re technically 12 if you count our original incarnation: the wonderfully named and slightly more progressive-leaning This is Progressive.

Yep. That was us.

From Humble Roots to Heavy Rotations

Decoded Magazine began as a passion project in 2013, born out of long nights, dusty record bags, and a shared love for the underground. We were founded by a ragtag team of likeminded misfits and music lovers: Simon Huxtable, Ian French, Daz Pearson, Jaap Ligthart, Mick Finucane and myself, Damion Pell.

From early on, our mission was simple, no clickbait, no fluff, just proper writing about proper music. Long-form interviews. Honest reviews. Curated content. Stuff that respected the intelligence of our readers and the integrity of the scene.

And after a few re-shuffles, a global pandemic, a few grey hairs, and more than one website rebuild, I took over full ownership of Decoded in 2023, a terrifying and exciting moment. But here we are. Still standing. Still raving. Still shouting about dub techno at inappropriate dinner parties.

A New Era, A New Lick of Paint

We’re entering a very exciting time for the magazine. There’s a subtle rebrand in the works (don’t worry, we’re not going full NFT….. is that even still a thing?), and a new visual refresh to help make your eyes happier while scrolling through 2,000-word interviews at 2am. You’ll also be seeing a broader mix of content on the site, more travel, more lifestyle, more bars and restaurants, you know, the other things we love when we’re not lost in a warehouse at 3am with our phones on airplane mode.

Decoded is growing. We’re not abandoning our roots, just watering them with a well-made negroni.

Mix of the Month Is Back — and Better Than Ever

One of the most exciting things this year? Our Mix of the Month series is well and truly back, and absolutely flying. Some of the entries we’ve received have blown us away, wild genre fusions, deep crates, impeccable programming. It’s proof that great DJs aren’t always the ones with a million followers. Sometimes, they’re the ones still quietly perfecting blends in their kitchen at 4am.

To help manage this beautiful madness, we’ve welcomed Ben Clifford to the team. He’s now officially overseeing MOTM (that’s Mix of the Month for the uninitiated) a monumental task that involves judging, wrangling, replying, and trying to avoid inbox meltdowns. Wish him luck. Entries are open to pretty much most styles, by the way, whether you’re slinging ambient jungle, microhouse, dubby techno, weird slo-mo breakbeat.

New Faces, New Stories, New Energy

Over the coming months, we’re opening the doors wider than ever, more artists, more promoters, more genre-agnostic chaos. We want to platform emerging voices, unsung heroes, and people doing cool stuff far away from the main stage.

But we’re also aware that we don’t have all the answers.

Which is why we want to hear from you.

What do you want to read more of?
Who should we be interviewing?
What music’s moving you right now?
Are we doing a decent job? Are we absolutely terrible? Or just comfortably average with occasional flashes of brilliance?

Honestly, we’ll take any feedback, as long as it’s not in Comic Sans and generic tech-House

Drop us an email. Slide into our DMs. Send a pigeon. We’re listening.

Thank You (Yes, You)

To everyone who has contributed over the years — the writers, photographers, editors, guest DJs, label bosses, readers, silent supporters and even the guy who once accused us of being “elitist hipsters who hate EDM”… thank you. Truly.

You made this happen.
You helped us grow.
You reminded us why this strange little world of electronic music is still worth writing about.

And if you’re a writer, DJ, culture obsessive, or just someone who wants to get involved — we’d love to hear from you. We’re building something special, and there’s room at the table. You can find out more here https://www.decodedmagazine.com/want-to-write-for-us/

Here’s to the next 11(ish) years of Decoded Magazine.

No rules. No clickbait. No sellouts.
Just music, community, and stories worth telling.

Love,
Damion
Editor / DJ / Occasional Irish Whiskey enthusiast
Decoded Magazine

by Damion Pell

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