What does a mountain sound like? How can you turn the rustling of leaves into music? For dBs Institute Course Leader Dr. Hans Hess, these weren't philosophical questions, but the creative challenge at the heart of Kia Soundscapes, a groundbreaking project that has just earned him the Best Sonic Branding award at the Music + Sound Awards 2025.
Kia Soundscapes represents something genuinely new in automotive design: an AI-powered system that transforms the view outside a car window into real-time musical experiences for visually impaired passengers. Using Kia's ADAS cameras and machine learning, the system interprets landscapes, roads, and natural features, converting them into soundscapes. Mountains become synthesisers, trees arrive as flutes, and the car ride itself becomes a journey told through orchestration.
As Course Leader for Music & Sound for Film & Games / Music Production & Sound Design at dBs Institute, Hans brought his expertise in orchestral composition and sound design to this ambitious collaboration with DaHouse, a music production company specialising in bespoke advertising music. The result? Thirty minutes of cohesive orchestral material created in just six days, and recognition from one of the industry's most prestigious awards.
We sat down with Hans to discuss the creative process behind this award-winning project, what it teaches us about the future of AI in music composition, and how real-world professional challenges inform his teaching at dBs.
It was deeply satisfying. I'd always wanted to participate in the Music + Sound Awards with a project that truly represented my best work — and with Kia Soundscapes, I knew I had something special. When I found out we'd won, it felt like a strong validation of the creative risks and hard work that went into it.
I became involved through DaHouse, a music production company specialising in bespoke music for advertising. They had been commissioned by the agency behind Kia Soundscapes to develop the sonic and musical dimension of the project. I had already been collaborating with DaHouse as a freelance composer, and they invited me to join because they needed my expertise in orchestral composition. My main role was as a sound designer, focusing particularly on the orchestral arrangements and how they could interact with the project's conceptual framework.
The initial brief focused on creating orchestral arrangements that would correspond to environmental elements along each driving trajectory. The idea was that Kia's AI and ADAS systems would later be able to generate music and soundscapes in real time, based on our musical inputs. I found the concept inspiring — it was a rare opportunity to merge accessibility, technology, and artistic expression in a meaningful way.
Indeed, there were many dimensions to balance. My main focus was to respond precisely to the brief and ensure that the orchestral elements were structured in a way the AI could later interpret and use creatively. Communication with DaHouse was constant; we shared ideas, reviewed iterations, and refined the material collaboratively. It was a process that demanded both artistic intuition and technical discipline.
That freedom was very liberating. I worked with about thirty minutes of video material, creating orchestral textures and motifs tailored to each route. Each trajectory had its own narrative — always moving from one point to another — and, since there was no dialogue, I could focus purely on the relationship between image and sound. It became an exploration of musical semiotics: how orchestration, harmony, and texture could evoke the physical and emotional qualities of the landscapes the car was travelling through.
We were given briefs describing each trajectory and certain pre-defined associations — for example, woodwinds when trees appeared, or changes in instrumentation depending on terrain. But as the imagery evolved, new elements emerged that hadn't been anticipated in the initial brief. I developed additional associations and shared them with the DaHouse team so we could establish consistent conventions. This ongoing dialogue between the sound designers and myself was essential — it kept the process fluid and responsive to both the visual and conceptual needs of the project.
It was an enriching experience. There was a genuine sense of collaboration between human creativity and machine interpretation, resulting in something unique. I see great potential in using AI as a creative tool — not as a replacement, but as a means to extend human artistic capabilities and generate new forms of expression.
I'm proud of having created thirty minutes of cohesive orchestral material in just six days, all while managing multiple revisions and maintaining the artistic integrity of the work. It was an intense process, but also very rewarding.
All media composition ultimately revolves around storytelling. In sonic branding, as in film, we tell stories. The main challenge here was the pace: the advertising world often demands rapid delivery without compromising quality or coherence. That pressure teaches you to be both decisive and efficient in your creative process.
In truth, there wasn't a fundamental shift. Kia Soundscapes was also about storytelling — but in this case, the story was conveyed through sound for the benefit of visually impaired passengers. The goal was to allow them to experience the landscapes emotionally and imaginatively through music. That's still storytelling, just through a different sensory channel.
It feeds back enormously. I believe it's essential to expose students to the realities of professional practice — the entire workflow from concept to delivery. Projects like Kia Soundscapes inform how I design modules and assignments, ensuring that our course reflects current industry standards and challenges. It helps students see how creative and technical processes converge in real-world contexts.
It demonstrates that professional work in sound is profoundly collaborative. A composer's creative contribution is one part of a larger ecosystem. Your musical input must integrate with other disciplines — code, data, design, and direction — to serve the overall vision. The success of a project like Kia Soundscapes depends on that synergy between creative minds.
There are three main areas I emphasise:
I'd advise developing a strong work ethic above all else. Understand that your music serves a larger project and narrative. Be collaborative — learn to communicate with directors, producers, and other creatives. And perhaps most importantly, view challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth. The ability to stay adaptable and resilient is what sustains a long creative career.
The Kia Soundscapes project is a brilliant example of how contemporary music production increasingly blends disciplines. For students considering a career in sound design or composition, it’s a valuable reminder that the most compelling work often exists at intersections we haven’t even imagined yet.
Learn more about Hans and his work at hansmichaelhess.com, or explore dBs Institute's Music & Sound for Film & Game course to follow in his footsteps.