Perfect Beat first appeared in July 1992 and has been published by Equinox since 2009.
The journal's association with the popular cultural quest and mixed, eclectic references of the song are reflected in the articles that have appeared so far which have often concerned themselves with 'world beat' and/or 'world music' and the marketing of non-western musics in the western market and the analysis of local music production. As befits a journal originating in Australia, the journal remains focused on the popular music of the 'Pacific rim' and includes historical and contemporary studies with contributions invited from popular music studies, musicology, cultural studies and ethnomusicological perspectives.
A common theme in many of the articles published has been the development of new styles of popular music by Indigenous peoples and their relationships (beneficial and/or problematic) with the technologies and institutions of the 20th Century media and music industries.The principal contribution of Indigenous musicians and cultural activists to the journal has been through their collaboration as interviewees and/or co-authors of individual studies. The editors of the journal have endeavoured to maintain a continuing relationship with musicians, communities and cultural groups who have been the subject of study - distributing copies of the publication to interested individuals and bodies, and publishing research updates on previous material (often at the invitation/instigation of the subjects of the preceding research).
