Sound and color are both waves that physically alter our environment, each capable of evoking the full spectrum of human emotion.

The phenomenon of synesthesia is literally the interpretation of sound as color. Synesthetes and non-synesthetes alike experience music-color association — on dancefloors, in dreams, through psychedelia, or in moments of surprise and inspiration.

Hearing Color asks the question: What does it mean to view sound through color instead of genre, and to explore every color in a contemporary sonic palette? What does colorful music sound like?

James Axon looks to the most cosmic, emotive, and lush varieties of dance music past and present for answers, drawing from the sounds of deep house, dreamy techno, italo, balearic, psychedelic disco, ambient, IDM and the in-between. Sometimes it’s a solo mission, and other times like minded guests join in the musical inquiry.

Planet Love is a queer underground in LA that celebrates communal love and ecstatic dance floor unity. Sharing a musical ethos with Hearing Color through the programming of resident James Axon, the party celebrates the most lush and psychedelic varieties of house, disco, and rave music past and present. This episode of Hearing Color is a live recording of the closing set from a Planet Love event on September 14th, 2024: a b2b between James Axon and Jason Kendig (formerly of Honey Soundsystem) that took place from 5-630am that Sunday morning.