5 Magazine presents The Legend of Paul Johnson
A 5 Mag special issue on the life & music of a beloved Chicago House Music pioneer.
5 Magazine presents The Legend of Paul Johnson
A 5 Mag special issue on the life & music of a beloved Chicago House Music pioneer.
ANNOUNCE: The Legend of Paul Johnson
5 Mag's next issue is a big one: a special edition dedicated solely to the story of beloved Chicago house icon Paul Johnson.
Message From Our Founder: 5 Mag Turns 20
Back in 2005, we never dreamed this little labor of love would still be here in 2025...
Winter Music Conference announces 2026 Miami dates
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Viva Acid announces music programming for 2025 event series
Four separate events over four nights as part of Viva Acid's 2025 Chicago event series.
Chicago House Music Festival & Conference announces lineup and set-times for 2025
This year's free public festival stretches across four days staring August 21 2025 with a renewed emphasis on house dance.
Quicktastic mix – 5 Mag RISE vol 37
Chicago's own Quicktastic takes over this week's RISE mix from 5 Mag.
Lori Branch mix – 5 Mag RISE vol 36
Spend 60 minutes with Chicago house music pioneer Lori Branch in this week's 5 Mag RISE mix.
Czboogie DJ Mix – Live at Horse Meat Disco @ Metro / Smartbar
5 Mag's Czboogie opening set for the Horse Meat Disco Party at Metro/Smartbar on 7/3/2025. 1st and 2nd parts of a tag set.
Egyptian Lover test drives the new Roland TR-1000
Beatmaking legend The Egyptian Lover demos Roland's new "beast," the TR-1000 Rhythm Creator.
A Moog for the Masses?
With Messenger, Moog brings a legendary sound down to a price where mere mortals can experience it.
Granular synthesis made beautiful with Motion: Fractal
Add motion to your music productions via granular synthesis and an amazing rhythmic toolbox with Excite Audio’s dreamy new plugin.
Mike Huckaby: A Production Primer
Thomas Cox on the "tight but focused" discography and musical evolution of a dance music icon, Mike Huckaby.
The CIA/Tech House Connection: it’s even worse than you think
The CIA "tech house" rebrand launched a thousand memes. Congrats: you participated in a viral marketing campaign.
The Side Hustle from Hell: Tracking the DJ King of Donetsk
Hacking, Russian agents & a cybercrime boss with a love for the vibe: the strange story of Vyacheslav Penchukov, the DJ king of Donetsk.
Lost Astronaut: The Last Records of Tranquility Bass
Michael Kandel was many things to many people at different times, but his musical career...
Rock The House: Rodney Bakerr and Rockin’ House Records
Averaging just one record a year since 1986, Rodney Bakerr's Rockin' House Records makes a...
Boiler Room releases official statement disavowing the owner of Boiler Room
You gotta really think about this one for a minute.
Put a fork in it: the demise of Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival
This is what happens when you let ghouls establish ownership over your culture.
Why American broadcasters will never pay performance royalties
Faced with another congressional push to close their billion dollar loophole, the AM/FM industry is fighting hard to keep performance royalties from artists.
Atomic Age Drum Machines: the Ghost Orchestras of Harry Chamberlin
Musicians' unions once banned these machines for fear they would put their members out of work. The incredible story of the insulation installer who developed the world's first commercial drum machine.
Space Oddity: the weird history of the Soviet ANS synthesizer
The sound of Tarkovsky's Solaris, The Mirror and Stalker was generated by a strange machine that created sounds with drawings.
The Inside Story of As You Like It
The Bay Area residency is now 2020's best new underground label. Lauren Krieger on the history, tragedy & journey of As You Like It Recordings.
For All Mankind: Electronic Music on the Moon
Brian Eno, Jeff Mills and Michael Kandel offer radically different interpretations of the relationship between humans, the Moon and the Earth.
Lost Astronaut: The Last Records of Tranquility Bass
Michael Kandel was many things to many people at different times, but his musical career...
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5 Magazine presents The Legend of Paul Johnson
A 5 Mag special issue on the life & music of a beloved Chicago House Music pioneer.






























































































