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.

Héctor Oaks has given a home to an envelope-pushing techno four-track EP. Peter Mannerfelt, Darc Marc, Repro and Uncrat delivered the tracks comprising #TOOMUCHISTHEMINIMUM. It arrives by way of KAOS / OAKS August 8th, 2020.

Each artist’s distinctive style plays curiously well with those of the others. Mannerfelt opens the EP with a cinematic industrial techno cut titled “The B 2.0” before Repro brings suspenseful melodies in “The Moment Of Impact.” Darc Marc (of “Dirty Rocking Bass” fame) follows with the hard techno single “Running With The Devil” before Uncrat closes the effort out with the trance-tinged “Linx.”

Expert Ear

After a career that landed him DJ residencies in hotspots like Madrid, Berlin and Tbilisi, Héctor Oaks launched KAOS /OAKS in 2016. Although he typically favors the hard, fast and abrasive, Oaks has thus far explored a diverse range of the techno spectrum while still uncovering music that fits the sound of his brand.

Further showcasing his eclectic musings, Oaks performs under a side project called Cadency on special occasions. Self-described as “techno body music gone pop,” the alias affords him the opportunity to play breaks, ghettotech and the like.

Pre-order #TOOMUCHISTHEMINIMUM in digital and vinyl formats via Bandcamp.