New study shows how electronic music creates immersion and elevated joy

A new AlphaTheta backed study has revealed how movement to electronic music can help to keep anxiety at bay and increase feelings of joy, immersion and connection to others [via MusicRadar].

The study was carried out by Emma Marshall, founder of Music And Movement Is Medicine (MIM) with research led by Professor Paul Dolan from the Behavioural Science faculty at the London School of Economics.

Hosted at Drumsheds nightclub in London, participants were guided through quiet listening and breathing exercises, through seated movements, to standing, and eventually free dance, all while using devices to measure their heart rates. Approximately 60 people took part, with over 600,000 heartbeats captured across the event.

During the ‘guided breathing and seated’ stages, there was an 18.5 percent rise in heart rate variability, a sign that the nervous system was shifting to a calmer state. The research also revealed that when the DJ dropped the tempo during breakdowns, participants’ heart rates stayed elevated, suggesting the body had entered a state of sustained immersion. Self-reported data collected from the participants also revealed that anxiety scores fell, joy scores rose, and feelings of connection to others increased significantly.

Mark Grotefeld, AlphaTheta’s General Manager, says of the study: “At AlphaTheta, we’ve always known that music moves people – and this research offers fascinating insight of how and why. These findings open up conversation about how the tools DJs use every day can have a measurable impact on human physiology, and should change how we think about the role of music in people’s health and wellbeing.”

Paul Dolan states, “Thanks to these data, we can see how the body immediately reacts to changes in BPM. It turns out the DJ is doing something physiologically significant – not just playing music but guiding the nervous system. This opens up new ways of thinking about electronic music.”

Emma Marshall adds: “This isn’t just about dancing. When the music and the experience are structured in a specific way, they guide the body through a clear cycle – calm, build, peak, and recovery. The data shows measurable stress regulation happening in real time, not as a side effect, but as the direct result of how the experience was designed.”

Luke Huxham, Managing Director of Broadwick Live (Drumsheds) has also said the study provides language and evidence to take to local councils, policymakers, licensing authorities, and public bodies “to make a stronger argument for why [nightclubs and live music] spaces need to be protected. That feels overdue, and we’re proud to have helped facilitate this first phase of research.”

Rachel is a DIY musician who began learning guitar and keyboard from her bedroom at 14. She has written news and features for MusicTech since 2022, and also has bylines across Kerrang!, Guitar.com, and The Forty-Five. Though a lover of heavy music, her guilty pleasure is 2000s pop.