Tamir Regev: From Como to New York, Chasing Emotion Through Sound

We spoke to Tamir Regev about his Bar 25 Music debut, the two-track EP “Mirage.” Blending intuitive grooves with warm melodic layers, the release captures the emotional pulse of Regev’s sound—rooted in the creative calm of Como and the sharp focus of New York. In the conversation, he shares how simplicity drives his process, why small sonic details matter more than we think, and what keeps him returning to the studio day after day.

Your sound has a warm, melodic, and club-focused identity. How would you describe your creative philosophy as a producer?

I try to keep things simple (which is the hardest part! :-). I’m usually building a small drum loop (without a kick and bassline yet) and just playing around with MIDI, keyboards, vocals, synths, or piano—each time something different—until I feel I have something that gets me excited or emotional enough to build further. It has to be a mix of rhythm and melody.

How do you balance intuition with structure when working on a track? Do ideas come quickly, or do you shape them over time?

I’m full-on intuition. Ideas do not always come quickly, but I wouldn't start structuring a track until I feel I have a proper idea laid out. My most successful track to date came after 12 miserable hours in the studio with nothing interesting happening, and then a great melody flowed out of my hands in 5 minutes.

Do you have any rituals or habits in the studio that help get you into a creative flow?

No. Studio time, just like working out at the gym or any other field of work or life you are passionate about, is all about consistency. You go into the studio every day. Some days are better than others, but you never know when you are going to tap into your creative flow, so you should give yourself the option every day.

You’ve worked with analog-sounding instruments and sampled textures — how important is the “feel” of a sound to you, beyond its technical quality?

Very important. Proper selection of samples and layering of analog synths along with VST instruments is kind of the special sauce to make electronic music sound a bit more musical and organic.

The piano hook in “Mirage” feels like the soul of the track. Do you remember the moment that melody first came to you?

Late night in my studio in Como. As always, just a random moment while playing around with my keyboard over some very old samples.

The cowbell in “Mirage” is such a distinctive detail. How do small sonic choices like that shape the character of your music?

I love cowbell! It’s always so much fun to just add it to a track, find a nice playful rhythm with my old MPC controller, and bring out the flow of the groove. Sometimes the small sonic choices are a lot more substantial to the track than you realize while actually producing it.

“Soul Swing” has a more narrative, nostalgic feel. What was the creative process like for that track, and what were you drawing from emotionally or sonically?

Late '90s piano hooks. I love the M1 piano sound and melodies from that period; so many classics were built on that. I started by working on the piano hook, added some synth layers on top, and then worked on other elements. For some reason, I feel as if the small elements like the drum fills, vocal sampling, and the horn synth gave the track that old-school, storytelling type of vibe.

Both tracks were produced between Como and New York. How do those two studio environments affect the music you make?

Como is creative. The beautiful nature around me and the amazing Italian culture keep me energetic and searching in the studio. NY is business-like. :-) I have a proper studio in NY, acoustically treated and with studio monitors specifically adjusted to the room. It kind of puts the focus on mixing, smaller elements, and getting tracks finalized to be mastered.

How do you know when a track is finished?

When I start obsessing over tiny elements—raising or lowering half a dB in volume back and forth while listening for about two hours—I usually know it’s time to stop! Then I test it out on the dance floor and usually come back to the studio for some mix and arrangement adjustments.

Your collaborations span from club producers to soundtrack work. What do you look for in a collaboration, and how do you adapt your sound in those settings?

I love to collaborate. It opens up ideas I wouldn’t usually think about, and with time, it improves me as a music producer. You adapt to the source material if it’s a remix or soundtrack work, while also adapting to the person you are collaborating with. It is their vision along with yours—what details you insist upon and what details to let go to trust the person you are working with. Always a delicate process, but usually the results speak for themselves.

You’ve launched your own label, Silver Joe Records. What’s the vision behind that imprint, and how do you see it evolving?

Silver Joe’s vision is to have a home to release music for my music producer friends, our collabs, and sometimes solo releases of mine. No real rules for the type of music to be released, but it is slowly evolving to be more on the melodic side of house music. Our next release is on March 13th!

How do you see your sound evolving in the next chapter? Are there styles, instruments, or concepts you’re excited to explore?

I think using more and more old samples and loops, even from records from the 60s and 70s. It opens up a world of possibilities and gets your creative juices flowing. It also gives a lot of overall vibe to the tracks, just placing something old-sounding on brand new production and working around it.

Finally, what do you hope people feel when they hear “Mirage” on a dancefloor or on headphones?

I hope they feel a sense of euphoria when the drop comes in and the full groove and bouncy bassline connect to the piano hook. With hands in the air of course!