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DJ MAG CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

We've picked out 25 pioneers from the past 25 years - do you agree?

Twenty-five years is a lifetime in dance music. Originally a scene noted for its disposability and fast-turnarounds, it’s ended up offering careers for lots of us lucky people still in love with its various twists and turns.

Much has changed since DJ Mag’s inception. Following the UK’s initial acid house explosion, DJ Mag was born in May 1991 (cover pictured above), growing out of mobile disco magazine Jocks, and some of the design was originally done by hand — using Letraset (a dry transferable lettering system).

When this writer joined the DJ Mag fam just before the Millennium, the London office was served by just one CompuServe account on one computer — it was before email and connection to the internet were standard for every computer in publishing workplaces. A lot has changed in 25 years, and this special bumper commemorative issue tries to reflect that. We’ve looked back at the foundations of the dance scene pre-1991, and then picked out 25 pioneers of the last 25 years.

The final list of 25 was the result of much debate in the office, and you may notice just from glancing at the cover that there are no women in the 25 — a fact we’re all too aware of at DJ Mag. Is there anyone we should have included? And if so in place of who?

It’s amazing how our scene has progressed globally in the past quarter of a century. We’ve tried to reflect that this issue, and it’s been fascinating delving through the archives and looking at some of the cover stars we’ve featured over the years. It’s changed a lot, but the scene is still FUCKING AMAZING. Here’s to the next 25!