R3SPAWN

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Freedom

Electronic

Behind the Music

Melding journalism of this urgency with music is an amazing idea. Music can convey a lot of emotion, whether it be anger, sadness, happiness, etc. Fusing it with journalism can establish something deeper than black-and-white journalism. The same goes for the other side. For me as an artist, this project is such a unique concept and it can attract a different type of listener to my music. It can blend the two worlds together, so to speak.

Mixing my music with Ian’s journalism will help me expand my audience. But this was not my main motivation for joining the project. It was the idea that my music could (in)directly contribute to a good cause that inspired me to get involved. I am all for a better world, whether it’s through giving shelter to animals, giving food to the hungry, or, in this case, shedding light on an important topic. More people need to be aware of the criminal activities happening out on the ocean, and I’m excited that some of the earnings from my music will go toward continued reporting on these issues.

R3SPAWN
About R3SPAWN

Little words can describe R3SPAWN’s sudden rise to global success. In just the past four years, the Dutch mastermind’s high-energy tracks have resonated from dancefloors to radio waves worldwide. R3SPAWN’s emergence into the music scene began in 2016. After sending demos to various labels, his distinct sound was picked up by none other than Hardwell, giving rise to his debut label release on Hardwell’s imprint, Revealed Recordings, and shortly after, signing to Hardwell's own publishing company. Since then, R3SPAWN has released several tracks on Spinnin’ Records, Revealed Recordings, Armada, Showtek’s label SKINK and many more, gaining support from top-tier artists such as Afrojack, David Guetta, Tiësto, Hardwell and Showtek to name a few. In 2019, he released his smash collaboration with Dutch duo Bassjackers titled “Outlaw” on Spinnin’ Records. The track was premiered by Bassjackers on the Tomorrowland mainstage earlier that year. Taking inspiration from his background of making hard dance music, R3SPAWN has certainly surpassed his goal of creating a new vibe in the EDM industry. His distinct melodies coupled with hard-hitting synth stabs and bass lines have mesmerized global audiences at his shows. With a full Asia tour already under his belt, and a lot of exciting shows lined up, the electro house virtuoso will surely be one to watch in the future.

Winner of the 2021 Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in Innovation in Journalism

The Journalism behind the Music

All music in this project is based on The Outlaw Ocean, a New York Times Best-Selling book by Ian Urbina that chronicles lawlessness at sea around the world. This reporting touches on a diversity of abuses ranging from illegal and overfishing, arms trafficking at sea, human slavery, gun running, intentional dumping, murder of stowaways, thievery of ships and other topics.

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