Interview with Regain

He felt in love with Hardstyle music at first sight and started producing at an early age. Now he is there to “Push it to the Limit”, and destroy all that’s left with his demolishing kicks. Assisted by powerful vocals, this young artist unleashed the beast inside of him. After his first release in 2013 it all went pretty fast. In 2014 he claimed his first number one position at the Hardstyle.com charts with his track “Push it to the Limit”. In 2015 he delivered more devastating tracks and his talent was no longer deniable. This year he performed at HardBass, Defqon.1 and the mainstage of Intents, but there is more to come.. Let’s have a chat with Regain!

Hi Pawel, thanks for having us for this interview in Hamburg. How are you ?
Hi there! I’m fine! Just chilling before we go to the club in Hamburg, where I have to play today. I’m excited to play there tonight.

A couple of weeks ago you played at Defqon 1, in the massive Blue tent, can you describe your feeling about it?
Yeah every party is an awesome experience, but this was something I dreamed about my whole life. When you’re performing in front of that big amount of people, it is a feeling which is hard to describe. You realize your passion and that the people are there for your performance. ( In that time it also started raining and people went into the tent, but I hope people got also wet by my music. )

Did you directly had the feeling while entering the stage that it is Defqon 1? Because it is a really big stage.
Yeah, I directly felt it when I entered the stage. The energy in that tent was amazing. The good thing is that I wasn’t really stressed, I felt ready, ready for Defqon 1! I saw the stagedesign of the blue tent and it was amazing! It felt like a smaller and raw version of Qlimax, so I was ready to leave all my energy on stage!

It sounds like an awesome experience! But let’s go back to the beginning of your musical journey, how did you get in touch with hardstyle?
I was really into the club music, because of my one year older brother. I started to check electronic music and I found hardstyle. The first track I found was Tatanka – GTP (Technoboy remix) and I really liked to listen to it. It was way heavier than the music I normally used to listen. Later on, I checked a music website with more hardstyle and found tracks from Headhunterz and Frontliner. This is the moment, I got addicted to this, music… *laugh*

How is the scene in Poland ? In Netherlands it’s huge. It’s the motherland of hardstyle.
How to say, it’s pretty quiet around hardstyle here, haha. The funny thing is we (Polish hardstyle producers) know each other really well. It’s like all Polish people who listen to Hardstyle nearly know each other. It’s a really small group of people who are hardstyle lovers. Not the people who say “its nice Techno, it’s a nice bass… butz butz butz… I can put it in my car to enjoy. People who really know all about Hardstyle are always at every party.

But that addicted people, they’re going often to events?
Yeah, they are traveling a lot to events in the Netherlands. They are not into spending money in parties in Poland. They are saving their money to go to the Netherlands, because it’s something special. Some people just don’t like to invest in a small club in Poland, where it is super hot and where you feel less comfortable than a hardstyle party in the Netherlands. The Polish people need the experience.

There will be a big party in Poland soon called “Kings of Hardstyle”, which has a pretty good line-up in the best location in Poland for hardstyle. In Poland there are not many big parties. They are some smaller clubs and a good friend of mine Dj Driver, he organizes nice parties. Also, Energy2000 are organizing awesome events. They book really great DJ’s over there, so people will get the chance to meet their favorite artist. Sometimes something small can also be nice. It all depends on the atmosphere.

So for the people it’s like a “bridge” party, until the next big event, cause we all are saving money. Just like today, you play in Hamburg so people from Hamburg and nearby are going to that event. It’s the local support which is important.

About that fact that hardstyle isn’t that big in Poland, what made you decide to produce hardstyle by yourself? I mean you could also say you wanna be a singer in a boy band?
I really loved music from the day I can remember. Hardstyle got my passion after I heard the first track. But to go back to the beginning. It’s from the time when my father recorded something with his VHS Camera (you know that old school cassette thing haha), I always lovedeverything that makes sounds, I really enjoyed it, danced and went crazy to music, haha.

