When music could only be played live, the places where it could be played determined the type of music being played. One of the reasons medieval music in Europe was often harmonically simple were cathedrals. Too many notes or too complex music would have sounded terrible in them.

When it became possible to listen to recorded music a whole industry started to work on creating loudspeakers capable of playing the sound as authentically as possible. As popular music came up, bass-heavy music became more present and transformed parties. The music coming from the speakers immersed people into music and the basses made music palpable. The neighbors usually complained more about the basses than the loudness of the music.

Music then moved from records to digital music allowing it to be played on small devices like computers and smartphones. Headphones now transformed the way music is consumed, it’s becoming a more intimate experience. It’s only between the music and the listener. The surroundings are much less involved than in the past.

Artists follow with a trend to create music that can come much closer to the listener’s ears. Thus transforming the relationship with their audience into a more intimate, one on one relationship.

It’s a more towards even more individualism, disconnecting people further from one another.