Electric, explosive, euphoric
Who the fuck is Infernal?
Electric, explosive, euphoric: Infernal is an energetic Danish duo consisting of Lina Rafn and Paw Lagermann. We have been delivering dancefloor anthems, cry-into-your-pillow ballads, and everything in between since 1997 – and we don’t intend to stop anytime soon.
We met in the 90s (yes, it’s a long time ago, we know), and since then, we’ve thrown ourselves into a musical love affair with beats, hooks, strobe lights, and a pumping bassline.
From Diskotek IN to Infernal
The beginning 🔥
Infernal formed in 1997 as three friends on the Copenhagen club scene who just wanted to play with sound.
Our first single Sorti de L’enfer was released mostly for fun – but became an underground hit. That whetted our appetite, and in 1998 our debut album Infernal Affairs was released, featuring tracks like Kalinka and Your Crown. The album sold 80,000 copies and made us one of Denmark's biggest dance acts.
In 2000, Søren Haahr left the group, and we continued as a duo – undeterred. With the trance hit Sunrise and the album Waiting for Daylight, we moved forward, and when You Receive Me was chosen as the theme song for Big Brother, we released a new version of the album: Muzaik. We moved from club bangers to sensitive ballads – and won, among other things, Danish Artist of the Year at the DeeJay Awards.
But not everything was a bed of roses. At the beginning of the 00s, we were fumbling for our next step. We produced for others, made downtempo tracks, and several ended up on chill-out compilations abroad. We wrote songs in piles, but lacked a clear direction.
Then Søren (now under the name Red$tar) reached out with a crazy idea: a trance song with a banjo. The result was Banjo Thing, an unexpected club hit that gave us a necessary kick of energy.
It reminded us of what Infernal is all about: daring to take chances and making the dance floor explode in new ways.
From Paris to Berlin, and all over the world
The Breakthrough 🌍
In 2004, we were ready to move globally. From Paris to Berlin became our third album – and the title track sent us from Danish dance floors to clubs in London, Ibiza, Berlin, and Tokyo.
With its irresistible electro-hook, it became one of Denmark's biggest pop successes ever. In 2006, it hit #2 on the UK charts and became one of the best-selling singles of the year in the UK. Not bad for a track from our studio in Copenhagen!
We spiced up the success with typical Infernal humor: during the 2006 World Cup, we made From London to Berlin as a tribute to the English national team – right up until they were knocked out, and we pulled it back, laughing. But the damage wasn't done – From Paris to Berlin had already made us one of Denmark's biggest music exports. By the end of 2007, the album had sold over a million copies globally, and we were suddenly standing on stages all over the world, while the audience – from Tokyo to Tyrol – screamed along to the chorus. Magical.
But we weren't finished. Self Control went Top 20 in the UK, Ten Miles took Spain by storm and went #1, and back home we had two of the most downloaded tracks of the year in 2006. In 2007 followed I Won’t Be Crying – a dark club hit with a Depeche Mode sample and a video that still gets millions of views.
We had found our formula: whether we made eurodance, trance, or pop, it sounded like Infernal – and it worked.
Electric Cabaret and beyond
Reinvention on the dance floor 🕺🏻
Following our international breakthrough, we refused to rest on our laurels. In 2008, we turned up the dial on a more mature, electronic sound with Electric Cabaret – or as Lina put it: “a little less feathers & sequins, a little more jeans- &-T-shirt.”
The lead single Downtown Boys became our first #1 on the airplay chart and reached #2 on the sales chart, the album went platinum, and fans found new favorites in Punk Disco and Redefinition. We showed that Infernal could still surprise – on our own terms.
In 2010 came Fall From Grace, where we balanced club energy and vulnerability. But the album also served as a wake-up call: the format was draining us. We chose to abandon the album concept and focus instead on singles and concerts – a gamble, but one that kept our creativity alive.
In 2012, we tried our hand at Danish for the first time as Paw&Lina. “Stolt af mig selv?” became a Top 10 hit and opened the door to a new, vibrant lyrical side – not as Infernal, but as a creative outlet. It proved one thing: good pop music needs no translation.
For the rest of the decade, we released singles whenever we felt like it, and you could feel that passion. Hurricane, Not Alone, Fist Up, and We Too set the dance floor on fire, while we toured the country extensively and headlined stages at festivals – even alongside artists who were barely born when we started. (Vi Elsker 90’erne in 2019? We blew the roof off!).
But we’ve also been down. We’ve argued, smashed things in the studio, and been close to throwing in the towel. But we kept going. Because when music is at the heart of it all, you find a way.
And we did – and we still do. 25 years later and still going at full throttle.
Our Journey
25 years with Infernal
The party continues 🎉
In 2017, we reached 20 years of full energy. In 2022, we hit 25 – and decided to mark it with something special: a brand-new album.
HORMESIS became our musical manifesto over a quarter of a century. The title refers to the idea that adversity makes you stronger – and we poured everything we had learned through ups and downs into an album that looks both back and forward. Yes, there are bagpipes. Because why not?
The album showed that the spark hasn't faded – on the contrary. It was our loving thank you to those of you who have danced with us all the way, and proof that we are still here: playful, fired up, and ready for more.
Since then, new tracks have arrived: 1000 Colours, Techno Tombola, the official 'Vi Elsker' anthem We Luv, and the uplifting Inner Fire – because the spark must be kept alive, even when the world stands still.
And now? We are only just getting started. The next chapter is bubbling in the background – perhaps an album #7? Our 00s vibes are suddenly hot again, and we have a feeling that the best is still to come. One thing is certain: we don't do it because we have to, but because we can't help ourselves.
Do you think we’ve retired? NO, MY FRIEND! We are still right in the middle of beats, chaos, and love – exactly as we love it. With platinum records, awards, and millions of concert-goers behind us, we know one thing: as long as you party with us, we’ll keep going. The story continues… 🔥🚀
