New Books in Critical Theory Mattin, "Social Dissonance" (MIT Press, 2022)
Nov 7, 2025
Exploring the complexity of self-image, a compelling discussion unfolds around how political and linguistic forces shape our identities. Mattin examines social dissonance as a reflection of inequality, emphasizing the role of art and noise in facilitating audience participation. He critiques the limitations of traditional noise aesthetics while advocating for aesthetic estrangement to reveal structural issues. The conversation dives into alienation and opportunities for collective action, aiming to inspire hopeful community-building amidst contemporary challenges.
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A Listener's Two Encounters
- Pierre recounts experiencing Social Dissonance twice, leaving once from impatience and staying another time to be bewildered by exercises.
- The performance forced participants into public vulnerability and repeated rearrangements of social relations.
Making Social Dissonance Audible
- Social dissonance names the gap between liberal ideals (equality, freedom) and everyday reproduction of inequality under capitalism.
- Mattin uses performance to collectivize that cognitive dissonance and make it an object to play with.
From Sonic Noise To Social Material
- Mattin shifted from sonic noise to social interaction when he realized assumed individual freedom undergirds noise scenes.
- He treats the lack of individual freedom as material for improvisation and collective play.
