In a groundbreaking initiative, the Cold Tapes Podcast invites amateur detectives to solve a chilling murder mystery set during Antarctica’s Winter Over. Participants stand a chance to win a £10,000 grand prize as they navigate through an immersive audio adventure.
The mystery unfolds at a secluded Antarctic research base, plunged into darkness and beset by intrigue. The sudden death of 33-year-old scientist Andrew Fairfield sparks a complex investigation, with clues scattered across audio recordings left by Bowers Wilson.
Gemma Batterby of Free Turn describes the experience: “Cold Tapes is more than just a passport to excitement, it’s also the chance to be rewarded for your investigative abilities. With over 20 hours of immersive audio content, Cold Tapes offers mystery enthusiasts and competitive sleuths alike a tough, compelling and entertaining experience. After listening and interrogating the alibis, motives and opportunities of each of the crew on the base listeners can then head to www.coldtapes.com where they can confront the difficult decision of selecting their prime suspect from a lineup of sixteen for a chance to win £10,000 grand prize, but make no mistake solving the crime is difficult and will require genuine detective ability.”
Jon Hamm, CEO of Free Turn, reminisces about his early inspirations, “As a child I was obsessed by Kit Williams and his book “Masquerade” and have wanted to do something similar ever since…it became clear that the way that audio can grab your imagination was perfect for this concept and that’s how Cold Tapes was born.”
He elaborates, “Kit Williams is quoted as saying that when he was a child treasure hunts had bad puzzles and treasure that wasn’t worth finding. Which is why he created a real treasure, of gold, buried it in the ground and then painted real puzzles to lead people to it. Inspired by Williams’ pursuit of genuine treasure, we debated crafting a golden object like a golden magnifying glass, but with the realities of life for many people we decided that £10,000 cash was the ultimate prize people wanted. We did however want to honour the challenge of unravelling the mystery, hence our partnership with Crime Con for the prestigious Super Sleuth of the Year Award—a prize that definitely promises undeniable bragging rights.”
Spotify, through its UK Head of Partnerships, Jon Monsour, expresses enthusiasm for the project: “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.”
Sian Williams, Producer at Free Turn and Director of the show, notes: “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.”
Gemma Batterby emphasizes the project’s impact: “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. We set out to create the audio equivalent of the Blair Witch project and hopefully we’ve managed to do that.”
With a team of professionals including police officers and polar adventurers contributing to its creation, the podcast offers an authentic narrative deeply rooted in true-life investigative procedures and the harsh realities of Antarctic life. Cold Tapes is available for free on platforms like Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and Audible, releasing new captivating episodes weekly.