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Héctor Oaks has upheld his penchant for platforming a wide variety of techno-adjacent electronic music. BLEACHED PUNK, an EP comprised of tracks by Tham, Repro, Julian Muller and Binary Digit, somehow touches on both industrial and trance. It releases via Oaks’ record label, KAOS / OAKS, on January 28th.
“Aiming For The Innocent” by Tham tempers hard techno kick drums with suspenseful chords that ring out overhead. Repro, who also appeared on KAOS / OAKS’ August EP, #TOOMUCHISTHEMINIMUM, follows with the softer yet still foreboding “Altschmerz.” Julian Muller’s “Nancy’s Track” stands out as perhaps the most industrial-leaning song of the effort, before a significant departure in the form of the 8-bit-inspired “Sad900” by Binary Digit closes out the effort.
Meanwhile in Berlin
Héctor Oaks’ exploration of experimental, envelope-pushing sounds is by no means confined to his label. The Berlin-based DJ and producer – who has held down residencies in Madrid, Berlin and Tbilisi – recently debuted on Tresor Records with the eight-track Año V-I. A journey through BPMs, textures and tones, the effort lends credence to the argument that techno remains a futurist statement not limited by the musings of a bygone era.
KAOS07: BLEACHED PUNK is available for purchase in digital and vinyl formats via Héctor Oaks Bandcamp.
