Tweak Magazine may look like it comes from any of the plethora of young skaters and artists that hangout at the LES skatepark and in front of Labor skateshop, but the 18 year old behind the project, Matteo Matriche, hails from a small town in Belgium— Matteo just naturally has an eye for what’s cool and a personality that attracts people from all over the world. He very well might be the coolest 18 year old from Belgium.
On October 1st, 22 Ludlow was lucky enough to be a part of issue 7’s release, hosting the first physical launch party in our space.
Skaters young and old rolled out to support Tweak and Matteo, if you hung around long enough you were bound to run into your favorite skaters (yeah yeah, but that’s the truth and if you had come and seen it for yourself you wouldn’t have to read this article about it), but Matteo wants to make it clear that Tweak isn’t just a skate zine.
Matteo started Tweak a few years ago when he was 14, self publishing the zine as a way of expressing his love for American skate culture, which in his hometown was not common. After a long hiatus, and a few years of gained wisdom and a newfound passion for fashion and art, Tweak made a comeback, this time encompassing a certain youth culture that Matteo found himself immersed in. There’s something incredibly wholesome about the magazine. It channels an old school and authentic DIY sensibility in both process and aesthetically that is reminiscent of a dying fandom, but Tweak is in no way childlike— the interviews and articles, conducted solely by Matteo opens up interesting and sophisticated conversation that is missing in many mainstream publications. Only someone involved in the scene themselves could find the access Matteo does.
Issue 7, which is available on the magazines website for purchase, features Vanna Younngstein, Steffen Grap, Virgin Suicides, and Luca Borrini, annd Caleb Barnett, along with Matteo’s own creative work.
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