• New Joe Goddard track “Momentum” could give commuters a feel-good boost

• Scientist shared insights from new study into the music that works best on the move

• Mat.Joe and NAO also creating tracks for Ford project with Spotify and New York University

COLOGNE, Germany, Aug. 10, 2017 – Ever delayed starting a car journey until you have chosen just the right music for your trip? Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard has the answer. His new track “Momentum” incorporates the latest scientific thinking into the music choices that can boost mood on our daily drives.

According to a study commissioned by Ford with Spotify and New York University (NYU), music with a driving beat is best. Surprisingly, sad tunes that have a melancholy feel work just as well as happier tracks.

For his track, Goddard consulted Amy Belfi , a cognitive neuroscientist from NYU, who conducted the new research into the science of sound and emotion while on the move; the resulting track is an atmospheric homage to his love of great driving soundtracks.

“I was inspired to create a gentle disco piece that’s quietly optimistic in mood rather than full-on euphoric,” Goddard said. “I started thinking of times I’ve been driving home late from DJing gigs all over the U.K. Listening to music in the car when there are no interruptions and you can really crank the system up – that’s when I’ve had some of my best musical experiences ever.

“I wanted to make the track quite free and give that sense of collective energy that can make an audience lose its mind when you get it right.”

Goddard also has put together an exclusive driving playlist for Ford and Spotify, featuring artists as diverse as Gladys Knight and the Pips, Depeche Mode and Yellow Magic Orchestra; http://spoti.fi/2u7Rbbd

Belfi’s research revealed that the right choice of music on the morning commute could boost driver mood for up to two hours. Further tracks designed to put a lasting smile on our faces as we make the journey to and from work will follow from German electro-dance duo Mat.Joe and soulful British artist NAO. Each track will be accompanied by a video produced by VICE, showing the evolution of each tune.

“We were excited to share the results of this scientific insight with the artists to give them the opportunity to create something special,” said Marcel Breker, engineer, Ford of Europe. “The immersive B&O PLAY system in the all-new Fiesta gives drivers the perfect space to listen to these exciting new adventures in sound.”

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Editor’s Notes

Joe Goddard
Multi-faceted musician Joe Goddard is one of the most prolific and well-respected indie/electronic artists in the UK – he’s a leading member of indie/soul/dance group Hot Chip, half of fun-loving house duo 2 Bears, head of his own forward-thinking label Greco Roman, and a successful solo producer/remix artist in his own right. As vocalist, percussionist and synth wizard in Hot Chip, he’s seduced listeners from both rock and dance spheres over the course of three albums, melding live instrumentation and electronics with an irresistibly twee aesthetic. The group have always been interested in the dancefloor, as proven by their remarkably diverse additions to the Bugged Out! and DJ Kicks catalogue, mountain of remixes and hectic DJing schedule. Such is his love for underground dance music that Goddard decided to go it alone and produce a body of work that distils what he’s loved about dancing to 2-step, Dutch electro, classic Warp material and Chicago house.

The all-new Fiesta B&O PLAY premium audio system features 10 strategically-placed distinctive speakers and tweeters on the vehicle dashboard and around the interior to create a 360-degree soundstage. The 675-watt system is optimised with a digital sound processor and 200 mm subwoofer, producing a music sound that appears to occupants to be larger than the vehicle itself. The system is managed by Ford SYNC 3 Navigation and an 8-inch touchscreen