REALM: Experimental Music and Neuroscience Project Turns The Brain Into A Stage
ARIA and Grammy Award-winning producer Eric J Dubowsky and ambient artist Matt Curtin premiere a deep listening experience created with cognitive neuroscientist Dr Steffen A. Herff at Machine Hall, Sydney.
REALM is a new experimental music project that treats the human mind as the main performance space. Created by ARIA and Grammy Award-winning producer Eric J Dubowsky, ambient music artist Matt Curtin, creative director Tim Baggott and cognitive neuroscientist Dr Steffen A. Herff, REALM’s debut showcase event at Machine Hall, Sydney will premiere a live deep listening experience that sits at the intersection of sound design, neuroscience and immersive art.
The project brings together years of studio experimentation and cutting-edge research from the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab at the University of Sydney. Collaborating with Dr Steffen A. Herff, the REALM team has tested and refined original compositions using data from more than 100 listeners around the world, measuring responses to music that can trigger chills, goosebumps and vivid mental imagery.
“We wanted to move beyond general ideas like 'relaxing' or 'uplifting',” says Eric J. “This is about exploring how specific musical elements influence the brain. If we understand that, we can design immersive journeys with intention and nuance.”
“We have created REALM Music with the goal of people becoming fully absorbed into their creative and emotional minds, " adds Matt Curtin, the ambient artist behind REALM. “Euphoria has always been a personal and impactful reaction to music for me, so we have channeled that energy into the REALM tracks, thereby giving a sense that each song lives in its own world that you can absorb yourself in.”
Two experiences, one experiment
The debut REALM event will present two distinct experiences, performed live by Eric J and Matt Curtin, designed to stimulate the imagination and senses.
“Realm is an exploration of the deeper neurological channels that connect sound to emotion and body. The idea that music can trigger not just an emotional response, but a physical one from people is an incredible thing, says Curtin.
“We are exploring this idea with some separation from the traditional music concert format while adding more immersive elements, where people can have a musical experience free of distraction so they can be centered in their own experience.”
Neural Rush: Music for Aesthetic Chills
Neural Rush is designed to trigger experiences that many listeners know simply as “that shiver down the spine”. The compositions are engineered to provoke effects such as chills, goosebumps, pupil dilation and an elevated heart rate.
Audience members are invited to close their eyes, surrender to the sound and notice what happens, whether it is a rush of energy or a wave of emotion.
Dream Hacker: Music for Mental Imagery
Dream Hacker focuses on the way music supports the imagination. Short visual prompts created by Melbourne based visual artist Justin Ridler initiate a shared “opening scene” on the venue’s screen. The visuals then fade to black and the music takes over, guiding each listener on their own internal journey.
In lab studies using early versions of the Dream Hacker material, listeners reported vivid, detailed imagery. Many described travelling through landscapes or places they had never visited, while others experienced out of body sensations or the feeling that years passed in only a few minutes of music.
“From a scientific point of view, REALM is fascinating because we are not just measuring responses to existing music,” says Dr Steffen A. Herff, head of the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab. “We are in an active feedback loop with the composers. We can explore what patterns in the music produce particular effects, then feed those findings back to the artists, who incorporate the new insights into the compositions, and then we can test the new material again. This kind of constructive iterative process is rare and very exciting.”
What to Expect - The Live Experience
On stage, REALM feels closer to an electronic performance than a traditional concert. Eric J and Matt Curtin perform on laptops, synths and live vocals, joined by guest instrumentalists including a violinist who featured on earlier Frisson experiments. The music is mixed in a way that moves sound through the room and around the audience, supporting the sense that the mind itself is the real venue.
The audience is not only there to listen. Upon completion of the two experiences, attendees will be invited to scan a QR code and share what they felt and imagined. These responses will feed into ongoing research at the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab and help shape future REALM compositions.
“We talk about the effects almost like side effects on a label,” says Eric J. “You might experience chills, vivid memories, a sense that time stretched or collapsed. Our aim is to create a space where people can feel some of the intensity and euphoria they associate with experiencing live music via clubs, festivals or other settings. Music is already doing that for many people. REALM heightens their focus.”
EVENT DETAILS
REALM: Neural Rush + Dream Hacker (Live Debut)
Follow: @realm_music #realmmusic
Machine Hall, 185 Clarence Street Sydney
Sunday, 30 November
Doors 6.30pm
Register: https://events.humanitix.com/realm
GA Tickets $25.00
About REALM
REALM is an experimental music project that unites audio engineering with cognitive neuroscience to create deep listening experiences. Through close collaboration between composers and cognitive scientists, REALM designs music that is engineered and tested to produce specific effects in the mind and body, such as aesthetic chills and vivid mental imagery.
“The science of sound meets the emotion of music. We were fascinated by the idea that certain, specific musical choices can affect our perception of time, transport us to a different place or cause a physical response," says REALM creative director, Tim Baggott.
"REALM is about understanding the science behind these effects in order to make them more potent through human-made composition, production and performance, to deliver an entirely new experience of music.”
Preview a track from the experience here:
Frisson Trigger Apple Music
SPOTIFY Frisson Trigger
About Eric J Dubowsky (ARIA and Grammy Award Winning Mixer & Producer, Sydney)
Eric J Dubowsky is an ARIA and Grammy Award winning mixer and producer whose credits include artists such as Flume, Dope Lemon, Dua Lipa, ODESZA, St Vincent and FKA Twigs. Known for his detailed, emotionally charged sound, he works at the intersection of electronic music, pop and experimental production and is recognised as one of the most in demand mix engineers of this generation.
Social Links: IG @ericjdub
About Dr Steffen A. Herff (Head of the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab)
Dr Steffen A. Herff is a cognitive neuroscientist and director of the Sydney Music, Mind and Body Lab at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music of the University of Sydney. His research explores how we can use music to shape higher order cognitions such as memory, imagination and emotions, with a focus on the underlying physiological and psychological mechanisms. At the same time, he supports the music community through targeted research on musicians’ mental and physical wellbeing.
About Matt Curtin (Ambient Artist, Sydney)
Matt Curtin is an ambient and electronic music artist whose work has attracted more than 50 million streams globally. His compositions blend texture, melody and space, and have been featured widely on high profile playlists and in immersive listening contexts.
Social Links: IG @mattcurtinmusic
About Tim Baggott (Creative Director, REALM)
Tim Baggott is a creative director whose work spans music, technology, and experiential storytelling. With a background in agency-side creative leadership, Tim has developed award-winning campaigns for global brands and brings a deep interest in how sound, design, and science can merge to shape perception. His creative direction for REALM bridges neuroscience and narrative, transforming research insights into evocative live experiences.
Social Links: IG @studiotimalexander
About Justin Ridler (Melbourne, Visual Artist)
Justin Ridler is a Melbourne-based visual artist known for his cinematic approach to light, movement, and abstraction. His work has appeared in fashion, performance, and large-scale digital installations, earning recognition for its ability to evoke emotion through minimalist imagery. For REALM, Justin creates visual gateways that prime the imagination, setting the stage for the mental imagery experience in Dream Hacker.
Social Links: IG @justinridler