Promo

Promo, born Sebastian Hoff, is one of the defining Dutch DJs and producers in hardcore. His music sits between hardcore techno and industrial hardcore, while The Third Movement provides a platform for other acts.

He began DJing at small gabber parties in 1992. If there was nowhere to play, he organised his own events in community centres and sports halls. Hoff started producing in 1995, initially for ID&T, and progressed from early recordings as Section-8 to DJ Promo. As gabber lost momentum in the late 1990s, he continued refining his sound and founded The Third Movement with DJ X-Ess in 2000.

An early success came with 1997’s „Shut Up!“, which sampled No Doubt’s „Don't Speak“. He later took a different direction with the „Promo Files“: the tempo slowed, but the kicks became harder. In 2003, he cancelled an appearance at Qlimax after being given just 30 minutes and asked not to play too hard. The following year, he closed Sensation Black.

Under the Rude Awakening alias, Hoff develops the industrial and experimental side of his sound further, drawing on techno and electro. After decades behind the decks, he continues to release new music: „Solitude“ arrived in 2025, followed by further releases in 2026.