“I don't know if in Canada or in the States the sounds are different, but here, Toyota, for instance, is very abstract, high-pitched, it's a bike or like 'peeeeee,' like this, for instance. The Renault is more reassuring, more warm, it's welcoming, it's a little bit more, you know, it's less cold than other sounds.""Sure, yeah. Well, I guess maybe if it doesn't focus specifically on the sound of the engine, but even the engine sounds have been changing over the years right, yes. They're getting, like you said, they're getting softer or they're getting electric." “Yeah, absolutely” -- Andrea Cera My next guest is an Italian sound designer and composer, classically trained in piano and composition, along with extensive learning in computer music. Since 1998 he's created over 40 soundtracks for contemporary dance and theatre works. He's collaborated with the prestigious Casa Paganini – InfoMus, a research center and university in Genova, on research projects about cross-modality and human movement sonification, and a few years ago he began a collaboration with IRCAM and Renault for the design of external electric car sounds, from Renault Zoé to the new E-Tech 2022.His name is Andrea Cera and if you’d like to know more about designing sound for a purpose, he’s definitely the right person to ask. We’ll cover both sides of the coin, from subtle soundscapes and ambiance to aggressive music and even using noise as art. It’s a fascinating discussion, so stay tuned!As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that. (0:00:01) - The Power of SoundAs the episode begins, we talk about sound's power to move its listeners, to spark powerful emotions like excitement and fear, and even, in one case that Andrea recalls, to stop a riot. "There is one moment," he says, recounting the infamous 1969 Altamont Free Concert, "where The Thirteenth Floor Elevators play, and the girl who sings, they see a riot, and she starts calming the people, and she has this, like, in, I don't know, ten seconds. She talks like with your tone, like this, and the riot stops."He also tells us about how the power of sound first inspired him as a young man when, while working in the theater, he saw for himself the effect his music and sound design had on audiences. “And it was around that age,” Andrea explains, “that I really started to say, wow, I mean, what you learn studying composition really works in a kind of subconscious way” He also explains his philosophy when it comes to sound design, and how, when it comes to audio, less is often more: “For me, design is distillation, it’s taking away and just using the minimum necessary to convey a sensation.” (0:12:25) - Car Sounds and Branding EvolutionOur conversation turns to Andrea's sound design work with electric and self-driving vehicles, and the challenge of holding a driver's attention in what might...