[Tech House] Regal - Symbol EP - 2015 FLAC

While he may not yet be Techno royalty, Regal’s debut EP ‘Symbol’ on Figure is a hypnotically impressive effort that intertwines dark atmospheres with brutal and cutting hooks to leave you feeling incredibly debilitated.

Distorted Acid, many of the tracks have strong 303 characteristics yet never in ways in which you’d expect. Opener ‘Monomyth’ is a gargantuan number that pushes and pushes, taken a classic 90’s style and throwing it into the jumble of modern dance music.

The term ‘monomyth’ comes from Joseph Campbell’s 1949 novel The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and is the basic narrative pattern of a hero’s journey in a strange and supernatural world. There are many faces in this pattern which include ‘call to adventure’, ‘threshold’, ‘abyss’, ‘transformation’ and ‘atonement’.

When relating this idea to Regal’s track, you sense a strong parallel, as you’re led on your own journey throughout the song. From the opening, you’re thrown into this bizarre world that becomes increasingly unstable and intense. At it’s height you sense an incoming doom yet which is later replaced by a self-transformative conclusion.

Title track ‘Symbol’ is a much more straightforward Techno track, however this doesn’t mean it lacks any inspiration. A slow builder, the rise in intensity is incredible and it while may not take your fancy in your first listen, you’ll quickly grow to appreciate it. It’s a song that fits the Figure model perfectly, driven and direct Techno with numerous subtleties that manages to do a full 180˚ by the end.

‘Pointillism’ has quite a surreal touch to it, a song that manages to get weirder and weirder as it progresses until you’re totally embedded in a strange and mystic world. Closing track ‘Pompous’ gives the EP a final breath of life, with its destructive bitcrusher bass line and hyped up percussions, it closes ‘Symbol’ on a powerfully epic note. Raucous and damaging, it’s a brilliant end which elevates the overall mood of the EP to sublime heights.

Regal has proven he’s quite the powerhouse who’s able to bring out the best elements of Techno and Acid House and master a sound that is both refined yet strident. With a brilliant career ahead of him, we’re looking forward to hearing more from him.


01. Regal - Monomyth [08:21]
02. Regal - Symbol [05:37]
03. Regal - Pointillism [05:42]
04. Regal - Pompous [05:48]