F1's New 3-Second Sonic Branding Is Actually a Chemical Brothers Song Sped to 15,000 BPM

There aren’t many artists who could handle the task of effectively capturing the speed and exhilaration of Formula 1 racing within one song. Then again, there aren’t many who could boast the same 30-year legacy of experimentation as electronic duo The Chemical Brothers. As longtime Formula 1 fans, the English sound engineering masters were tapped to supply the official sound for the new racing season, and they delivered. Twice. First, they lent Formula 1 the track “We’ve Got to Try” off of their upcoming album, No Geography. The galvanizing tune comes with a brand-inspired video that tells the story of Girl, a dog who trains diligently to pilot an F1 race car—and then a rocket ship. [kickout id="2"] Then they really ramped things up. Partnering with creative agency Wieden + Kennedy London, the pair broke down the new song, re-engineered it and accelerated the track to 15,000 beats per minute—to match a Formula 1 car’s engine speed of 15,000 revolutions per minute. The souped up version is a lightning-quick 3 seconds entitled “WGTT15000BPM F1 Neeeum Mix,” and it holds the odd distinction of being the world’s fastest remix: [kickout id="1"] The song—condensed now to the point of being more a sound effect, really—will serve as the sonic branding of Formula 1 throughout the racing league's marketing. “The engineering challenge of creating the fastest remix intrigued us as F1 fans and music producers,” said Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers. “It’s exciting to hear our music in the context of F1. The speed and intensity of F1 is a nice reflection of our music and live shows.” To hear how the sonic branding will be incorporated into Formula 1 marketing, check out this launch trailer for the new racing season: [kickout id="3"] CREDITS: Client: Formula 1 Lead Client: Ellie Norman, Director of Marketing & Communications, F1 Agency: Wieden + Kennedy London Creative Directors: Dan Norris, Ray Shaughnessy Creatives: Tom Reas, Liam Riddler Art Director: Chris Gray Executive Creative Directors: Tony Davidson, Iain Tait Group Account Director: Matthew Owen Account Director: Hannah Gourevitch Account Managers: Sam Hunton, Lola Sauer Comms Planning Director: Lee Ramsey Strategy Director: Georgia Challis Planner: Oscar Powell TV Producer: Sam Rendle Short UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK Globe: SVP Strategic Marketing & Partnerships: Sarah Desmond Globe: Senior Director, Sync: Adam Gardiner Globe: Senior Account Director Strategic Marketing & Partnerships: Kate Macdonald Virgin EMI: Senior Marketing Manager: Sarah Crane Video Commissioner: Ailsa Robertson TV PRODUCTION Postproduction Company: Time Based Arts Executive Producer: Tom Johnson Producer: Sean Ewins Editor: Vid Price Music+Sound Company: String and Tins Sound Designer: Joe Wilkinson Producer: Esi Jonuzi MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION Production Company: Pulse Films Director: Ninian Doff Executive Producer: Rik Green Producer: Ellie Fry Director of Photography: Mauro Chiarello Editorial Company: Stitch Editor: Paul O’Reilly VFX Company: Nineteen Twenty VFX Supervisor: Ludo Fealy Music+Sound Company: String and Tins Sound Designer: Joe Wilkinson Producer: Esi Jonuzi

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F1's New 3-Second Sonic Branding Is Actually a Chemical Brothers Song Sped to 15,000 BPM

To match the 15,000 rpm of a Formula 1 engine

Shannon Miller

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