Regain dominated last year with countless Boiler Room sessions. After the success of these always sold-out events in Arnhem, a Boiler Room XXL show at Shockerz was a logical next step. The Polish DJ manages to transform the mainstage of Shockerz into a grim Boiler Room within a few seconds, which is seen by many visitors as a highlight of the day.
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About ten minutes before Regain’s Boiler Room XXL starts, it suddenly gets busy at the front of the stage. Although no official announcement has been made about opening the stage behind the DJ, most visitors at Shockerz assume it will. The tension can be read from the faces. “This gate must be opened during the set of the Polish wrecking ball, there is no other way,” a visitor shouts over the music to his group of friends.
He is right: as soon as Regain appears on stage in his black bomber, MC Flo invites the audience to get up in the Boiler Room setting. He doesn’t have to say that twice. It takes some pushing and pulling to get up the stairs, because within seconds the stands are packed. Everyone wants to experience that Boiler Room atmosphere at all costs and be the first to get a spot on the mainstage.
Regain: “Ayo Shockerz, thank you for being here. Let’s go!”
As soon as Regain starts his first track ‘I Am Regain’, there is a fantastic atmosphere in the room. While the other sets on Shockerz’s mainstage used many colored lights and impressive visuals, Regain’s remains a bit sober. The visuals are dark and murky, and in terms of lights, only white, green and blue are used. This ensures that the atmosphere is smaller and more intimate – just as you would want in a Boiler Room setting. The raw atmosphere and the connection between the DJ and the audience are central.
Regain’s own sound can best be described as dark and grim with hard kicks, in combination with a lot of inspiration from other music genres. The music at the front of the room is so loud that you feel the bass throughout your body. This is especially noticeable with the RE-GAIN edit of ‘Cocaine’ and his collaboration with Fraw, ‘X’, which was released earlier this year.
Many new tracks from Regain in the Boiler Room XXL on Shockerz
Regain himself is having the time of his life on stage. He announced on Instagram earlier this week that he wanted to release many new tracks on Shockerz: 13 to be precise. For example, he plays ‘Technobeat’, a track that fits the Boiler Room concept very well. Brand new collabs with KAMI and Colin Hennerz, Imperatorz and Exproz are also featured. The track with Exproz, featuring countless screeches and heavy saw kicks, is a perfect mix of the styles of both DJs. “It was such a pleasure to work with this guy,” Regain says as soon as he blasts that track through the speakers.
A highlight of the set is the Boiler Room edit of ‘Destroy’. The many sparkulars on stage make the faces in the audience light up, while the combination of green lasers and blue lights creates a fantastic dark effect that fits seamlessly with the track. During the drop of the track, numerous fireballs are also launched into the air. “Weapons activated. You will be… destroyed.”
In a powerful 45 minutes, the Polish Punisher showed what he has to offer on Shockerz. This Christmas, Regain brings the Boiler Room concept to Australia, where he invites The Purge, DVRGNT and TOZA, among others. Next Saturday, Regain will first play at Origins, where he will perform his last Classics set for the time being: Point of No Return. After that, he wants to focus on what makes him motivated and energetic: trying out new things.
Images via Shockerz / SPARK / Tessa van Nuland Fotografie
