Techno was created and developed far away from the mainstream. The underground sound got its deserved popularity in the past few years but there is a lot of movement in sound with sub-genres and a lot of talent you may not hear about.
We believe underground producers and labels deserve special recognition, so we will be dedicating our new feature series to this cause.
Gabriel Cassina, better known as Regal, rapidly shot to the forefront of the techno spectrum in 2012, after releasing productions met with widespread critical acclaim by the worldwide Techno scene.
Originally of Italian heritage and currently based in Spain, Regal’s career had brought him to Berlin also where he expanded his artist profile and got involved in techno at an international level. He is one of the youngest Spanish artists to have played at Berghain, widely regarded as the techno church and one of the greatest clubs in the world.
Regal’s style is eclectic. It’s impossible to tie him down to one unique genre, he moves in-between trance and disco melodies evoking raves with a strong acid undercurrent. Emmanuel Top is one of his key influences, drawing from his output,tailoring the perfect mix between acid rhythms and melodies that enchant the soul. Plastikman is his main acid influence as is Sven Väth, in respect to his amazing dynamism and variations during his DJ sets.
Following a string of releases on his Involve imprint, as well as Figure and Enemy Records, Gabriel Cassina aka Regal is one of Techno’s most exciting talents of recent years. Further bolstering his reputation as one of modern Techno’s most prevalent names, Regal’s own productions have been remixed by heavyweights such as Mark Broom, Jeroen Search and Radio Slave.
His own label Involve Records, founded back in 2012, has also become a core hub for both his solo productions and stand out collaborations with the likes of Alien Rain and Amelie Lens, whilst also welcoming artists such as Boston 168, FJAAK, Cosmin TRG, Bambounou, Z.I.P.P.O, Truncate and Fabrizio Rat to the imprint to date. As a DJ, Regal’s dynamic and impactful style has led him to play revered sets across a host of renowned clubs and festivals such as Berghain, Fabrik Madrid, Awakenings, DGTL and Exhale, whilst he also is a core resident at KHIDI, one of the key clubs at the forefront of Tbilisi’s thriving techno scene.
