Regis (musician)
| Regis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Karl O'Connor |
| Genres | Techno |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record label boss |
| Years active | 1990s-present |
| Labels | Downwards Records |
| Associated acts | Surgeon |
Regis (real name Karl O'Connor) is a British techno musician and record label boss.
As label boss of Downwards Records, O'Connor, alongside his label-mate Surgeon (aka Anthony Child), was one of the originators of the Birmingham sound, forging a sound that blended Chicago house with darker European electronics. Although initially his plan was to take a "director of operations" role (he cites Daniel Miller has his greatest influence), O'Connor and his label partner Peter Sutton (aka Female) found it increasingly difficult to find artists to share their vision, and to this day still work with the same core artists.
O'Connor began making music in the early 1990s and founded Downward Records with Sutton in 1993 in the Halesowen area of Birmingham. He set up the Integrale Muzique distribution company in 1996 with Sutton and Antonio Soares-Vieira. Regis' debut EP Montreal included the hypnotic industrial track "Speak To Me". Other releases from the period include the Gymnastics 2x12", and the Application of Language EP, both featuring hard minimal electronica. The era was capped off by a remix of "Totmacher" by DJ Hell. Things came full circle in the late 1990s, when O'Connor went on to work with and produce his childhood heroes Robert Gorl and Chrislo Hass of Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, but by this time he was already developing a more layered and tonal sound that would become his trademark in the following years.
In 2000, Downwards continued their unorthodox approach to dance music by releasing a series of 7" singles. These were a collection of noise loops, cut-ups and industrial death pop, including O'Connor's Suicide-esque "A Man Has Responsibilities", under the Diversion Group guise. 2000 also saw the release of Againstnature for Berlin-based label Tresor. Recorded with collaboration of Peter Sutton under his real name, the LP was an example of raw techno, coupled with organic field recordings. The duo were unhappy with the way Tresor altered the album for release and it was reissued as LP in the way they had originally intended in 2010. Title of that album was changed to Againstnature (11 Reclaimed Fragments) and it was branded under different alias as Regis/Female.
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