“Over 20% of the creative labour force are neurodivergent,” is what Charles Freeman and Becki Morris found out when they did research on the Impact of Covid-19 in DCMS Sectors for the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport (DCMS). Still we only have a handful of artists really speaking up about it. Knowing that approximately 14% of the entire UK is neurodiverse, we felt like we needed to investigate.
What is neurodiversity?
Oxford Dictionary defines it as “showing patterns of thought or behaviour that are different from those of most people, though still part of the normal range in humans,” and those patterns of thought and behaviour can differ from person to person. This includes but is not limited to autism, depression, schizophrenia, down syndrome, anxiety, ADHD, and dyslexia.
While some might find it harder to socialise, others might have trouble concentrating on one task at a time. But make no mistake: no neurodiverse person is the same. An anxious person can be really social, and a person with depression can look really happy. “Autism also doesn’t always look like someone with ear defenders, on their own, hiding away from people,” says Pinks, a Bass Music DJ and producer who has recently been diagnosed with ASD and ADHD. “It can also look like an active and social DJ.”
One characteristic that came back to a lot of the artists we talked to for this article, is the ability to hyperfixate on their work. One of the DJs who sees this as a benefit, is ADUKEN: “My neurodivergence is most noticeable with my ability to hyperfocus on things and spend a lot of time perfecting my craft to make it as good as it can be. This has benefited me massively in learning djing and production and is the reason I have been able to achieve so much at this stage of my career.”
An artist who has come across some negatives when it comes to music production and being neurodiverse, is Pythius, who has been diagnosed with AD(H)D: “If your brain can’t find dopamine, it’ll focus on cortisol, the stress hormone, because it’s so similar. The only way through, at that moment, is just to keep going.”
Dilemma, another artist with ADHD, agrees: “The way I am, and work, is, in a nutshell, extremely feast or famine. I struggle to concentrate and feel motivated, and often feel like I can’t get any work done. At the same time, I also can’t rest properly because my brain is going 1000 miles a minute thinking about all the things I need to be doing. But when I’m in hyperfocus mode, I can get a metric shit tonne of something done in a matter of days.”
The road we’ve travelled so far…
Neurodiversity research only started in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the start of Autism Network International, an advocacy organization founded in 1992 by “autistic people for autistic people” in the US. This means that we didn’t know a lot about neurodiversity until very recently. “The best examples people could come up with thinking about neurodiverse people were characters like Rain Man (ASD) or Dory (ADHD),” says Kidsonic, who has high functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorder. “But nowadays some of the most influential artists in our scene have autism. Taking their talent at face value rather than seeing their neurodiveristy as a defining factor is allowing producers and artists including myself to be seen as equal to our neurotypical peers.”
Simula, who has both Asperger’s syndrome and ADHD, agrees. “I think the industry has certainly become a lot more aware, but we’re still a long way from accommodating neurodivergent artists. It’s nice to see more artists talk openly about their own neurodivergence on social media though, and the introduction of things like calm spaces at festivals has been really good to see.”
The next big step was taken two years ago, in 2022, when the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM) conducted a study exploring the number of neurodiverse people in the music industry workforce. While artists like Billie Eilish, SZA, Lewis Capaldi, and many more had already talked about being neurodiverse, they found that there wasn’t enough knowledge about how many people in our scene were. AFEM wanted to put a number on it. Out of the 137 people they spoke to (45% of them from the UK), 58% of them considered themselves to be neurodiverse.
Only 38% of the participants were actually diagnosed, because as many as 75% of neurodiverse adults live their lives without ever getting a diagnosis. Edward Hallowell, M.D., a child and adult psychiatrist and leading authority in the field of ADHD, states that this can lead to significant issues. This includes mood disorders, job instability, low self-esteem, and substance abuse. Even if these consequences are treated, the root problem is still there, and unresolved. He emphasizes the importance of educating both the public and mental health professionals about adult ADHD.
But what exactly makes the electronic music scene so attractive to neurodivergent people?
As previously mentioned, some neurodiverse people can struggle to feel motivated, and this can be explained by science: ADHD is known for causing low dopamine levels. Combine this with electronic music causing a rise in these levels, and the connection between the two becomes pretty clear. The music industry is always changing, fast-paced, and a place with less rules than a ‘normal’ workspace. Its stimulating environment, acceptance, and compatibility with unique traits make it an optimal home for neurodivergent people.
There are a lot of benefits to be found in music, such as sensory stimulation, enhanced focus, finding an expressive outlet, community building, and more therapeutic benefits. The repetitive and structured rhythm of electronic music can provide both a calming effect, and can result in more focus. For a wide group of neurodivergent people, it can be quite hard to express themselves, and DJing and producing can provide an easier way to this.
