Rotterdam/Hilversum – Following an unconventional race to the top, last month Colin Hook was announced the winner of CUPRA and Spinnin’ Records’ Demo Drop contest. Among several outstanding talents, The Dutch DJ/producer made impression with his live performance and self produced track “Freedom,” which was crowned the best record by a professional jury. Today, “Freedom” was officially released on Spinnin’s Talent Pool label.
CUPRA and Spinnin’ Records worked up a joint effort in their search for new DJ talent. Kicked off early March this year, up-and-coming producers could upload their track to Spinnin’s Talent Pool platform, resulting in no less than 158 demos. Consequently they took part in the Music Industry Masterclass in CUPRA’s City Garage in Rotterdam, featuring presentations by Dutch DJ duo Mr. Belt & Wezol, Millean and Spinnin’s Vice President Marketing Susanne Hazendonk, plus an additional Pioneer DJ workshop.
Via live set in CUPRA City Garage Rotterdam to Hilversum
After selecting eight finalists, an exciting CUPRA Convoy Ride through Rotterdam followed at the end of May. During this drive Mr. Belt & Wezol judged the eight competing tracks, selecting four tracks/finalists for the next round. These artists played a live DJ set that very same day at the CUPRA City Garage Rotterdam, resulting in two finalists to gain one-on-one studio time with Mr. Belt & Wezol, making sure to get the best out of their production: Martello en Colin Hook. Finally, both tracks were judged by Spinnin’s A&R team in Hilversum, which resulted in “Freedom” by DJ/producer Colin Hook from Zeewolde to be called out best track.
“I really enjoyed that day in Rotterdam; the blend of automotive and music industry vibes definitely resulted in a unique atmosphere. My most beautiful moment during the Convoy Ride was when Mr. Belt & Wezol and I drove across the Erasmus Bridge, talking about the dance industry, while listening to my track. Also, playing 30 minutes of my own unreleased material while seeing people enjoy it was a milestone for me; I never felt something like that, especially since it was such an intimate setting. I’m super happy I to have joined this contest; CUPRA, Spinnin’ and Mr. Belt & Wezol have given me an incredible gift, I hope this is a powerful step towards living my dream!”
Mr. Belt & Wezol:
“Great to see that bedroom producers still exist in these huge amounts. Once being a bedroom producer myself, I’m glad to see that the scene is very much alive and thriving. The level of the 8 winning demos was also insanely high. The ultimate winner Colin Hook has everything it takes in our opinion. He has the voice, the songs and the DJ performance. Being able to sing on your own songs in a world full of studio rats is pretty rare; a definite USP which takes his act to the next level.”
“Also, compliments to CUPRA. Them being new kids on the block really shows they’re willing to break away from the typical automotive events, and that’s what happened. A personal highlight for us were the masterclasses, where the Cupra City Garage in Rotterdam was transformed to a learning zone for bedroom producers. With talks from us, Spinnin’, Pioneer and Millean we were in a position we don’t often see ourselves in: standing in front of class. After 9 years of being on the road it’s great to pass along insights to the younger generation.”
A&R Spinnin’ on choosing “Freedom” as the definitive winner:“Colin really made something distinctive. His track explores new musical paths, without losing sight of the audience. The subject also is quite universal; there’s still so many places where freedom isn’t obvious, similar to freedom of speech. The way Colin employs his voice and lyrics with that unique production sound, was an important reason for us and Mr. Belt & Wezol to pick him as the winner. Sometimes, one simple hook is enough to lift a track to a next level, “Freedom” is the perfect example.”
“Freedom” was released Friday 7 July on Spinnin’s Talent Pool label. The release was supported by an announcement on Spinnin’s Talent Pool Instagram @talentpool. Besides this, Colin Hook won a complete Pioneer DJ set to further boost his career.