Afterall's 'Audible Matter' Reading List Explores Sound Art Through DJ Mix Structure

Afterall published a curated reading list titled 'Audible Matter' on July 18, 2025, exploring sound's intersections with the body, time, and perception. The compilation organizes writings, installations, and albums into six tracks mimicking a DJ set structure, with Afterall texts as foundational bass, external readings as mids, and sound works as highs. Key works include Lawrence Abu Hamdan's 'Earwitness Inventory', which examines forensic listening and testimony, and Tarek Atoui's 'WITHIN', involving Deaf and hearing participants. The list features contributions from artists like Kali Malone, Raven Chacon, and Matana Roberts, alongside writings by Christopher Cox, Kodwo Eshun, and Krista Thompson. It highlights sound's role in revealing hidden phenomena like electromagnetic fields and urban acoustic ecologies, advocating for enriched sensory awareness. The collection includes concept albums such as 'Kotti Island Disc' by the Tresor Sound Project, documenting Berlin's Kottbusser Tor neighborhood. Structured as an experimental listening list, it blends articles from Afterall's archive with external readings and sonic projects to examine sound as culturally embedded and politically resonant.