When the Drumbeat Matches the Heartbeat

You hit play on your iPod and your toes immediately start vibrating, your heart starts pulsating, your blood buzzes through your veins. That, my friends, is what I call an eargasm. An eargasm is a song that produces a stars-colliding sensation. It is a rare gem that, when found, is cherished like sweet ambrosia or, in modern terms, a box of warm Insomnia Cookies. These songs are more than just a pleasant string of notes; they are the rhythm that our heart beats to, the reason that we take a breath, and the driving force behind our entire mindset for the day.

I have been to five Glass Animals concerts and experienced five separate eargasms; each one stronger than the last. The psychedelic jungle vibes mixed with the soothing voice of the lead singer Dave Bayley has possessed my soul since Day 1 when I heard their mesmerizing song “Hazey” in the album ZABA. This song wraps me in its warm arms like a loved one would and gives me the sensation of floating through outer space while in a blanket of safety. All of the songs in the album have a dream-like quality that is dripping with lust, euphoria, and bliss. The electronic rhythms combined with the spellbinding lyrics transports me to another dimension where all I want to do is absorb the music. Who would've thought singing about pineapples would put me in such a state?

I am an avid believer of seeking out the little things in life that can give you a natural high, and this song is a perfect example of a that you can get through just a few soundwaves that tickle your soul.

“I’ve been listening to Beach House since I was like 13,” says Chloe Krammel, freshman journalism major. “Every album of theirs has a distinct meaning to me and a different time point of my life. Bloom reminds me of being in 8th grade and entering high school.”     

When Krammel hears Beach House, her face flushes with color and she automatically moves with the music as the eargasm takes over.

“When I saw Beach House live, I literally started crying. When I listen to [Beach House] it puts me in a cerebral... sort of like euphoric... state. I can’t compare it to any other music I’ve listened to. Sometimes I get frustrated because it’s just so good.”

When speaking about Beach House, Krammel is visibly moved by the subject as noted from her raised voice and dilated pupils.

Some people even get a stronger physical reaction from their favorite elixir.

“I was watching a YouTube video recently about optimistic nihilism which is the fear of existence in an optimistic way. I listened to the soundtrack by Epic Mountain for a week,” says Liam Hutton, freshman Video Media Arts major. “I start getting goosebumps on my head that travel down my body through my spine and down my arms. It’s the epitome of an eargasm. It’s this amazing feeling. I’m afraid of listening to it too much because I don’t want to lose that.”

From dream pop to galactic space music, there is potential in any genre to give its listener an eargasm. Hutton describes his music as a drug that transforms him. Music is, essentially, an au naturel drug that with the power of just a few notes can give you a mind-blowing eargasm where all the stars collide.

Illustration by:  Hayley Joseph