Fekete Zaj - Sound of Matra

The "Sound of Matra" campaign created by the Budapest-based independent agency Mediator for the Fekete Zaj alternative music festival won a gold Clio Award.

The campaign – made for ticketing platform Tixa, the festival’s organizer – has garnered recognition at several national and international advertising competitions, including a Grand Prix at the 2024 Golden Drum. Mediator celebrated the 15th anniversary of the niche music festival Fekete Zaj (translated: Black Noise) by transforming the topography of its home, Matra Mountain, into sound waves. This allowed anyone to "play" the sound of Hungary’s largest mountain.

Collaborating with Swedish company Kilohearts, Mediator also made the 20-patch Black Noise sound kit freely available, enabling musicians worldwide to incorporate the experimental sound of the Matra into their own compositions. The campaign went even further, with festival artists creating Matra-inspired versions of their work, and a public remix competition was held in the lead-up to the festival in August 2024.

"We loved this campaign not only because it successfully connected to the essence of a subcultural festival but also because the digital sound kit organically came to life through the performances of festival artists and competition submissions, completing the experience," said Dániel Csirke, Creative Director of Mediator, about the project.

Anyone can experience the true sound of the Matra by visiting The Sound of Matra page, where they can play the topography-inspired sound waves using their computer keyboard. To hear the sounds, visit The Sound of Mátra.