The new issue is out now!
Pick up a copy around town at these fine establishments.
Sounds of My City
Through the pandemic, police violence and racial injustice, Black music remains resilient in Portland.
"I want to amplify Black voices without sacrificing the clarity of our voices," says Mac Smiff, who guest edits the new print issue of Vortex. Full of the Black voices and perspectives that Portland needs to hear, there are informative, emotional and thought-provoking writings by Jenni Moore, Brookfield Duece, Friends of Noise's André Middleton and Donovan M. Smith, shots by Black photographers, and the art of #PDXmusic makers and shakers like Parisalexa, Jordan Fletcher, People Music., Trap Kitchen, Produce and many more.
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Behind the Cover: Casso Dinero's Illustration for Issue 25
January 12, 2021 10:00am
Music—like all art—requires inspiration. Too often, for Black artists, that inspiration is our lives. 
From The Editor
Welcome To Our World
Mac Smiff - Dec 7, 2020
"I want to amplify Black voices without sacrificing the clarity of our voices," says Mac Smiff, who guest edits the new print issue of Vortex. Featuring work from Black writers, photographers and...-
Soundcheck: The Youth Movement
Photos by Carlos Andres Cortes
January 11, 2021 12:30pm
Young voices were forced to the frontlines this past summer and many youth discovered the power they hold. 
Community
My Layoff Was My Trap Door to Freedom
Jenni Moore - Jan 14, 2021
For BIPOC writers, the freelance game might just be the way to survive this mass media industry without experiencing burnout.-
Soundcheck: People Music.
Photos by Joshua Manus
January 13, 2021 12:00pm
From protests in the streets to the safety of the studio, the folks at People Music. are on a mission to communally create and distribute music. 
New In #PDXmusic
Artist to Watch: Portland Is the New Backdrop for Parisalexa’s Neo-Soul
Jenni Moore - Dec 18, 2020
The Seattle singer has brought her sweetly sung heat to Portland’s R&B scene and discusses her move to the Rose City, getting signed and finding creativity during Covid.
New In #PDXmusic
Artist to Watch: Jordan Fletcher Finds a Musical Home 'Somewhere Off Alberta'
Donovan Scribes - Dec 21, 2020
Last January, the rising Portland rapper "was scared and insecure about releasing any of my music and almost gave up." Come summer, he'd taken to the streets and released a flurry of honest,...
Portraits of Portland Music
Sounds of the Black Lives Matter Movement
André Middleton - Jan 12, 2021
Through the pandemic, police violence and racial injustice, Black music remains resilient.-
Soundcheck: Trap Kitchen
Photos by Joshua Manus
January 18, 2021 12:00pm
Consistently maintaining an otherworldly hustle, Mikey Vegaz has lived a few lives in this Portland scene. 
Resources
It’s A Pandemic, Not A Panic
Brookfield Duece - Jan 26, 2021
Hip-hop artist and music biz insider Brookfield Duece believes 2020 was potentially the best and worst year simultaneously for both humankind and our art.-
Soundcheck: Produce
Photos by Joshua Manus
January 20, 2021 12:00pm
A storefront and a record label where the artists play roles in the business, Produce is exactly the kind of sustainable model the local hip-hop scene needs. 
Vortex Marketplace
Portland and Oregon's vibrant music scene is supported by a bevy of local businesses and artists who value music in our community. The following supporters of Vortex Music Magazine play a vital role in encouraging, enabling and cultivating the music that circulates through the veins and culture...
