Monday, 15 April 2024

- A murder takes place at a research base in the depths of the Antarctic winter and its secrets will unravel to listeners through a cache of audio files including police interviews and evidence.

- Produced in collaboration with Spotify who are supporting the ground-breaking new format via in-app and billboard promotion.

- Podcast listeners can play along to be in with the chance of winning a £10,000 cash prize with the competition open for 20 weeks.

- COLD TAPES launches today with more audio files released weekly on Spotify and all other major podcast platforms.

London, 15th April 2024– Free Turn Entertainment today announced the release of “COLD TAPES: Winter Over”, a brand new type of audio entertainment that combines the twists and turns of a ‘real-life’ murder investigation with the challenge and enjoyment of a murder mystery game.

Launched in partnership with Spotify, COLD TAPES breaks traditional podcast formats by presenting a cache of seemingly unedited or raw audio files, creating an unexplored world for the listener to immerse themselves in and, in a unique twist, challenging them to piece together the clues they hear to solve the crime at the heart of the story.

Set against the backdrop of Antarctica's six-month Winter Over, which is marked by perpetual darkness and isolation, the story delves into the intertwined lives and claustrophobic relationships of a small group of international scientists and crew stationed on a remote research base, Bowers Wilson. In addition to the pressure posed by the extreme conditions, the research station crackles with sexual tension, unexplained mysterious psychotic events, hidden criminal pasts, and strange global conspiracy theories, thrusting any wannabe detectives into a gripping narrative surrounding the mysterious death of a 33-year-old behavioural scientist Andrew Fairfield.

Listeners will join the diligent and obsessive DCI Tessa McCallister, as she works through the night and against the clock to spearhead the subsequent police investigation from the UK and achieve the seemingly impossible task of solving a murder from over 9,000 miles away.

To crack the case, budding detectives will need a keen attention to detail and acute listening skills as well as a curious and analytical mind, as they explore hours of meticulously crafted audio content, featuring the victim’s audio diaries, secret recordings, police interviews and other compelling evidence.

Those who correctly identify the culprit can enter a competition to be in with a chance of winning the esteemed title of British Super Sleuth 2024, which will be awarded at Crime Con London 2024, as well as a £10,000 cash prize. The competition to solve the case closes on Friday 6th September, 2024.

For a one-off payment of £5.00, listeners can binge the series in one go and ad-free, as well as access exclusive additional content and a ticket to enter the competition. Payment can be made at www.coldtapes.com.

Sian Williams, a Producer at Free Turn and the show’s Director says: “For anyone who loves nothing more than a new binge-able true-crime podcast, and simultaneously fancies their chance at solving a complex and intriguing crime, COLD TAPES is for them. We’ve brought the authenticity of a real life police investigation together with the unique experience and soundscape of an Antarctic research base to create something immersive and totally addictive.”

Speaking on the collaboration, Spotify’s UK Head of Partnerships, Jon Monsour says: "Opportunities to work on truly innovative, fresh, new ideas come around very rarely which is why working with Free Turn on their new audio project COLD TAPES was an absolute no brainer. Their ambition to create new, ground-breaking formats matches with our approach to taking a different path and I can't wait to see the results.”

Gemma Batterby, COO and Founder of Free Turn adds: "COLD TAPES delivers an experience that will have you glued to your earbuds. This is more than a podcast; it's a cerebral challenge and an intricate puzzle, an opportunity for listeners to showcase their analytical prowess and potentially emerge as the sharpest amateur detective, claiming both bragging rights and a substantial cash prize."

In the making of the series, Free Turn has collaborated with a number of professionals to develop the script and storyline, including police officers, polar adventurers, and researchers to ensure an authentic experience with meticulous attention to detail regarding life in Antarctica and police investigative procedures.

Follow COLD TAPES on Social Media:
@coldtapesofficial (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok)
@coldtapespod (Facebook, X / Twitter)

All details of the competition, including the terms and conditions can be accessed via the official website, www.coldtapes.com

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For Media Inquiries:

Contact Gemma Batterby (gemma@freeturn.co)

About the Super Sleuth of the Year Award

The Super Sleuth of the Year Award 2024 (SS2024) is a prestigious honour bestowed upon the best amateur detective in Britain who has demonstrated unparalleled skills in solving the enigmatic case of COLD TAPES: Winter Over.

COLD TAPES: Winter Over is an immersive audio experience that combines the best of a true crime podcast with a murder mystery game.

With 20 hours of audio diaries, interviews, and secret recordings as well as scientific reports and forensic audio presentations, Winter Over is the most complex audio mystery game ever produced and will require participants to use all of the skills of a real detective.

To have a chance of winning participants must demonstrate the ability to:

- Analyse information, connect dots and make sense of complex situations.
- Notice subtle clues, discrepancies, or anomalies.
- Understand situations with incomplete information and deploy critical thinking skills to help evaluate evidence, assess witness statements, and develop logical theories.
- Extract and structure relevant information from the large volumes of information.
- Demonstrate flexibility in investigative strategy based on the unique setting of Antarctica’s Winter Over.
- Be persistent and determined to see the case through to its resolution!


About Free Turn:

Free Turn was established in 2020 by BAFTA-winning director Nick Hamm, his executive producer brother Jon Hamm, ex-WPP alumni Gemma Batterby. Ron Downey, co-founder of streaming technology provider Massive Interactive, is chairman. The company's primary focus is producing premium film, television, and immersive audio content for global audiences.

Notable recent credits include the hit feature film 'GIGI AND NATE' starring Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, and the new global science fiction franchise for Audible: ‘THE SALVATION' starring Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials) and Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones).

Upcoming projects for Free Turn Entertainment include WILLIAM TELL written and directed by Nick Hamm, starring Claes Bang, Golshifteh Farahani and Connor Swindells, which premiered at Berlin Film Festival in February 2024; a Britpop feature with BAFTA-winning writer Matt Greenhalgh; and feature film ‘LILY & THE ROCKETS' written by BAFTA winner Farren Blackburn, an inspiring tale unveiling the origins of women's football amidst the First World War. Additionally, the company is currently developing several television dramas in collaboration with partners ITV Studios and Dentsu Entertainment.