GLOSSARY +++ SYNESTHESIA + PERCEPTION**

Auditory-tactile synesthesia

Also called: hearing-touch synesthesia

A form of synesthesia in which sounds produce physical sensations on the body, such as tingling, pressure, or texture.

An auditory-tactile synesthete feels sound: a low brass note as pressure on the chest, a hi-hat as pinpricks on the forearm. As with all synesthesia the mapping is consistent per person and involuntary.

The form sits in interesting territory because everyone experiences a weak version of it. Loud low frequencies physically shake the body, and phenomena like ASMR show sound-triggered body sensations in the general population. The synesthetic version differs in specificity and reliability: particular sounds produce particular located sensations, every time.

For performers, the relevant note is that bass is the most body-felt band for every audience, synesthete or not, which is one reason kick drums carry so much structural weight in live visuals.