- 2023's most prolific breakout star shares 100 tracks, from G-funk to hardgroove.
- Max Pearl's profile of Regal86 last year highlighted a few ways the Monterrey-born artist is doing things his own way. Giving the middle fingers to Jeff Mills's tour manager? Check. Mixing without headphones? Why not? But what's really mind-blowing is the sheer amount of music Regal86 makes. He can make 30 tracks in 30 days and sell $60 USB sticks containing 500 original tracks, and make it look as effortless as inhaling air. In a techno world where producers like to go on Twitter to complain about the six days they spent mixing down their kick drums, these feel not just like feats of productivity, but also like a middle finger to the techno rule book.
Even more impressive is just how good this music is. For producers who think that tinkering with a bassline WAV form for five days is a vital part of the production process, he represents something like the Antichrist: not only is he turning out tunes so quickly, but he's beating these producers at their own game. His latest release, Unearthed Vol. II *100 Trax*, is a case in point. Uploaded to Bandcamp on New Year's Day, the second volume of his Unearthed series is a staggering 100 tracks long and includes everything from footwork and juke ("Drtnzt," "Locked Juke") to UK-style contemporary techno ("Microbito," "100140"), syrupy Memphis rap ("whereiam") and booty house ("Boogie Gangsta").
Regal86 has been a vital part of the hardgroove revival that swept clubland last year, and swung techno just north of 130 BPM makes up the lion's share of tracks here. What makes these songs work so well is how he always emphasises the groove in hardgroove. A track like "MysticalBlendz" starts with a tough snare pattern and compressed chord sequence, but blossoms into something dense and funky. The same is true when he works the classic hardgroove bongos to their point of implosion on tracks like "A Ok (Sueño Latino Mix)" or "Mueve tu cuerpo (86 Mix)." These are tracks designed for old-school DJs like Rolando. Even when he goes for the jugular on the ferocious "Como Loco," there's a hint of grooviness in how he lays down his drums.
Above and beyond hardgroove, though, Unearthed Vol. II is a true archive of all shades of Regal86. He touches on dusty, lo-fi house that reminds me of the best of the early Vancouver scene ("Kollekt," "1000 Maneras," "Stussy Black Pants"). He also ventures into dub techno ("Eyes Cream"), raunchy Baltimore club ("Psych0," "raaaackssss") and even 3XL-style ambient on "Deep Forest," where the sounds of Clams Casino and Huerto S collide.
Some of the best songs here show Regal86 flirting with UK club music. Alongside the Livity Sound-style techno mentioned above, he also goes further back in time. "Leather Jacket" is straight-up dubstep while "Solo una noche" and "Lightloopz" are Burial-style ruminations. The record finishes with a run of jungle and drum & bass tracks, but it's the sort of 160 BPM tunes that sound just as good at half time-think Pork Recordings. You could easily play "Eastzide," "Shawtypimp," and "Valley" in a smoky chill-out room at sunrise.
It'd be a fool's errand to try and cover the sheer breadth of material here (I haven't even mentioned any of the hip-hop tracks that touch on everything from G-Funk to trap). But suffice to say, if you've even a cursory interest in electronic music, there's something you'll enjoy on this record. Prolific is an understatement. Regal86 is operating at a completely different scale.