ASMR - Indie Rock Style
Even our favorite indie rock artists like to get the ASMR tingles apparently. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and describes a sensation (a tingly one) that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of neck and upper spine.
In the past several years, ASMR YouTube videos that are designed to illicit this response have grown incredibly popular which should really be no surprise to anyone - with the stresses and challenges we’ve faced as humans in the past four years alone, it’s only natural for us to seek out affordable means to add pleasure to our daily lives in the hope to ease tension, sleep better, and temporarily disconnect from the hectic world around us.
I’m absolutely one of those people! Over the past two years I dove headfirst into the world of ASMR-artists on YouTube, creating hours of playlists and experimenting with different artist’s videos and styles to find what worked best for me - what really delivered MY tingles. ASMR response is uniquely different in everyone - some people respond best to certain types of sounds like tapping, scratching and crinkling. Others love the personal attention aspect which involves having someone whisper to you in a clear, enunciated manner as they “take care of you” and talk you through a process such as a spa treatment, putting you to bed, checking you in to a hotel, doctor checkups or taking care of you while you are sick in a high level of detail. When it comes to ASMR videos there is literally something for everyone - although there are those who unfortunately don’t seem to respond to ASMR “triggers” at all.
One of my favorite artists, Julia of the YouTube Channel It’s Blitzzz, recently combined my love for ASMR with another great love of mine - indie rock music - to a fantastic effect. To date she has created ASMR videos featuring Phoebe Bridgers and most recently the amazing Devendra Banhart. In these videos which range from 30 minutes to an hour in length, Julia stands with her head cropped out of frame with the camera focused on the musician who sits still, facing forward with their eyes closed as she talks them through a massage type hypnosis with plenty of storytelling as well. I find myself often listening to these as I’m laying in bed at night and find the quality of her voice and the languid nature of the descriptions incredibly soothing - and tingly too! Bridgers has also notably credited ASMR as an inspiration for her latest amazing album Punisher.
