ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response is a sensory phenomenon caused by specific auditory and visual content that induces on the person experiencing them, a calm and relaxed state, similar to meditation (Lloyd, 2017) . In sound, ASMR can be triggered with specific pleasant sounds, for example whispering. ASMR can also be triggered by the repetition of a specific sound, that is in its nature very hypnotic. Recently, this phenomenon has become a You Tube trend, with millions of videos that oscillate in different forms and art styles.

Minimalism is a music genre that can create an ASMR, because of its repetitive nature and trance inducing capabilities. The composer Aimée Portioli, a.k.a Grand River, is a dutch-italian composer based in Berlin, that is known for her minimalistic structuralism and creative sound design. She did a performance with collaboration of Fact Magazine, where she exploited her trance inducing capabilities with a looping composition made with acoustic and electronic instruments. In the bio, the writer defined the piece as ASMR quality, created by the rich textures of its sound design (Fact, 2021). She uses sophisticated synths like the Buchla Music Easel and different Euro Rack synthesizers, creating a rich palette of sound.

My composition is deeply influenced by repetitive electronic music, because of its hypnotic nature. I always wanted to make my compositions trance inducing and have a calming effect on the listener. Unconsciously I’ve always wanted to have an ASMR quality on my compositions but I never quite achieve it. Reflecting back on Grand River’s composition, I think these qualities can be achieve with a creative and powerful sound design. As I don’t have the resources to get expensive synthesizers as the once she uses, I could start searching for sounds sources that are outside of my comfort zone. For example acoustic instruments as the ones used in her composition, and with them attempt to create an ASMR texture.