Netflix
Netflix presents

SENSE8

Brainwave Symphony

Music: Future Perfect

Created by Wachowskis &
J.M. Straczynski
Produced by Tool of
North America
Technology EEG Sensors
+ Algorithm
Release July 2015
Spotify
MRI Scans — Brain Activity Mapping · July 2015
EEG Sensor Session — Participant Brainwave Capture
Alpha · Beta · Delta · Gamma · Theta Waveform Data
The Process

Eight Brains,
One Symphony

01
Binge & Bond
Eight strangers binge-watched all 12 episodes of Sense8, then were exposed to light, sound, graphics and scent to trigger shared emotional responses.
02
Capture the Waves
EEG headband sensors recorded each participant's brainwaves in real time — measuring five frequency bands: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, Theta.
03
Translate to Music
Each wave type was run through an algorithm assigning it a musical value — pitch, rhythm, timbre — generating a unique melodic theme per subject.
04
Compose the Symphony
The eight themes were woven together jazz-chart style into one collaborative track mirroring the season's emotional arc. Released on Spotify.
Case Study

SENSE8
BRAINWAVE
SYMPHONY

Campaign Type
Experiential + Digital — Music as Branded Content
Technology
EEG biometric sensors · Algorithmic composition
Participants
8 strangers echoing the show's 8 linked characters
Distribution
Spotify · Vimeo documentary · Campaign microsite
Brainwave animation
Press & Critical Response
Adweek
"Netflix and Tool crafted a recording made by attaching EEG sensors to eight viewers — a complex multistep process that rendered a short musical theme for each person, weaving them into a full piece. A tangible artistic manifestation of their connection."
Ad Age
"Netflix brought the show's central conceit — telepathic connection — to life as a real-world experiment. All eight strangers experienced both common and unique responses, demonstrating real mental threads between them."
Engadget
"The team scanned the brains of eight volunteers shown psychedelic images crafted to elicit an emotional response, then assigned a musical value to each resulting wave. The strangest symphony you've ever heard — or thought."
J. Michael Straczynski — Creator, Sense8
"There is something musical about the way the brain works. The symphony was conceived like a jazz chart — the structure defined, but the individual performances improvised in the moment."
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