Pete Tong announces new single Release Me and his search for the next DJ superstar

NATIONAL treasure, Pete Tong today announces his new single Release Me, featuring vocals from Poppy Baskcomb with co-production from Paul Harris and orchestral arrangement by Jules Buckley.

To celebrate this new release, Pete Tong’s DJ Academy is launching an exclusive competition offering the chance for one skilled student to open with Pete at the acclaimed Ibiza Classics show at London’s O2 arena in December.

DJ and Producer Talent from around the world will be tasked with remixing Release Me. The winning remix will be officially released on Ministry of Sound.

The competition is not only open to the students of Pete’s DJ Academy and should a non-student win they will also receive a yearly scholarship to the Pete Tong DJ Academy.

We caught up with Pete Tong this week to learn more about the new single and the amazing opportunity he is offering to up and coming talent.

What motivated you to open this opportunity to unknown talent, and what impact do you hope it will have on the global DJ community?    

I’ve been championing new artists, producers, DJs my whole career so this is an extension of that mission. Hopefully we can discover someone new who’s really talented and give them a boost. 

With so many DJs eager to grab this chance, can you share what specific skills or traits will set a contestant apart in your eyes?

We are looking for that X factor when it comes to DJing , putting a mix tape together. Something original , someone that can keep a groove going, someone that understands how to sequence a set. Those type of traits. I’m inviting them, to open for us at the O2 London which is a huge arena, so they have to get everyone in the party mood and it will almost be Xmas!

Remixing Release Me will be a big part of the contest. What are you hoping to hear from contestants’ remixes of this track, particularly given it’s sampling of Laura Palmer’s Theme?

First and foremost they will need to come up with an inspired idea and then have the skill to execute that idea and present a remix of the song. A remix is essentially a rearrangement of a song, it can be taking the vocal and coming up with an entire new production or keeping the key elements, say the vocals and the strings and coming up with a new approach to the rhythm track and other elements. You don’t have to use the Moby Go string part (which originally comes from Twin Peaks Laura Palmers Theme) but I’d love it if they did!!

You don’t have to be a genius or have great experience but contestants will have to understand some basics of music production. Ultimately, it comes down to having a great idea and being able to find a way to get that across as a finished track. 

For the winner, opening at the O2 and signing to Ministry of Sound will be a dream come true. What support will they receive ongoing from this incredible opportunity, as achieving longevity in the industry is a big challenge?

If they are really good at the O2, if they deliver a great mix to be released on Ministry Of Sound they will create some momentum for themselves and hopefully other opportunities will come their way so it could be the spark they need to start on the road. Longevity is a big challenge but it can be achieved by being consistently good over time. This opportunity is hopefully an important step on that road. 

This competition is also open to non-Academy DJs. What role do you see the Academy playing for those who don’t win but might still be interested in advancing their skills?

Our door is always open to new students so I’m hoping that we discover a lot of promising new DJs from all over the world keen to learn more and improve their skills and knowledge. For non-academy students entering the competition will give them a great opportunity to interact with the academy for the first time and hopefully get inspired to take a closer look at us and join. We have a wide range of people joining year on year with vastly different skill sets from those who have never operated a set of turntables before to dj’s who already have huge experience and some success.  I am sure the academy could help them in some way.

Beyond this competition, how has mentorship enriched your own journey as a DJ?

Mentors have been important in my career, be it as a DJ, producer, A&R man I had some great mentors and I’ll be forever grateful and that inspires me to do the same for the next generation. The academy is a dream come true in creating a global campus for dj’s where we can share and learn from each other – even me – I never stop learning. 

Ibiza Classics is adored by dance music fans of all ages. What is it about the show that keeps audiences coming back year after year?

I’d like to think that its a combination of giving people a very special and unique experience that makes them want to come back and see us again, tell their friends, and me and my team’s constant desire and drive to keep reinventing the show year on year, introducing new “classics”, new guest performers, new stage show, new visuals, its a show that’s constantly evolving and we have so many songs in our repertoire now that its great when we bring some of the old favourites back. 

With Ibiza Classics reaching its 10th anniversary next year, are there any plans you can share about how you intend to mark this milestone?

We have some very exciting plans, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until after our winter 24 tour before we announce what our 10th Anniversary plans are. Fingers crossed fans of the show will approve!