Adding to that, for a lot of neurodivergent people, it’s easy to get in hyperfocus mode and lose themselves in a project. Which can be helpful to finish that snare, that artwork, or that journalistic piece.
Pythius: “Drum & bass is a genre that’s very focussed on the technical side of things. Due to my AD(H)D, it can be nice to hyperfixate on your work sometimes. This makes the end result way better, because there’s so much focus on the little details. If I weren’t neurodiverse, I would be a very different person than I am now.”
Simula: “My Aspergers’ allows me to think differently with ease, as I have always been unbothered about what interests others, and more focussed on what interests me. Over the years this has allowed me to develop a style with my music which I very much see as my own.”
Marge: “My ADHD manifests itself the most on stage. I’m a big ball of energy, and I let loose when I sing. Another way my ADHD helps me, is because I get a lot of impulses throughout the day. I can get really creative with these, and there’s a source of inspiration.”
Next to the scene being so welcoming to neurodiverse producers, we can’t forget the people on the dancefloor and behind the decks. Club culture is a space that celebrates individuality, a place where it doesn’t matter who you are, and how you express yourself. At the same time, it is a place for community, where everybody is a part of the same group, and this can be hard to find in our day to day life. It seems our scene is going the right way, but how can we do better?
Where next?
“I feel like we’re definitely doing better in some ways,” Kidsonic says. “There seems to be more acceptance within the music scene, like I pointed out earlier. But we’ve also regressed in some ways. One example is the merging of terms. An example of this is Asperger’s syndrome. This was a term used to describe people on the Autistic Spectrum who were high functioning and more valuable to society than those more affected by the condition. The term reduces the number of people being patronised when you explain your condition. The term isn’t used a lot anymore due to its links to the Holocaust (*editorial note: the man credited with developing our idea of an autism spectrum and Asperger disorder — Hans Asperger — conducted his research in Nazi Vienna). But explaining that you have Autistic Spectrum Disorder leads people to assume that you can’t understand what they’re saying, so they talk to you as if you were a child, and if you say you have what is clinically called “High Functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorder”, you’re met with a confused look and asked what it means. It just means that I’m a lot less affected by the condition than other people who express more traits. I hope these stigmas will be broken down, not just for ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder), but for neurodiversity as a whole, with more awareness and more training around these conditions.”
There are also good changes happening, though, as the conversation around neurodiversity is no longer a taboo. “Lately I have seen popular artists come out as neurodiverse and hopefully this is the start of getting to a place where everyone can be comfortable speaking about it from big artists to upcomer artists,” ADUKEN says.
And with some of those popular artists speaking up, promoters are taking action, and introducing chill areas into their events. Take Liquicity Festival, where you can chill out in the ball pit, or even play some board games if you wish to take a break from bass music. “Some people I know with autism or ADHD really love drum & bass, but don’t attend raves because it’s just too much,” Marge says. “So it’s nice to have a place to recover when you’re feeling overwhelmed. It gives people who can’t handle the crowds an opportunity to go and enjoy the event despite their neurodivergence.” Loud music can often be hard to handle, but strobes can also result in someone getting overwhelmed really quickly. “Some clubs go absolutely ham with strobe lights,” Pinks explains. “I’m not saying, don’t have any strobe lights, but I’ve been at events where they are flashing constantly or all night. That can cause me to have a sensory overload. Being more mindful with them creates a more inclusive space for anyone who struggles with photosensitivity, from ASD to Epilepsy.”
The last thing we want to accentuate in this article is that it’s not your fault if you feel like it’s hard to keep up sometimes. The drum & bass scene is a fast-paced one, with tons of new releases every week. It helps to find your own pace, as Dilemma words it beautifully: “For me there’s a sort of ‘grind’ mentality in D&B, because it moves so quickly. Many feel you have to be releasing music all the time to be successful and stay relevant. Which is very difficult if, like me, you struggle to be consistently motivated. It isn’t true though, a lot of artists take some time off and are still thriving after a bit of a hiatus. So if you’re struggling, take some time off!”
Want to read, watch, learn, know more?
- We’ve mentioned the study that the Association For Electronic Music conducted in 2022. If you want to read through the full report, you can do so on their website.
- Tristan Hunt, former AFEM regional manager, is now an ADHD coach specialised in music. Whether you’re diagnosed or not, you can knock on his door to get some coaching.
- For those of us who like watching more than reading: Neurodelicious, an Arts Council-funded group based in Suffolk, recently produced the documentary ‘Different is Delicious’. Their aim is to tackle assumptions and raise awareness for neurodivergent people working in the creative industry.
- If you’re interested in following some more neurodivergent drum & bass artists, and you’re into the liquid subgenre, go take a look at Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism. The money they get from sales goes directly to children with autism.
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