Lara Celine Wolf
Since there have been multiple announcements arround the „King of Rawstyle” we had the urge to do an interview with Joey van Ingen aka Radical Redemption. Luckily I had the chance to meet him right after his first club tour event…
Lara: Joey, thanks for your time!
To be honest I really don’t know where to start… Since this is my first interview ever, not only for Hardstyle Mag, I’m quite nervous. It’s such an honor to meet you.
Joey: You really shouldn’t be, don’t be nervous.
THE BASICS
Lara: I’ll do my best. Let’s start with some basic knowledge, to get into it.
Since you did countless of interviews and might answered this question a hundred times…
Where does your artist name Radical Redemption come from?
Joey: On a Sunday night I came up with the name together with my mom, actually.
Lara: That’s quite special!
Joey: It was! A track of mine was played by Crypsis at Hardbass and because that live set would be broadcasted I needed an artist name. So eventually I came home this Sunday night and my mom was still awake and sat in the kitchen. So we were brainstorming and at some point I said “I really like Radical”. Then my mom first said something different and then on the second or the third try she suggested “How about Redemption?”.
And this was the moment Radical Redemption was born. Afterwards a lot of people came up with “Naaah, that name is too long to pronounce and too difficult.” But I was also like “Yeah, but maybe it’s also the power of the name, ‘cause you really need to pay attention.”
Lara: Pay attention to the Radical Redemption. I really like that.
Joey: Exactly! And I always wanted an alliteration, so RR, also in my event names and especially my albums. The Road to Redemption, Command & Conquer, Brotherhood of Brutality, the Bus of Brutality, and so on. So this is how it all happened.
THE IDEA BEHIND THE TOUR
Lara: Since this was my personal interest, let’s start with the first official question: What is the idea behind this bus tour?
Joey: At some point I just think of the themes myself and after doing this I actually have a huge team behind me, which I plan my events with.
I did two shows in Heineken Musik Hall (AFAS live) and three shows in the Radical Dome, and when your career is growing you just miss the personal touch, you know? And that’s why I do what I do, ‘cause I really like this intimacy and being close to the audience. So that’s eventually when I decided I want to do something different. Actually I wanted to do the bus tour already in February of last year (2019) but it didn’t work out as planned, ‘cause the timing was too short. So we took the time and worked on the idea further. The concept is to drive by bus like old rockstars, like an oldschool star… Yeah, I just go to the people. That’s why we do meet&greets before the show starts. Just to be there again and have a chat, see familiar faces, see new faces (see Warfaces lol), also to see faces you haven’t seen for a long time. The energy I get to produce an album or make music or do what I do is because the dancefloor is full of people that give me that energy. So that’s why I decided to do the tour with maybe 6-8 shows with just an intimate setting and bring Radical back to the people. That’s the spirit.
(Quick information by Lara: The meet&greets can also be attended by fans which are too young to attend the actual party or other events but desire to finally meet their hero. I love this.)
Lara: I think it’s also really special because no one ever did this before in the scene, as I remember. I’ve been in the scene since like 2016 when the Militia Sound firstly inspired me and if my memory doesn’t trick me you’ve been the first doing an own event just around an album release, the first of doing a bus tour. Really something you deserve respect for.
Joey: Thank you so much!
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BUS?
Lara: But what happens to the Bus of Brutality right after the tour? Is it like rented from a tour provider and just got a temporarily branding?
Joey: Actually you can get the Bus of Brutality yourself. You can hire the bus for your own festival group you want to go to parties with. See, if you get enough people together (40-50) and say “Let’s go to Defqon/Intents/Dominator/Decibel… wherever!”
Lara: So everything stays the way it is? With the logo and the interior?
Joey: Yeah it does. You can rent it and have another like personal Radical Redemption experience.
CURRENT FAV TRACK
Lara: I like the idea, it is really special.
To get a little further: What are your current RR favourite tracks?
Joey: I made a really special track for my dad when he got diagnosed with cancer.
Lara: Yeah I heard about that… But today is his birthday right? Isn’t it quite sad that you can’t be around him today?
Joey: Sure, but that’s life and he of course understands. And because you asked whats my favourite track and why… right now it’s that one ‘cause it really has this personal touch. (L: Fight4Victory)
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2020
Lara: When I wrote down my questions I asked myself: “What can we expect from RR in 2020?” But one week later you announced your 8th album and said, you’re going back to the original RR sound. What does that mean?
Joey: Not like the “original RR sound”, but the essence of it, the essence of Radical Redemption (L: Not an alliteration at all, but it would be an awesome album name), more like a red thread through my whole career. Beginning with a certain style I did when I started and released my first album in 2012 and evolving with the Spell of Sin, the One Man Army, Road to Redemption, Command & Conquer and finally Brotherhood of Brutality.
There’s a lot of shit happening, and you also start to produce differently. The pressure on the career, deadlines, it all increases. Right now I’m just working on an album that I told no one about. Not even my booking agency, not neven my label.
Lara: Kind of a surprise for everyone.
Joey: Yeah, but some people were (of course) not that happy to be surprised like this. Like “Dude, we could have used this for promotion, to get more bookings caused by the upcoming album!” But for me eventually the most important thing was getting back to the core of me, just like making music. That’s what I love doing. Making music without any restrictions or deadlines. When the album is finished, it’s finished, and if it’s not finished, it’s not finished. If I release it now or a month later. That gives you a new approach on making music again.
Lara: So you decided to not tell anyone about the album to not have the stress and the pressure with all those deadlines e.g.?
