Fact (UK magazine)
 | |
| Editor | Al Horner |
|---|---|
| Categories | Music magazine |
| Year founded | 2003 |
| Final issue | 2008 (print) |
| Company | The Vinyl Factory |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Website |
www |
Fact (stylised as FACT) is a music publication that launched in the UK in 2003. Fact covers a wide range of UK, US and international music and youth culture, with particular focus on electronic, pop, rap, and experimental artists. Fact was named “music website of the year” by The New Yorker in 2007, and has been described as “influential” by The Guardian.
Having started as a bi-monthly print magazine, Fact went digital in 2007, focusing its efforts on its website and online TV channel Fact TV, which produces documentaries and videos including the popular series Against The Clock. Fact is also known for its weekly Fact Mixes, Singles Club review series and more recently, Make Music, a section aimed at inspiring producers and bedroom musicians.
As of March 2018, Fact operates out of a London office, with additional full-time staff in Los Angeles and New York City. Fact is part of The Vinyl Factory group.
History
Fact was founded in 2003 and during its run as a print magazine, it became notable for commissioning covers by artists including M.I.A., Bat for Lashes, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Peter Saville, Trevor Jackson, Klaxons and Brazil's Os Gemeos. It reached a peak circulation of 28,000 (25,000 UK and 3,000 overseas) and readership of 100,000+ per issue, having been available free from independent record stores, selected clothing outlets and music/arts venues in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Japan. After its final print edition in 2008, FACT continued as exclusively as an online magazine.
Popular Franchises
- Against The Clock: A video series in which artists are given 10 minutes to create a track from scratch, with FACT filming every step along the way in real time. High-profile guests have included Mndsgn, Flux Pavilion and Southside.
- FACT Mix: A weekly series in which artists are invited to create their own mixes for fans to stream and download. Often these include new, exclusive music, and insight on the artists that inspire the acts in question. Sigur Ros, Animal Collective, Mike Patton and more have all contributed to the series, which in 2015 surpassed 500 episodes.
- Make Music: A section of FACT dedicated to making music at home, whether that’s with an arsenal of gear or on an iPhone.
- Singles Club: A weekly round table review of that week’s biggest singles.
Dr Martens advertisement controversy
In 2007, some controversy was caused when Dr Martens placed an advertisement in FACT featuring manipulated photographs of a number of dead rock musicians so that they appeared to be wearing the company's boots in heaven. When some of these musicians' families saw the advert, they reacted angrily, leading Dr Martens to dismiss their advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi.[1][2]