Make Music with the Kia Branded Musical Instrument

Kia has released a Kia branded digital musical instrument that uses science and all-natural sounds from all over the world with the intent of getting creative juices flowing and sparking inspiration. 

Movement and nature are at the centre of Kia's creativity and they believe that music is the most inspiring form of art.

The Instrument

The Kia Instrument features a touchpad keyboard that allows the creation of endless loops and patterns. It allows the user to playback, save and edit created audio with 'play as you go' in mind. It also offers light up reactions for visual orientation.

The Science

Kia recorded and developed sounds in nature known as pink noise sounds. Similar to white noise, pink noise triggers certain parts of the brain. Pink noise can help calm the brain and create a flow state of consciousness, a state in which the brain is at its most creative.

To promote this conscious flow, compositions from the sounds should follow four neuroscientific parameters. 

  • 1200 BPM - This tempo syncs with our heartbeats to elicit a calm and positive focus.  
  • Harmonic Progressions - These are better remembered and activate certain areas in the brain.  
  • Melodic Intervals - Create a sense of movement which can be central to inspiration. 
  • Texture - Created by layering pink noise captured from the sounds of movement in nature.

The Kia Sound

Finding their inspiration in nature and science, the pink noise sounds were recorded all across the world, including the Sahara Desert and birds and rain falling in the Amazon rainforest.

In collaboration with DaHouse Audio and synth builder Arthur Joly, Kia used these sounds to create the new 'Kia: Movement That Inspires' sound logo. The sounds are also featured as the welcome and goodbye sounds for their award-winning, all-electric EV6. The company also plan to use more of the globally curated sounds for campaigns and vehicles in the future.

As part of the Kia sound development and in collaboration with Soundcloud, Kia invited four up and coming artists to create tracks using the curated pink noise sounds. They are also offering exclusive access to the Kia Sound Podcast, which gives listeners insight into how the Kia Instrument was created and its science.

Kia has also made the recorded sounds downloadable and is currently inviting creators to enter their Kia Creator Contest. Open to entrants until 10th May 2022, creators can submit their music created with the digital Kia instrument for the chance to be featured on future Kia and Soundcloud campaigns.