What is it about music that connects us so deeply? What is “flow” in the DJ booth? We dive into some of the biggest questions from We Become One, our recent documentary.
Earlier this month we released We Become One, a feature-length film that explores the timeless power of shared musical experiences. Kikelomo Oludemi, a DJ, producer and curator, travelled to six countries to meet experts and industry figures in an attempt to answer some of music’s deepest questions. Among many other fascinating insights, Kike learns why exactly people connect so profoundly through music, and how the human brain uses sound to create euphoria, reduce stress, and create a universal “language.”
With We Become One running at just over 60 minutes, we wanted to jump into some of the film’s key ideas in a bitesize format.
Why does music feel so good when we share it with others? We Become One opens with a powerful premise: that music is one of the best tools we have for building human connection. From the moment humans started making sounds, we’ve used them not just to express ourselves, but to create shared meaning and strengthen social ties.
According to the neuroscientist and best-selling author Daniel Levitin, music taps into ancient mechanisms designed to help us feel connected. “Singing together releases a brain chemical called oxytocin,” he explained, “that helps you feel bonded and part of something bigger than you.” So this is not just a poetic idea, but a biological truth. When we sing or dance in unison with others, our brains and bodies respond by creating feelings of closeness, empathy, and trust.
This is especially clear on the dance floor, where movement and rhythm create instant community—even among strangers. Neuroscientist Julia Basso described how group dancing lights up “the whole social network of brain areas,” creating a kind of neurological group chat that draws us closer. It’s not just that music makes us feel good; it makes us feel good together.
“Community is everything,” said the Detroit legend Moodymann. “You know, it made me who I am… It’s universal. Everybody knows a good rhythm when they hear a good rhythm, you know? You don’t need to be educated. You don’t need to be black, yellow. You don’t need to be dumb or smart. Anybody can catch a rhythm.”
From underground raves in Berlin to street parties in Accra, shared musical experiences create bonds across social, political, and cultural lines. In the words of the author Jamie Wheal, “We are kin for at least as long as the music plays.” That kinship is one of the reasons dance floors can feel so meaningful and transformative.
What exactly is happening in our brains when a DJ drops a perfect track and the dance floor erupts? The film takes a deep dive into the neuroscience behind why music—especially when combined with movement—feels so euphoric.
Much of it comes down to chemicals. Music activates the brain’s reward system, particularly the release of dopamine, which gives us a sense of pleasure. As Daniel Levitin explained, “If you’re enjoying [the musical experience], the parts of your brain that are surprised by something new or exciting or pleasurable in the limbic system, regions like the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens, they’re releasing dopamine and modulating levels of the brain’s own internal opioids, the same kind of opioids… that get turned into OxyContin and heroin.” This chemical cascade can be intensified by physical movement, creating a double hit of sensory satisfaction.
The film reveals how rhythm and repetition in music help us predict what’s coming next. When those expectations are met (or subverted in just the right way), the brain rewards us again. “We were thinking about something and all of a sudden the DJ acted upon it,” Basso said. “When the brain is met with an anticipated reward that it gets, the dopamine neurons kind of respond, they burst, and there’s dopamine available for the brain.”
There’s also serotonin and oxytocin, which boost mood and social bonding respectively. Combine all of these, and you have a potent mix that explains why a good DJ set can feel transcendent. You’re not just hearing the music—you’re feeling it, physically, emotionally, chemically with the people around you.
When everything clicks—when the crowd is moving as one and the DJ seems to read their minds—something special happens. We Become One identifies this as “flow,” a psychological state where time seems to slow down, self-consciousness fades, and you’re completely immersed in the moment.
Flow is a term often used in sports or creative pursuits, but the dance floor is one of the most reliable places to find it. As Daniel Levitin explained, “You’re outside yourself, and electronic music is really great at inducing it, which is why so many raves and so many parties and even therapeutic uses of music involve repetitiveness.”
For DJs, the experience is deeply reciprocal. “There is synergy between me and the crowd that’s easy to get lost in,” said Spanish DJ Kike. The feedback loop between selector and audience creates a kind of real-time collaboration. The DJ adjusts based on the energy in the room, while the crowd responds to shifts in tone, tempo, and emotion. Seth Troxler captured it nicely: “It’s when you have a connection with the crowd and create new energy—you get chills.”
“Flow has a number of benefits both for our physical or physiological well-being and also just for our mental state, happiness, and fulfillment with life,” said Jamie Wheal, who’s a cofounder of the Flow Genome Project. “So there is that just sense of if you are having those moments where you’re deeply immersed in the present moment, where you feel graceful, skilful, and empowered. And then even more potently, it can happen in the relationship between the artist and the crowd.”
This mutual entrainment is what makes DJing such a unique art form. Reading a room means you’re in constant dialogue—with bodies, glances, cheers, and the pulse of the dance floor guiding your choices. When it works, it feels effortless. On a great night, the boundary between DJ and dancer blurs. Everyone becomes part of a larger organism, moving and feeling as one.