I wanted to play drums but my parents weren’t a big fan of that idea, because of school and I think also because it’s really loud *laugh*. They said I should concentrate on the normal school above playing drums. You need to graduate from school and *bla bla bla*…

I was pissed because I wanted to play drums, but then there was a the point where I started listening to club music etc. I was around 12 years old when I really started producing, because in the beginning I opened FL Studio and was “Oh my God, what is that”. So it took me another two years to get more into the program to understand what I was doing there.

The first track which I’ve made at the age of 12 was so bad. Everything was created in piano roll and really random. But yeah, you’ve to start somewhere. That’s also why I really like to support smaller producers. It’s motivating for them and some guys can really produce well. I never say “You’re bad in this, stop doing this etc.”. Nobody is good when he starts to do something from the beginning… You have to practice every part of your life even though producing is a really complex thing. I mean it’s the same with reading. First, you can read a word and later you can read a whole sentence. It is the same with music. If you really feel it, you will do it! If you put all your effort into it, you really can do it!

How would you describe your own style and who did inspired you?
I got my inspiration from Polish music *laugh*. I’m kidding… but to be serious about it, I don’t know if I have really an idol. I enjoy hardcore music and drum and bass, but I can’t really say that I’m using it as inspiration. I’m sure there are some influences, but I try to make it all by myself, how I feel and want it.

But how do I describe my style? I think it’s just raw. If you like it you’ll listen to it if not you don’t haha. It’s what I feel and what I really like, I think I’m using a lot of screeches and rough atmosphere. Sometimes people like to think in genres and subgenres, but for me its just: hardstyle. You can say its raw because it’s rougher, but I’m not saying I’m a raw style producer. I’m making hardstyle I love hardstyle.

We actually think the same on that, you nailed it!

After your release of Broken, you released the remix for Adaro called ‘For the Streets’, I think everyone knows this track. It even hit the number 3 in the top 10 of 2015, and still an amazing track. Do you think that this track was a game-changer in your career? It’s a remix for a big artist, did it help a lot?
When Adaro asked me I was like Wow! I was afraid to disappoint people, disappoint Adaro and myself. I never expected to have this support. Ran-D played it at Qlimax and a lot of other DJ’s played it on other main stages. I did never expect to get so many support for a track. Insane, Broken and Push It To The Limit were the big game changers. For The Streets was a track that got so many support, so yeah maybe it is my biggest game changer.

But from my own perspective, “Push it to the Limit” was my big game changer. It showed me that I was doing the right thing. After that, the remix of For the Streets and Broken were the game changers for my career and also for the fans.

If you have to choose between Producing and DJ, what will it be?
I think that it will be producing. DJ’ing was never my dream. Producing and making music was my dream. But now I am at this point and I like to show my tracks to the people and also because it gives you energy and new motivation. So now the balance does change a bit between those two, but still, I was born with the dream of being a producer. It’s hard to choose but I will say: producing.

Speaking about your studio, can you tell us how it looks like? What equipment and software do you use..
Haha, yes I can. It’s a good question and here comes the funny thing. My studio is a room *laughs*. It’s a bedroom. The bedroom of my parents, where I cannot produce after 11:00 at night, because then my parents go to bed. So then I watch TV instead of producing, haha! My hardware is KRK 5 Inch monitors, the smallest one.

The smallest Midi controller by Akai an MPK mini. And that is all I have. I won’t buy items which I never use. And I’m used to FL studio and a PC with lots of memory. I prefer a strong PC above a nice studio.

How did you learn to produce and master? Did you get any help or..?
I learned everything by myself. I started at the age of 12, so there was no internet back then. I didn’t even know what internet was. I learned it by myself and learned from my mistakes. Nowadays when I do a collab I also learn techniques of other DJ’s and I can use some of these techniques and in my project and they can use mine.

But I still have my own way, for some producers it might not be a good way, but I can make my music the way I want to do it.

We spoke about other producers, do you have an all-time favourite?
My all-time favourite producers are: The Outside Agency, Detest and I:Gor. The they are producing their tracks is really interesting. It is so clear, it is almost 100% perfection

If I have to pick an hardstyle artist, I would say… Audiofreq! But yeah, I am more into hardcore as I said. The Outside Agency, Detest and I:Gor have a real interesting mastering. It is so clear, it is almost 100% perfection.

