The Sound of Amsterdam

What Does Amsterdam Sound Like?

Speaker: Michiel Cremers, MassiveMusic
Client: City of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Agency: MassiveMusic, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
 

Abstract

The brief: As the first step of creating a sound for the City we had to start off creating a recognizable and distinctive sound for the City’s call center and information website. Citizens of Amsterdam have to like and easily remember the tune.

What we did: We followed our Sonic Branding approach and we tried to find as much as possible Amsterdam sounds by cycling through the streets and listen and record. The aim was not to choose the standard Amsterdam sounds like barrel organs, church bells, and accordion in a traditional way. But more like using them in a very subtle way inside a strong, modern composition with a strong theme where most people can relate to. We translated the song in a trance version especially for the 1st boat of the Gay Pride Canal Parade 2010.

Time period of realization

2010

Deliverables