Definition

The Proximity pattern is a set of auditory cues that make listeners feel an unnerving sense of intimacy or approach. Very close and very fast approaching sounds share a set of distinct acoustic features. It’s theorized that our brains evolved a heightened sensitivity to these features because we have limited time to defend ourselves if the source producing them turns out to be dangerous. The more abruptly artists introduce proximity cues into their music, and the more performers intensify the unique features that distinguish them, the more likely we are to experience chills.

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Mechanism

When musicians use the Proximity pattern they can trick our brain’s object localization system. This system uses a distinction between peri-personal (~6 inches around our body) and extra-personal space ( >6 inches around our body) to prioritize signals from our environment. Our brain always prioritizes and urgently processes any sounds in, or about to cross into, our peri-personal space. Think of how you can ignore a buzzing fly until it comes close to your ear, but then you can’t help but unconsciously swat it away even though you know it isn’t dangerous. Researchers have confirmed that looming sounds in our peri-personal space are correlated with increased skin conductance and other well-known markers of frisson.

Technique #1: Whispering and breathiness

The first Proximity technique involves whispering or “airy” singing in lead vocals. In non-musical contexts, we produce quiet, “breathy” sounds when we want our voice to only be heard by someone close to us. Microphones and headphones, however, can create the illusion that a whispering singer is in our peri-personal space. This often moves listeners to frisson.

In chills-inducing passages, the most reliable ways we see artists pull off this technique are:

• “Whisper-pop” singing: switching from normal singing to whispering or a more “breathy” voice, usually at the tailing end of a long note or right on the upbeat before a new section (to make the onset of the proximity cue as jarring as possible for listeners)

• Close mic’d vocals: singers recorded in studios with no resonances or reflectors in the room – and the vocalist right up against the mic – to achieve an especially crisp sound that enables listeners to hear every inhalation and movement of the mouth, tongue, and lips (all to enhance the sensation of intimacy)

• Certain reed instruments that produce an “airy” sound: mimicking the sound of a “breathy” singer, in particular the saxophone which many musicians – dating back to the classical composer Puccini – claim sounds the most like the human voice

Technique #2: Rapid inter-ear variation

The second Proximity technique involves sounds that vary in arrival time and intensity across the left vs. right ear. “Inter-aural differences” are reliable indicators of location that our brain uses to detect close or approaching objects. Rapid variation between ears, however, can create the illusion of multiple objects very close to us, or one object moving rapidly around us. This can often startle us and give us chills.

In chills-inducing passages, the most reliable ways we see artists pull off this technique are:

• Rapid alternating panning: where the music (or one of the tracks) is temporarily concentrated into the left or right earbud (or speaker) and then alternates between the left and right earbuds quickly and at a non-linear rate, typically paired with reverb and sustained notes to create a feeling of being “enveloped” 

• Spatial production effects: where stereo tracks are edited with varying reverb and mixing to diminish or enhance the perception of closeness, frequently used in EDM to make the music feel like it is fading and “moving away” from the listener before a drop and then suddenly jumping “closer” on the drop itself

• “3D” recording techniques: binaural recordings, multiple mics positioned across a recording studio, and other production methods to make sounds appear as if they are moving around listeners (this is essentially the idea behind rapid alternating panning taken to its logical extreme)

Technique #3: Non-linear increases in brightness

The third Proximity technique involves upward, accelerating sweeps that increase acoustic energy in higher frequencies (“brightness”). Brightness is a reliable indicator of distance. As sound travels through the air, it loses energy in higher frequencies faster than in lower frequencies. This is how non-linear sweeps can trick our brain into reacting as if something unknown is rapidly approaching our peri-personal space. 

In chills-inducing passages, the most reliable ways we see artists pull off this technique are:

• Staggered, rising lines that jump into higher registers: upward arpeggios and similar, repetitive lines that abruptly skip octaves (or layer on new timbres in higher registers), typically ambient flourishes divorced from any directional melodic or harmonic progression

• “Noisy” timbres with concentrated upper harmonics: especially white-noise risers, pads, wind chimes, suspended cymbals, or piano with pedal down, typically paired with heavy reverb    

Technique #4: Non-linear crescendos

The fourth Proximity technique involves accelerating increases in loudness. Sound intensity is a reliable indicator of distance; even if decibel level is constant, closer sounds are louder because the sound waves have less distance to cover (so the same acoustic energy is spread over a smaller area). Non-linear crescendoes can therefore trick our brain into reacting as if a large object is approaching our peri-personal space.

In chills-inducing passages, the most reliable ways we see artists pull off this technique are:

• Rapid swells with pitch held constant: lasting 1-2 seconds and accelerating rapidly in volume on one note or chord, typically featuring overdubbed vocals with a pronounced “airy” sound (but firmly in the comfortable range of the singers so the vocals can project as much as possible)

• Certain staggered builds: lasting 2-4 seconds and quickly layering timbres over each other to enhance the build-up, typically staggered brass entrances (pairing upper and lower voices across the section) or entrances by electronic instruments in different registers

• Percussive impulse timbres that fill in upper and lower frequencies: struck quickly and repeatedly, typically filling lower frequencies (timpani, bass drums, lower toms) and higher frequencies (suspended cymbal, triangle, tam-tam) simultaneously before giving way to melodic instruments on the climax 

Technique #5: ASMR sounds

The fifth Proximity technique involves what researchers refer to as ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response). ASMR sounds are quiet, subtle, and tend to involve an object changing states (e.g. wood crackling in a fire, paper being crumpling into a ball, etc.). Because we aren’t able to hear them in real life unless we are close to the source, in music these sounds can trigger a sudden, chills-inducing sense of proximity.

In chills-inducing passages, the most reliable ways we see artists pull off this technique are:

• Certain crunching or crackling sounds: mimicking the noises produced when objects are broken into pieces or otherwise change states, for example slowly tearing a piece of paper, rustling a pile of dry leaves, or rapidly popping bubble wrap

• Certain wet sounds: mimicking the noises produced by liquids hitting surfaces or changing states, for example rain falling onto a textured surface, a carbonated drink being poured into a glass and bubbling, or water swooshing irregularly in a container being flipped up and down

• Certain clicking or fluttering sounds: mimicking the noises produced by two objects quietly making contact with each other, like fingers tapping on a typewriter, scissors opening and closing rapidly, or spoken sounds that feature our tongue hitting the top of our mouth (tk, ts, sk, ch, etc,)