Phil McMullen is a writer, and was the founding editor of Ptolemaic Terrascope magazine from 1989 until 2005, at which time management of the publication was handed over to Pat Thomas in North America. McMullen consequently ran the website named Terrascope Online and published an irregularly published periodical dedicated to music named the Terrascopaedia, a letterpress periodical devoted to music. McMullen also founded the semi-annual indie rock festivals which have taken place in Britain and North America since 1987. In 2013, he curated the first Woolf Music festival. He lives in the West of England and writes primarily about psychedelic, improvised, experimental rock and folk music.
In an interview published in 2005 Nick Saloman of the band The Bevis Frond praised McMullen and describe him as "one of that rare breed, a music fan who doesn't want to be a musician".