Vision Australia Radio recently welcomed an extraordinary guest whose multidisciplinary career defies easy categorisation. Asphyxia, an artist, writer, Deaf advocate, performer, puppeteer, composer and now creator of Amplio, an innovative platform making music accessible for Deaf and hard‑of‑hearing people.
From the very first moments of the conversation, it was clear that Asphyxia represents the intertwining of artistic expression and activism at its most powerful.
A life fuelled by creativity and purpose
When asked what occupation appears on her passport, Asphyxia laughed. She has lived many artistic lives as a circus performer, puppeteer, visual artist, art journaler, public speaker, consultant, author of the bestselling Future Girl, and more. In truth, “artist” is the only label broad enough to contain it all.
But creativity is not optional for her. “If I’m not practising some form of creative expression, I become depressed and cranky,” she explained. Advocacy, on the other hand, emerged from necessity. Experiencing and witnessing the oppression of Deaf and disabled people galvanised her into action, pushing her to use her creative skills to challenge inequality.
Music reimagined for deaf audiences
Asphyxia’s latest project, Amplio, aims to transform the music experience for Deaf people. Every track is paired with a vibration composition that represents the entire song, including melody and even the shape of the lyrics. This means Deaf users can “feel” the whole musical story.
Inspired partly by a Deaf woman longing for Deaf artists she could follow, Asphyxia saw a gap and stepped into it. Amplio blends advocacy, accessibility and artistic innovation into a single, radical offering. The platform is also designed accessibly for blind and low‑vision users, using high‑contrast visuals, image descriptions and customisable keyboard shortcuts. Asphyxia sees it as the music equivalent of accessible books, like braille, but for sound.
A deaf dance party at Midsumma
Her Midsumma event, Amplio Rocks, extends this innovation into a physical space. The show features a vibrating dance floor, Auslan music videos, clear on‑screen lyrics and sound engineered specifically for people who are Deaf or hard‑of‑hearing. It functions not only as a performance but as a Deaf club, a space where Deaf people can socialise, sign and connect freely.
Writing, books, and representation
Beyond performance, Asphyxia has authored children’s series The Grimstones and the award‑winning Future Girl (also The Words In My Hands overseas). A braille edition is freely available, reflecting her commitment to making stories accessible across communities. Representation matters deeply to her, in both her content, formats and platforms.
The meaning of Midsumma
As someone who has attended Midsumma since her teens, Asphyxia sees the festival as a space where queer and disabled identities coexist naturally. Marginalised communities, she believes, understand exclusion and therefore tend to include others more intentionally.
What’s next
In 2026, she plans to launch the Amplio mobile app, expand the platform for user‑uploaded music, run a sign‑language music‑video competition and continue composing. On Amplio, she notes with amusement, she is currently more popular than Taylor Swift, a testament to how deeply Deaf audiences are connecting with her work. A braille edition is available for free.
Tickets for Amplio Rocks are available via the Midsumma website. More about Amplio can be found at ampliomusic.com, and Asphyxia’s broader work at asphyxia.com.au.
Midsumma Festival runs until February 8. Vision Australia Radio is a proud access and inclusion partner to the annual festival.
