Walking a Fine Line Between Fun and Danger

Our hearing is something many of us take for granted each and every day. We turn the volume up on our headphones as we wait for the bus, or at a party when we are given the aux cord. We want to hear the music louder, to feel the bass resonate through our feet, and at festivals, we share that experience with every fan there. Many DJ’s voice their opinion about their music being dangerous to our hearing, just as it is dangerous to theirs. Bassnectar has taken a public stance on ear plugs and wants to make sure his fans can hear his music as long as possible. Just this last fall, Zedd experienced temporary hearing loss in one ear that scared the living hell out of him, and everyone else in the scene.

Just this past Monday, every DJ’s worst nightmare came to fruition as the legendary Lil Louis of the Chicago House Music scene experienced hearing loss on an unimaginable scale. During a routine soundcheck before his set in Manchester, a manager decided to test a new CO2 cannon only a foot from Lil Louis’ head. Louis’ experience necessitated a trip to the hospital where a battery of tests revealed he was suffering from SIHL (Sound Induced Hearing Loss). This news is devastating to any person, let alone a DJ for the past 40 years. In a Facebook post, Lil Louis describes his frustration at the incident and his hope that the hearing loss is not permanent.

Lil Louis is considered one of the father’s of house music, hailing from Chicago where house music began. He looked forward to putting out a new record and believed his best days of DJing were still in front of him. The actions of one person can have heavy consequences for both themselves and those around them. We wish the best for Lil Louis and can only hope that the hearing loss is not permanent. He has given so much to the music scene and it would be a shame to see that influence cut off as Lil Louis would not be able to perform or create the art he loved so much. I’d love for the next article on Lil Louis to be celebratory and pointing readers to his next album, but we can only wait and see.

All the best Lil Louis,

The EDM Assassins