Last summer a video of Matthew Dear produced by General Electric surfaced where the global technology giant invited the esteemed DJ/producer to forge a song, which was later dubbed “Drop Science,” on found sounds emanating from its state-of-the-art machines. Motor City car maker Ford has embarked on a similar project, inviting Detroit techno legend Kevin Saunderson into its assembly plant to look for sounds.
The three-minute video recently posted to YouTube finds The Elevator searching for inspiration as he mills about the factory floor, microphone-in-hand and listening for the sounds of the production process while people and machines manufacture cars.
“It’s the same tone; it’s the same frequency,” observes Saunderson. “Then to just hear that there — it was probably used for a totally different purpose — but to hear that, it connected. It was love at first sound.”
The clip is worth a look, especially as you get to see the techno icon going through the motions in front of his array of gear.
The video ends with a slightly cringeworthy comment from Saunderson, one which we’re going to guess was penned by an eager copywriter: “Henry Ford moved people with cars. I move people with music.”