If American broadcasting has taught us anything, it’s that the experience of watching sports is improved by an epic intro. Now, Formula E has tried its hand at writing its own intro music to set the mood before the race coverage begins.
The electric motorsport series today unveiled what it is calling its new “sonic identity.” That is, a suite of audio cues that will alert viewers to what’s coming and set the tone for the broadcast ahead. That includes a number of new audio tracks for things like the main titles, the results, and the podium celebrations.
“Working with Lost Track Productions and Machine Sound, our ambition was to create a bold new anthem for our sport as part of our newly launched brand identity,” said Henry Chilcott, Formula E’s chief marketing officer. “The library of music composed by Tom Player is designed to work like a film score evoking different emotions to enhance the race weekend experience from opening broadcast titles right the way through to the live podium celebrations.”
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Introduced just a few races into the third generation of Formula E racing, the music was composed by Tom Player of Lost Track Productions and Alex Bingham, a sound designer from the company Machine.
Together, they attended a pre-season event in which the Nio333 Racing and Mahindra Racing teams tested their new Gen3 cars. The duo took high-quality audio recordings of the cars being pushed to the limit and incorporated those sounds into their composition.
The all-new broadcast title music was then recorded by Player with the help of a 55-piece orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, England. The swelling score features deep string sections and percussive, rising chord progression.
It is featured alongside a new 45-second-long film produced by Formula E’s production partner, Aurora Media Worldwide. It features some of the stars of Formula E, including defending champion Stoffel Vandoorne, Mitch Evans, António Félix Da Costa and Jake Dennis. The new Gen3 cars can also be seen, rendered driving through some of the calendar’s most exciting locations, including Cape Town, São Paulo, Monaco, and London.
“This has been a year of renewal for Formula E—new GEN3 race car, new teams, new look, and new sound,” said Chilcott. “The music score and soundscape sets the tone for the entire fan experience.”
To celebrate the new soundtrack, a seven-song album has been released on all major streaming platforms. The new title sequence will be heard for the first time on linear TV this Saturday, ahead of the 2023 Hyderabad E-Prix, in India.