Joey: You just have to see it like this: When you’re starting to make music with no career, you’re just making music. Right now you’re doing your first interview, doing whatever you wanna do. You just write down whatever you think is the best stuff to do.
Eventually when you start working for a magazine, like getting your own magazine, you have to do an interview every day. It has to be done. And it really influences the way you talk to people. Maybe you see yourself asking the same questions, instead of asking those really different kind of questions you did when you first started. That’s the way you have to see it.
Imagine beeing really busy with touring and then being in the studio again… There’s not that much time to do your stuff. And what are you doing then? With this little time you only do the stuff you already know is working. It’s neither standing still nor going forward.
PRESSURE AND STRESS MANAGEMENT
Lara: Since you’re talking about stress and pressure… A question which is also kinda important for myself: As the tour and booking life can be really stressfull, what are you doing for stress management and personal relaxation?
Joey: The first thing you need to do is to cut people out of your life that are costing you energy. When there are people around you in your personal life or business that are like sucking life out of you, you have to cut the threads. Let them go. They are not worth your time, not a second, nothing.
When you start doing that and surround yourself with people that give you energy and give you a good vibe, that’s the most important thing.
Like always in life there is a point you realize “Ok, now I can do this”. Because sometimes you just need some assholes arround you because they also need to get you somewhere. If you reach this point you can be like “I don’t wanna talk to you anymore, I don’t want to have you in my life anymore” and you get a clear mind. Also I decided to just go on holidays. I didn’t do that for five years, so the first five years I was always playing, producing, playing, producing… it was really hectic. After those five years I asked myself “What the fuck am I doing? I just really need to relax and to take my time. So that’s what I do right now. No matter which job you’re working, you have to have a smile on your face all the time.
And most important: Don’t care about what other people think! There are a lot of lovers, a lot of fans of my music, but also a lot of hate. Whatever. Whatever, I couldn’t care less. For me what I do is for the people who are in front of me and not for the people who talk shit behind me.
Facebook, Instagram, E-Mail…whatever. Don’t worry about too many things. Just live your life and be happy that you are alive and healthy. That’s the most important thing. You can buy your food everywhere, your drinks, have a good life.
FAV MOMENTS IN 2019
Lara: That’s a really inspiring mindset.
More about being grateful… Which were your favourite moments back in 2019?
Joey: My favorite moments back in 2019… That’s a really good question!
I think, when my new house was finished, on the 1st of March. I bought it in 2018, in August.
Lara: But it really took a while to get it finished, doesn’t it?
Joey: Yeah, we did some remodeling and some do-up stuff in the house… It took 6 months. I think it was the best moment. Also during the year the treatment for my dad really went well, which was really important to me as well.
LOOKING FORWARD
Lara: Glad to hear that! And is there anything you’re looking forward to in 2020 yet? Except the release of the album?
Joey: Definitely on spending more time with family and friends, having a great team around me. We have a lot of pleasure together and travel the world. So I’m only surrounded by good people, the right people. We can just see what we all like an own production like also we bring our own stage design, we are working with great promoters, e.g. Musical Madness.
I just do Radical Redemption. What the other artists are doing… I don’t care. The only thing I’m willing to do is own stuff and I’ll focus on that.
Always be three steps ahead! That’s a really important thing for me in life. I just wan’t to be the number one, but you can not always be the number one. That’s what I also learned with not entering the DJ Mag Ranking in 2019. Sometimes you loose focus and for me first time I lost it because of my dad could die. So if you haven’t been busy with this DJ Mag thing, the whole campaign, the promo stuff you eventually loose that spot. I’ve been in there for five years, so you realize “I always wanted to be the number one, but you have to work for it, always have to choose between family, friends, that kind of stuff. For 2020 I just look forward to focus on the right things.
Lara: The last “professional” question I got tonight is: There isn’t a RR event anounced yet…?
Joey: Yeah, there won’t be a Radical Redemption event in 2020. We’re going to create something new. You have to scoop on that one.
PERSONAL STUFF
Lara: We’re staying tuned.
Now some more personal stuff: Do you have any toxic traits? Something you’d really like to quit, but just can’t?
Joey: Eating Nutella, for sure. I know it’s not healthy, but it’s too damn delicious.
Lara: Feel you. And any guilty pleasures?
Joey: Disney. Everything that’s Disney for me is golden. People should never talk shit about Disney. I played in Los Angeles in the beginning of January and I went like 3/4am early to go to Disneyland in Anaheim, so that’s an hour drive from Los Angeles, but it was the first Disney park ever opened. I bought like three paintings in the states to put up in my house. One of Mickey, one of the Lion King and one of Stitch. So that’s my guilty pleasure.
Lara: Since I’m a huge Disney fan myself I’m really jealous and can totally relate. Finally, my very last question for you: If you were an animal, which one and why?
Joey: An elephant. Big, can conquer pretty much everything, huge memory. They are just majestic creatures, impressive to see and I kinda had always something with elephants. My mom and dad used to collect like little sculptures and stuff picturing elephants. I mean, I’m a big guy and I think it fits.
Lara: Amazing. Thank you so much for having me and patiently answering all my questions. But you’re not free yet, I’ve got one last task left for you. It’s a shot called Schüttelkorn (L: Oldesloer Weizenkorn mixed with Ahoi Brause), which I want to bring to the world and be part of my future interview ritual.
Joey: Didn’t you give it to Nolz as well? Guess that’s why he’s so fucked up. But I’ll give it a try.
(L: You get to chose between 4 different tastes: woodruff, raspberry, lemon and orange. Joey choose team raspberry)
…
Well, this is interesting. And really sweet.