Redemption Island Transylvania 2016 – the lowdown
Transylvania Redemption Island 2016 has just announced two more artists added to the lineup.
Transylvania is a party FOR the people BY the people.”
Continue reading to find out who they are.
We chatted to the promoters ahead of the event to get a good idea of why, when and how they decided on the name Redemption Island and what it’s like being a new promoter in a competitive psytrance event market…
Win tickets to Transylvania: Redemption Island
What is the significance of the name Redemption Island?
I wrote this intro to Redemption Island three months before we found the venue everybody now associates with Redemption Island. “BEFORE” is significant here because as you will notice I’m describing a place which at the time I have not seen or heard of yet. If you knew me personally you would know what it’s about and ill leave it at that. For all the others, I hope it means something to you too.
Out of the mist it starts to take shape
an island approaches with the most haunting landscape. 
Beauty and opulence as far as the eye can see,
a treasure lies hidden called the Skeleton Key.
A treasure unlike any other, it opens the door to our inner horror.
Where to find it, nobody knows.
The truth is, it is inside us all, hiding in the shadows.
REDEMPTION! REDEMPTION! That is what we seek…
It shows strength my friend, NOT you being weak.
This is the moment, the time has come…
Far in the distance we start to hear the psychedelic beat of a drum.
We all have something of which we should let go:
this is that place brothers and sisters… This is where we grow.
WELCOME to TRANSylvania. WELCOME to Redemption Island!
You did your first event last year. What have you learned from the experience?
I have learnt more from that experience than the knowledge I gained from 6years of tertiary education. Not all of it was pleasant.
The most noteworthy thing I have learnt is just how much work goes into these productions. The finished product materializes as a little part of any promoter’s soul. As festival goers we rock up expecting magic and often forget that what we are experiencing has been brought together by a team of highly skilled people that have been working months on an event that last for only a few hours. This year I have made sure to use industry leaders as part of my production team in turn giving me the time to actually PLAN the experience I have been fantasizing about for the last 12months.
Also, on a very personal level, I have learnt that the show does indeed go on. When destiny becomes fuelled by good intensions nothing is going to stop that train. Nothing!
Do you remember that moment you knew you wanted to throw your own event and what motivated that decision?
For sure! Such a kiff memory. It happened at an Alien Safari party in 2012 as I was walking back to my car. I checked out what backstage looked like and bumped into GATED boss lady Wendy Brown for the first time in my life.
I took a fat chance and asked her if I could go onstage to take a picture of the crowd. I really did not expect her to say yes. It’s very difficult to explain in words what it felt like. The energy given off by a crowd like that hits you so hard it takes your breath away. I totally get why producers/DJ’s do what they do. I promised myself right there and then that one day I shall be responsible for a crowd like that and experience that same rush. Just from behind the scenes.
Going from being a punter on the Dancefloor to a party promoter. Has it changed your view on the psy scene at all?
Transylvania is a party FOR the people BY the people. I did the time front left and saw everything I needed to dream up my own fantasy event and line-up.
To be honest I don’t even want to refer to myself as a Promoter yet because I don’t feel that I have done the time. At the same time, however, I feel that’s exactly what’s going to make this party so insane: the fact that it’s being hosted BY a punter on the dancefloor that KNOWS what would blow his own mind if he was to be back in the crowd.
And that’s exactly what we are going to do. J As for my views on the scene, I’ll keep that to myself until I believe I have the right to an opinion on it. For now the only real thing that matters is that I still believe our common love for the music unites us. And it’s good to be a part of something that beautiful.
Tell us a bit about your headliner – Jon Mesquita. Why did you pick him and what can people expect?
We took a massive risk with Mesquita because he is basically unknown to the Cape Town Party Scene. In Brazil he is MASSIVE though. I chose him because he completes my own personal fantasy line-up so perfectly. To be honest it was a bit of a selfish decision. I picked him purely because I’m obsessed with minimal prog at the moment and I KNOW what’s going to go down if we unleash that Brazilian Base for breakfast. Expect Goosebumps, that’s all.
Congrats on the venue; it looks really awesome. How’d you find it and why do you think it’s going to be ideal for a weekend ‘trance skop.’
Redemption Island was originally scheduled to take place on a farm just before you hit the tunnel on the N1. The venue got quite a bit of attention from various promotors but was lost to the scene due to circumstances outside of our control. I refused to let it become an obstacle and searched until I found a new venue. Simple as that.
The venue is ideal for ANY outdoor event for SO many reasons. Let’s start with 30 built in hot showers and permanent flushing toilets scattered all over the site. The venue can host 10k people, which has enabled us to create camping spaces all over the site either right next to the dancefloor itself, or much further away for privacy. Camping will also be allowed next to your car if that’s what you were after.
End November is an absolute scorcher but thankfully the venue also offers 15 pools which make up the island. Trust me when I say that it is going to be very creatively incorporated in the festivities. Think beach balls and lilos everywhere! Right next to the parking area there is also a MASSIVE dam with crystal clear waters ready for adventures of all kinds. It’s also so close. 10km before you hit Malmesbury on the n7. Check out the venue promo video on the event page. It’s all there.
When people leave the venue on Sunday evening, what are you hoping will be their lasting impression?
I want them to be absolutely gutted that it’s over, but excited at the same time for the next one. If we pull this off Redemption Island will be the first of many to come. We basically hoping they leave being okay with us sticking around. More importantly, that we deserve to stick around.
What in your opinion separates a good party from an excellent one?
In Cape Town we are so spoiled for choice when it comes to outdoor events. In many ways this is good for the industry because healthy competition results in quality productions.
The difference between a good and an excellent party, however, lies in the attention to detail. Has a constant effort been made to keep ablution facilities clean throughout the event? Has the promoter cut corners to save money at the expense of the overall quality of the production? Has the venue been pushed to its maximum capacity just to have the numbers?
Has security been briefed to be firm handed but not aggressive? Has a conscious effort been made to cater for everybody’s taste in music? The list goes on and on. It’s therefore the simple things that contributes as a whole that separates a good party from an excellent one. Finally, if you are lucky enough to have that elusive crowd that radiates positive energy throughout the event you already hold a royal flush in your hand.
Final words. People should come to Transylvania Redemption Island because…
That Line-up. That Line-up. That Line-up. Oh yeah, we just added Rubix Qube and Broken Toy as well. Just to seal the deal. Fomo is real. You have been warned.
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