MIX MAG DPS ANALYSIS

layout of the magazine

There are columns on the left and right of the page as well as some at the bottom of the page. In the middle there is a collage of pictures that are arranged irreguarly. Also, on the right hand side there is a flow line going from top to bottom and is seperated by a gutter.

what is it about?> The purpose of the double page is to inform the readers

about the new DJ (dancehall) that has made his way to the top of the list. It also includes an interview with the DJ and other artists (such as Riddim) about the DJ and how they have helped him.

How does it conform to the housestyle?

> It conforms to the house style as the magazine itself includes bright colours. This particular issue has the colour scheme of white, black and yellow. Also, their double page spreads are normally full of colour and have very eye catching pictures. It also conforms to the house style by having the image in the middle and the text on either side of the magazine.

Header> The header is in bold black and in a stencil type face.

This is a similar type face to the contents page where it says “contents”. It is also has an indent in the words “is a” which creates an edgy look. Also, it is a play on words as there is a famous song with the line “Rhythm is a dancer” and here they have used the DJ’s name (Riddim) to re create the lyric. This gets the audiences attention quickly as they have used a song that everyone would know.

conventions> At the start of the article there is a large black dot. This

breaks up the article and shows that the paragraph is the start of the article. It also acts as an accent to the page. In addition, there is usually a large dot at the beginning of articles on a double page spread in a Mix Mag magazine and this adds onto the house style.

quotation> There are also quotations used in the double page from

the interview that the magazine did. It makes the reader more informed about the artists opinions and gives them information from an experts perspective.

standfirst> There is a standfirst which introuduces the reader to the

artist being talked about. Here the standfirst is quite humourous and it grips the reader as it sets the tone of the article and also what it’s about. It also lets those who don’t know who the DJ is get a feel of who they are and what they’re about. For example, in this standfirst we can tell that the artist is Jamaican and that his music is hitting all the charts.

picture to text ratio> There are more pictures than text in this double page

spread and this is reflective of the genre of the magazine as it’s more of a creative genre rather than lyrical. Also, the pictures are arranged irregularly and this reflects the music listeners as they could be seen as irregular (due to their taste in clothes and make-up etc). It also draws the reader in immediately and you can see what the article is focused on (the DJ and the clubs he’s been to).

images> The people in the pictures

are wearing casual clothes and some of the girls are wearing revealing clothes. Most of the men are wearing snapbacks with sun glasses. The men are subverting the genre of music as they are wearing ‘normal clothes’ they aren’t as bright as they would normally be stereotyped to wear.

> There is a lot of light focused on the peoples faces and their body and this conforms to the genre as there is always a lot of lighting in a club. In addition, there is a yellow filter on top of the whole double page spread which can be seen as another light put on to the people. It could act as the main spotlight on the pictures and the text.

> Also, the filter on top of the images and text makes it much more appealing to the eye and makes it very bright. This would conform to the genre as the concerts where EDM are played is very bright and appealing.

> The people are putting their hands up and some are holding red cups which suggests that they’re drinking alcohol. This conforms to the genre as they would be dancing and waving their arms about as the music is up beat and something you can dance to . They would also be stereotyped to be drinking alcohol and here the images conform to this stereotype.

> It’s hard to tell exactly where it is set as the background is dark but their actions and the props suggest that they’re in a club. This conforms to the genre as EDM is usually played at clubs and many people who listen to EDM would mostly be in clubs.

language features> The article uses a lot of adjectives to describe the artists

music. An example of this would be “... being drowned out by the piercing blaze of whistles and horns...” This leads the reader to believe that the new artists’ music is better than any one elses as it ‘drowns’ their tracks out. Also, the word ‘blaze’ suggests that the music has a lot of beats and is more electronic based. The word blaze could mean an intense outburst and this can be related to the artist as his music could be really intense and it is all of a sudden -an outburst. This may entice the readers into listening to Dancehall.

alliteration> The spread also uses alliteration "steadily stalking" which

suggests that his music is slowly making it's way up and is being played across the UK gradually. It makes the reader believe that the new artist is really good as he is making his way into all the clubs across Britian. It may also make them want to read on to find out where he is playing and to find out if he would be coming to an area near them.

> This links to the magazine as Mixmag are known for being playful in their choice of words. The title itself has alliteration in it which tells us that they are fond of using language techniques in their magazines.

direct address> "you'll have heard..." makes the reader feel involved in the

aritcle and as though the writer is speaking directly towards them. They would feel as though they need to listen to what the writer has to say and take it on board. Also, this along side the informal tone of the article makes the reader more likely to agree with the writer as they would be on a more 'friendly' level.

> This links to the music magazine as it aims to help those who want to find new artists and new clubs. Having direct address would make it easier for readers to understand and since many of the readers are DJ's themselves, it creates an expert relationship from writer to reader.

What is the tone of the magazine?> The magazine has a very friendly and informal tone. This relates to the

magazine company as they aim to help others and it is more appropriate to have a friendly tone as readers would more likely want to read their articles. Also, most of the readers are young and so the informal tone would suit their readers better.

> It relates to the genre of music as it is upbeat and lively and it wouldn't be suitable having a formal and professional tone. Therefore, a friendly tone is used.

> Furthermore, those who listen to EDM are friendly themselves and are heavy social network users. As a result, they would more liekly be using informal language when speaking to others. This makes it even more appropiate to use an informal tone as it's alsmot like a fan talking to another fan.