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In 1992, when the internet was still a distant, futuristic dream and electronic music remained a niche, Brussels native and passionate clubber Eric Rozen launched Out Soon. The first edition of what would eventually become a legendary music magazine was rather rudimentary: a folded poster about the new and exciting sounds of house and techno printed in a few thousand copies and personally distributed by the founder to clubs and record stores. Today, that first issue is a collector’s item, followed by another 169 magazines, until Out Soon ceased to exist in 2008.
For many years, Out Soon was the magazine of choice for clubbers and lovers of electronic dance music. It was free, appeared monthly, and was always bilingual — Belgian style, quoi! At its peak, Out Soon distributed no fewer than 50,000 copies through clubs, record stores, bars, restaurants, clothing shops, and other hip, cultural spots. The design was forward-thinking, and each issue was the result of the blood, sweat, and tears of a collective of contributors.
Out Soon acted as a catalyst for a community of clubbers, DJs, labels, producers, promoters, and everyone who, in one way or another, belonged to the rapidly growing scene. Interviews, reviews, manuals for brand-new electronic music instruments, vital information about AIDS and drugs, and subversive readers’ letters and columns — Out Soon shied away from no subject. The LGBTQ+ community, too, had its own regular double spread.
Over the years, Out Soon went through several makeovers but always remained true to itself, until it finally went under in 2008 under pressure from the internet. Without a doubt, the magazine is the best-preserved and most valuable archive of the early years of the Belgian electronic music and club scene — a true piece of pioneering work that, with this book, we want to reopen and share once more with a wider audience.
