All Stories
Every interview, review and photo essay MAT Magazine has published, newest first.
The Internet Keeps Inventing Tiny Subcultures, and That's the Point
Micro-aesthetics now rise and fade within months. A look at why the churn itself has become the culture.
Review: A Record Made in a Bedroom, and It Shows
The new self-released album from Kelas Malam trades studio polish for something harder to fake.
Label Spotlight: The Brand That Makes Forty Pieces a Season
Why a small independent label capped its own production, and turned down wholesale orders to keep it that way.
Why Film Came Back for a Generation That Never Used It
Film stock sales are up again, driven almost entirely by photographers under 25 who grew up fully digital.
The Language of Riso Print
Why a stencil duplicator from the 1980s became the house style of independent publishing.
Interview: Sungai Kecil on Turning Down Their First Label Offer
The trio explain why they said no to a deal most bands their size would take without hesitation.
Festival Roundup: Six Shorts Worth Tracking Down
Highlights from this year's independent short film circuit, none of which have wide distribution yet.
The Second Life of a Thrifted Jacket
Following one denim jacket through three owners, two reworks and a decade of secondhand style.
Portfolio: Portraits of a Scene
Photographer Bimo Satriaji spent two years shooting the regulars at a single all-ages venue. A selection from the series.
Murals That Outlive the Wall
Inside a collective repainting the same three blocks for a decade, one demolition notice at a time.
Scene Report: Inside the Basement Circuit
A tour of the informal, word-of-mouth venue network keeping all-ages shows alive without a single official stage.
Shooting an Album Cover for Under a Million
A behind-the-scenes look at the one-day, borrowed-lights shoot behind a breakout DIY record's cover art.
Book Review: A Novel Written Entirely in Group Chat Messages
An indie press release experiments with form, and mostly earns the gimmick.
Thrift Culture and the Price of Getting Popular
As secondhand shopping goes mainstream, longtime thrifters weigh what's been gained and what's been priced out.
The MAT Mixtape: August
Eleven tracks from bands you likely haven't heard yet, curated from this month's demo inbox.
The Zine Table as an Art Form
A short history of how photocopied pamphlets became a collecting category, and why makers are ambivalent about it.
Runway Report: A Show With No Runway
An independent fashion collective staged its latest collection in a parking garage, models walking between parked cars.
Photo Essay: After Midnight at the Market
A wandering photo essay through a night market that only really comes alive once the day-trade stalls close.
Gatekeeping Versus Community: An Op-Ed
DIY scenes have always argued about who counts as 'in.' That argument might be doing more work than it gets credit for.
Interview: Installation Artist Rea Wibowo on Working With Rooms
The artist behind three sold-out sound-and-light installations talks about designing for a space rather than a wall.