Ambivalent details his terrifying close encounter with hearing loss

In an article published on All Ears Campaign, techno artist Kevin McHugh (aka Ambivalent) shared a captivating story about his traumatic confrontation with hearing loss.

The veteran DJ, who has been touring and producing music since 2006, goes into detail about the experience which took place at a one-day festival he was slated to perform at in Holland last year. Despite always carrying custom earplugs with him to every gig, McHugh decided that this time around he wanted to hear and feel the momentum of the room and deemed it unnecessary to use ear protection.

An hour or so into his set, McHugh’s right ear suddenly went deaf as the sound of the room was suddenly replaced by a “dim, off-key sine tone”.

“I could feel the chill of panic take over me,” says McHugh, as he goes on to describe his scrambled efforts to switch off his monitors and mix with one good ear. In his writing, McHugh continues to describe the feelings of panic and urgency he felt during the last 50 minutes of his set. “There was no other DJ or event staff within sight, just me, a crowd of dancers and this sinister tone telling me I’d blown everything”.

Luckily, while on his way back to his hotel, the hearing in McHugh’s right ear slowly returned. The moment was an epiphany for McHugh and has motivated him to spread awareness regarding tinnitus, hearing loss and how too much time at the club without proper protection can rob you of the music you love.

Read McHugh’s full-article here.

Cameron is Mixmag's US Editorial Intern. Follow him on Twitter here