Shannah Muscat

Smashed to Shit is a local zine (think DIY magazine), designed and curated by David Cauchi, carrying the slogan “għall-punks, mill-punks” (for punks, by punks). For those familiar with Malta’s punk history, it echoes the spirit of the original MaltaPunks zine Pissed and Fucked Up, which featured contributions from notorious scene figures such as Kinnie (no, not the drink), Żgħiru, iċ-Ċiz, il-Baħri, and countless more. Though it features lengthy tales of the underground back in the day,...

Malta’s underground scene keeps getting richer, but it often feels as if there is no proper place to accommodate it. Malta's newest underground music event, Subterranean, is putting community at the heart of everything. With a mission to uplift emerging artists and give Malta's underground music scene the platform it deserves, it aims to create a recurring space outside of the mainstream circuit built by the scene, for the scene. The first edition takes place on 23rd August at The Garage,...

Interplay, showcased at Spazju Kreattiv for ICA Festival 2026, is a magazine that puts graphic design and music side by side, featuring interviews with Maltese musicians Mark Abela, Samwel Mallia, and Ben Bailey. I spoke to Jerome, a graduating BA (Hons) Graphic Design student at MCAST, about his dissertation project, and why he believes design is a pivotal, often invisible, part of how we experience music. S: What inspired you to revolve your project around music, especially as a graphic...