Ad Hoc’s DIY aesthetic

We were greatly saddened when we heard that Altered Zones was no more. The esoteric blog, sister-site to Pitchfork (but infinitely more interesting) was always uncovering incredible stuff, from the soul-shredding death of Ash Borer to the synth-weirdness of Jaws. That’s why we were ecstatic to learn about the blog’s successor Ad Hoc. Run by former AZ editors Emilie Friedlander and Ric Leichtung, Ad Hoc is already living up to its DIY principles….and it hasn’t even launched yet. The creators have just started a tumblr called Ask Ad Hoc, with the following statement posted by Friedlander:

“I set up this Tumblr as part of a course requirement for Adam Penenberg’s “Entrepreneurial Journalism,” a class I am taking at NYU this semester. Ask Ad Hoc is a companion blog to Ad Hoc, a new underground music and visual culture publication I am starting with International Tapes founder Ric Leichtung, my former co-editor at Altered Zones. Since our editorial focus will be the new grassroots, Internet-fueled DIY, I thought I would use this forum as a way of tracking the progress of the project itself, and providing you all with some insights on how to build your own music publication from the bottom up.

In addition to sharing what I learn, I’d like to invite you to chime in. Send in any questions you may have about starting your own site, building a loyal following, or music blogging in general to adhocemilie@gmail.com, or using the “Ask Ad Hoc” button on the right sidebar. I’ll do my best to answer the good ones.”

Do It Yourself attitude with a side of underground community spirit? That’s the kind of stuff we love to see. There’s nothing to read yet (the tumblr is really new) but there will be, so be sure to follow along here.

Published January 30, 2012.