Kosovan DJ & Producer Regard built up over 1 million subscribers through his series of deep house mixes, remixes and original tracks in support of LEAF Management since of 2012. In July of 2019, Regard released his first official single ‘Ride It’ on Ministry of Sound and it became an international hit, taking the internet by storm, achieving over ten top 10 single chart placements globally, including #2 in the UK where ‘Ride It’ is now Certified Multi-Platinum. Regard finished the ‘Ride It’ campaign with an amazing debut at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball, and on his first TV performance in the UK at Top of The Pops. With a number of hits released after, we had the pleasure of catching up with him after he performed at Bohemia by FIVE.
Hey Regard, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. How are you doing today?
Hey EDMHouseNetwork, it’s a pleasure to have this interview. I’m doing good today and am looking back on a great performance at Bohemia at Beach by FIVE.
You just performed at Bohemia at Beach by FIVE. How excited were you to get behind the decks?
I was super excited to perform at Bohemia at Beach by FIVE. It is a venue unlike any other and the crowd has such an amazing energy. The crowd starts partying in the afternoon and keeps going on into the night – non stop! It’s a whole different experience when you’re playing on a beach instead of in a club or at a festival site, and especially in a place like Dubai.. I still remember the view from the decks as the sun went down. I also want to compliment the amazing people who work at FIVE for taking care of me during my stay and during my performance, ensuring I had an amazing time.
This performance may be a little different compared to your usual shows. Do you prepare any differently for shows like this?
I always try to adapt my set to the vibe of the city, the crowd, and the venue I’m playing. To me the most important thing is that the crowd enjoys the music and that they get the best version of me. Before my performance I try to figure out what the city is listening to and prepare accordingly. Dubai is multicultural, and when you’re playing at Bohemia at Beach by FIVE, you need to try to cater to all the different musical tastes while staying true to the Bohemian beach vibe of the venue, and my own musical style of course.
A holiday destination like no other, can you give me a little insight into FIVE and what it’s like to be at their hotel and events?
FIVE is incredible. They’ve got everything I want and need! Aside from performing on FIVE’s beach, I also stayed in the hotel and got to experience their food and hospitality. As I’m writing this, I’m looking back at the amazing food I had while I stayed there – from authentic amalfi coast Italian food at Cinque to delicious Japanese bites at The Penthouse, to Chinese dishes at Maiden Shanghai, FIVE really brings the whole world to Dubai. It was great to have some unwinding time at FIVE besides my touring schedule and I definitely look forward to going back to FIVE and spending more time here. I definitely look forward to going back to FIVE and spending more time there.
Having been releasing music for several years before ‘Ride It’ blew up, how did it feel for that one to become such a huge hit?
We had released many records before ‘Ride It’, but it’s amazing to see that it blew up like it did. Sometimes I still can’t believe how big it’s gotten. I still get goosebumps when I hear it on the radio or when I see other DJs playing my track. We actually wanted to release ‘Ride It’ earlier than when we did, but when we tried to release it independently it didn’t catch on. In the end we signed it to the Ministry Of Sound and re-released it, after which it caught on on TikTok and the rest is history..
This house style with pop and deep influences has been pioneered by you. How important do you feel it is to have your own signature sound?
I feel honored that you credit me for pioneering this style! I really appreciate it. It feels great to have helped create a sound that so many people like, and it makes me happy to see the sound being picked up by other artists all over the world.
Have you been cooking anything special in the studio?
I’ve been working on a lot of new music. I released a new track a couple weeks ago called ‘Hallucination’ ft. Yours&Yours, and I’ve also got 2 tracks to be released before July, that I think they’re gonna surprise everyone!
Thanks for taking the time to speak with us! Do you have anything special coming that you’d like to announce to our readers?
Thank you so much! It was my pleasure, EDMHouseNetwork! As mentioned I’ve got 3 big releases coming up, and some other big surprises for everyone out there! My career has only just started and I promise that there’s much more to come.
