Joey van Ingen, better known by his stage name Radical Redemption, is a renowned Dutch hardstyle DJ and record producer. With a career spanning over a decade, Radical Redemption has solidified his position as a dominant force in the global hard dance music scene.
His unique and hard-hitting sound, encompassing raw hardstyle and hardcore, has garnered him a loyal fanbase worldwide.
Impressively he is ranked in the DJMag Top 100 DJs list, including numbers 64 in 2014 and 44 in 2017, further cement his status as an esteemed figure in the industry. Currently he has signed with Anna Agency, an energetic and forward-looking DJ booking agency based in Amsterdam.
Now, Radical Redemption embarks on an exciting new chapter in his musical journey, poised to continue his reign as a prominent figure in the hard dance music scene. With his relentless and bone-rattling style, he sets out to captivate audiences and leave an indelible mark on the world of hardstyle.
In an exclusive interview with Pooja Kashyap of GrooveNexus, Radical Redemption talks about his experience as a DJ and the new record label, Redemption Records.
Pooja Kashyap: What motivated you to pursue a career in the music industry?
Radical Redemption: I grew up in the eastern part of the Netherlands in a family where music was always there. My mom is (and was) a famous singer in the Netherlands. She also represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Songcontest in 1987. My dad was a drummer and had his booking- and event agency.
I played the drums, and my little brother started to sing. We even played in a band together. So, I grew up in the music & entertainment industry. For me, creating music was the main focus. I started as a drummer and eventually evolved into a producer/DJ in the years after.
Pooja Kashyap: Could you tell us more about your record label, Redemption Records, and its debut single, “Brutal X”?
Radical Redemption: At some point, you just want to expand your empire, create something that breathes Radical Redemption.
The most important thing for me was to get the whole label up and running first. It started with finding the right people who understand what I want to achieve with the label – people who share a particular vision and know the music industry as a whole, not just the hard dance industry.
Now that it is done, we started to release new music. The first release was Brutal X. The tenth in the infamous Brutal saga. This track has everything Radical Redemption has to offer. We are going to release some more Radical Redemption tunes first. We started last Friday by releasing my second track on Redemption Records called ‘Kyrie Eleison.’
Pooja Kashyap: Which genres of music do you specialize in?
Radical Redemption: I specialize in hard dance and everything within that spectrum. Heavy kicks, big melodies, pounding rhythms. A lot of things I really like to work on. But I also specialized in composing/creating orchestral scores and finding the combination with the hard dance side of Radical Redemption. Lately, I have been playing and live recording with a 30-piece orchestra. It is inspiring to share the room with all those talented musicians. I think there’s nothing more beautiful than combining the beauty of an orchestra with the energy of heavy electronic music.
Pooja Kashyap: If you had the opportunity to collaborate with an Indian artist, who would it be and why?
Radical Redemption: Well, it is not one Indian artist specifically, but how Indian music is played/written/composed. I have been interested in that for a long time now. Indian musicians/creators use a different scale than we do in ‘western music.’ I want to challenge myself to create something on the Indian scale. I think that could open the doors to a whole new world.
Pooja Kashyap: Is there any specific artist or DJ who has influenced your style, especially in rawstyle, hardstyle, and hardcore?
Radical Redemption: Well, as any person, I also had my heroes back in the day, hah! I started listening to hardcore in 2004/2005, so I wasn’t drawn to hardstyle at first, but to the rougher/faster hardcore sound. It all started with Angerfist.
My friends and I were beyond hyped when we discovered Angerfist originated from the same village we were from, Denekamp. Slowly my interest in hardstyle grew more and more until, in 2008, it took a particular turn. With more and more breaks and vocalists/singers, I missed the HARD in hardstyle.
That’s when I decided to produce hard dance music to make it the way I wanted, and it turned out to be a great decision, haha!
Pooja Kashyap: Could you provide more information about the Orchestra of Eternity? Is it a project or a specific concept related to your music?
Radical Redemption: When I do a Radical Redemption DJ set, I play my tracks—a high level of energy. Usually, I play club mixes of my own tracks. People are in a certain mood and don’t want any breaks; just dance, dance, dance!
Radical Redemption & his Orchestra of Eternity is completely different, something the world hasn’t seen before. It is an experience, something you really need to witness. You’ll be in this beautiful world, where the majestic power of the orchestra will meet the unlimited energy of hard dance music.
I will play my original tracks but also my takes on famous movie pieces such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars & Harry Potter. Besides that, you’ll also hear classic tunes from Mozart & Beethoven. Seeing 25/30 musicians on stage, bringing the music to live, accompanied by a lot of special FX and fireworks, just gives you goosebumps. The notes they play will echo through eternity and create a memory that will last a lifetime.
We recently just did the first show, closing the mainstage of Freshtival. It was amazing, and I saw people crying, holding each other, looking at the stage with their mouths wide open. Incredible to witness. But this was just the beginning. We are now planning to bring this show all over the world, which is really, really exciting!
Pooja Kashyap: Do you have any upcoming projects or events you want to share?
Radical Redemption: What is next for Radical Redemption? Well, I am in the final stage of producing/recording/writing my new album. Also, we are preparing the new Radical Redemption solo event. We are planning new recordings with the orchestra at the moment. So, it is a pretty busy agenda, but I really like it.
The most important – NEXT THING – for me is to launch my Orchestra of Eternity show worldwide. That’s my main focus right now, besides finishing the album.
This summer, you can catch me at Dancevalley, Dreambeach, Airbeat One, and Dreamfields, just to name a few. So, hopefully, we will see each other on the dance floor!
