German film score composer and record producer Hans Zimmer has become BMW’s official electric vehicle sound curator…
Back in June 2019 at BMW’s ‘#NEXT Gen’ event in Munich, Hans Zimmer and BMW Sound Designer Renzo Vitale presented a jointly developed e-sound for the BMW Vision M NEXT. Fast forward to today and Zimmer has officially announced a partnership with BMW to further develop ‘BMW IconicSounds Electric’. Hans Zimmer said: “We have the unique opportunity to turn electric driving in a BMW into a magnificent experience with outstanding sonority. I am really looking forward to the challenge of shaping the sound for future electric BMW’s. Developing the sounds for the BMW Vision M NEXT together with Renzo Vitale was already an inspiring, new experience for me.”
In the exact same studio where Zimmer usually composes his famous scores for Hollywood movies, he and Vitale are now jointly developing the sound of the Vision M NEXT, and later their most recent co-creation: the sound signalling readiness for driving in purely electric and plug-in hybrid BMW vehicles. This sound will appear in cars during 2020.
Vitale said: “Sound Design gives us the opportunity to evoke positive emotions in our vehicles. This new start-sound triggers joyful anticipation of the electric drive, when the customer enters his vehicle and presses the Start/Stop button.”
While the silence of driving an electric vehicle is often cited as a major advantage of electric mobility, BMW is aware that there’s a emotional connecting missing from the driving experience. Under the name ‘BMW IconicSounds Electric’ BMW will offer a sound for its future electrified vehicles.
Stefan Ponikva, Vice President BMW Brand Experience, said: “Over the years, the sound of our vehicles has enthused and accompanied millions of people. We are very excited about the exceptional chance of creating the sounds for BMW’s electric mobility together with Hans Zimmer. Thereby we can charge future emotions of our customers worldwide a new and redefine sheer driving pleasure.”
As composer and curator of BMW IconicSounds Electric, Zimmer will contribute his expertise to various projects for sound creation for electrified BMW vehicles, focusing on the acoustic character of electric mobility.
