Reinhard Denke launched Stimmüng in 2001 after first doing sound design with Machine Head and then forming Primal Scream in 1995. With Primal Scream, Denke quickly came to realize that a straight-up sound company would be strengthened with the addition of music to the repertoire. Hence, shortly after opening, Stimmüng composer Jason Johnson and exec producer Ceinwyn Clark began amping up Stimmüng's attention to the more melodic side of commercial audio.

"Stimmüng started out with three sound designers - Gus Koven, Sam Londé and myself. It's easier starting up with strong sound design because with music, you are up against incredible competition. We had to sneak into music," says Denke. "With sound design, most times people are pretty happy. With music, everyone has an opinion and it's hard to make people happy. That's why we need a strong producer."

Enter Clark. A former executive producer with both Tomandany Los Angeles and Hum Music and Sound Design, she had ample experience working in what she describes as "this groovy medium."

"From my perspective, this was a new company with a solid reputation. The people on board can lure people over here and the idea is to develop an equally excellent music division that we will evolve," says Clark.

So far, the company has been involved in a number of Los Angeles agencies' sound and music related affairs. The latest Honda Civic campaign out of Rubin Postaer & Associates combines techy music with subtly abstract sound design from Denke; Stimmüng recently worked with Leagas Delaney France on the European Ikea campaign directed by Brian Beletic; and, Lexus "Kiss" out of Team One Advertising has atmospheric, electrical and mechanical sound design degenerating into chaos by Koven, along with a sexy score from Johnson. Stimmüng also handled the sound for the latest Honda CRV campaign.

Finally, all three Stimmüng sound designers had their hands in the most recent Nissan Altima and Nissan Xterra campaigns out of TBWA/Chiat/Day. The Xterra work was in part derived from sounds sampled during the shoot in Australia (see Boards, Sept. 2001), while the Altima campaign is more abstract, incorporating cheesy tunes, swooshing aerodynamically pleasing samples and atmospheric sounds.