The people behind defunct dance magazine Jockey Slut have launched a quarterly title that they hope to publish monthly by next year.
Dummy, a boutique title which covers a more selective musical terrain than weeklies such as the NME, aims to woo readers with arty design and photography.
A dummy version came 17th in Esquire’s ‘best thing in the media’ survey last year.
Editor Chris Cottingham, who was news and reviews editor on Jockey Slut, said: "I think that there are some great music mags on the shelves, especially for the 30- and 40-something age group.
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But there isn’t one that is truly covering a broad range of new music aimed at readers in their 20s."
Dummy aims to be a viable alternative to the "mature, conservative brands that are at odds with the more vibrant than ever UK music scene".
Jockey Slut co-founders Paul Benney and John Burgess are publisher and associate editor respectively on Dummy.
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Former Jockey Slut publishing director Rich Sutcliffe is associate publisher.
The resurgence in the music mags market was illustrated by last month’s ABCs, up 6.4 per cent year-on-year.
Development Hell is revamping dance magazine Mixmag but Cottingham said the team had no intention of doing the same with Jockey Slut.
He added: "Jockey Slut was of its time and that time has passed."
■ In a separate development, Rock Sound has undergone its biggest ever refurbishment after an almost 5 per cent hike in the latest ABCs. The independent title, previously owned by French company IXO Publishing, has been perfect bound to differentiate itself from the weeklies, with a sections overhaul and new logo.
Editor Darren Taylor said: "We are an independent title which is growing. We hope that with the revamped sections and something like Smash Hits! closing we can pick up new readers. Obviously, we’re not the same end of the sector as Smash Hits!, but kids who previously read it are discovering new music and we can take them with us."
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