Can we expect any collabs with them incoming?
Haha, no *laughs*. It is too hard to arrange. Two different styles, two different scenes. And I just want to produce hardstyle. But I wouldn’t refuse the offer, if it would be possible.

I want to show people new stuff, they have to be there to hear the Regain sound. So for Decibel Outdoor, I produced another banger with MC Renegade that will only be played once! And next to that, there is a whole lot of new tracks waiting for you!

3 The Hard Way will be great also. We are 3 crazy people who have big fun. We made a brand new track. The studio preview is already online. So check the page on facebook for this preview. We have a closing set, so there will be no mercy. We play raw and rough in your face.

So, Pawel, you have just two messages for us? Visit Regain LIVE and visit 3 The Hard Way, right?
Yes, be everywhere where Regain is, haha.

Lately, you are playing so many new tracks, but we don’t see any releases. Of course the breathe remix at the Alpha 2 album, but no solo releases. Is there anything special coming?
The thing is that nowadays releases look like they are more important than music. And in my opinion, it sucks! Back in the days, you released around 4 tracks a year. The music was really good and in your face. Today, you have to release a new track today and tomorrow, you have to release every month, and the month after that and after that.

The same sound, style, and shit. I don’t like it. I am not into releasing music too much. I want something that is exclusive for Regain and also in the maximum quality. Keeping some tracks for myself also makes my performances unique in a way. But don’t worry, it also means there is a lot coming up!

At Fatality we saw something with a morse code at a banner? Can you tell us something about it?
Did you check the code? People just have to check the code, and then they know it, haha! It is about something special that will happen during my liveact at Decibel Outdoor Festival.

With 3 The Hard Way, you performed at Hard Bass for the first time, 30.000 people going fucking nuts, spending their last bits of energy. When can we expect Regain at Hard Bass?
Defqon 1. Blue felt a bit like Hard Bass. I am not a guy that wants to be pushed at all big stages. I can enjoy playing in front of 10 people, but also 10.000 people. I want to be there for people. Decibel, Supremacy & Unlocked will also be an awesome experience for me. I am ‘elastic’. I want to play anywhere, If they put me on a big stage I will play there!

If you are allowed to pick an artist to make a remix for a track of yours, which track and which artist will it be?
I am not really into remixes, I prefer doing a remix and have control instead of a remix of my track. It’s hard because if I don’t like it, I can’t release it.

But if you have to choose, what will it be..!
Alright, I will pick one, It will be my track “Insane” in a remix by Jack of Sound! I like his style and his sound, It is really RAW. You look like you didn’t expect that.. right?

Well, we thought about something like Warface with a Broken remix..
I think it’s hard to make something different of this track because our styles are more similar. My remix for Breathe for instance is totally different with some elements of the original track. It gives a more unique experience than that people could feel like it is just an edit.

So Jack of Sound, did you hear your mission?!
Haha, It was not a request, but will be cool. *laughs*

What was the craziest thing you ever witnessed on-stage?
Well, the crazy things happen backstage instead of on-stage, haha! But I won’t tell something about that, oops. I really like to perform with MC Nolz, he is a crazy guy and I like to perform together with him. But about crazy fans, I don’t know. Most of the crazy stuff still has to happen.

Where would you like to play someday?
Well, I really like to play at Ibiza or Croatia. Of course for the holiday feeling. I really like those places, It’s a party place, the vibe is good and they are there to party. I never been to one of these locations. Something like Hard Island would also be nice.

We didn’t expect something like that either, haha. Most DJ’s say Defqon.1 Australia or Defqon.1 Mainstage!?
Well.. I already played at Defqon.1 blue, I need Ibiza now, haha. I conquered Defqon, now Ibiza. But ok to be honest and name a big event, then I would say Dominator Festival!

The interview is almost coming to an end, so here is the final question, do you have something left to say?
Well, I want to say something to my fans. I want to thank you for your support, I want to give you all I’ve got so you can give me lot’s of energy in return. That’s actually all I want to say. Thank you!