EX.665 Héctor Oaks

RA Exchange

"Punk is more an attitude than a style of music. And I think that techno is way more punk than punk." The Spanish DJ discusses the ethos of the underground, vinyl DJing and more on this week's Exchange from AVA Festival. Héctor Oaks relocated from his hometown of Madrid to study at "Berlin University"—the clubs, record stores and underground parties that would shape his career as an artist. After once famously saying he could "live in peace" if he could play Berghain just once, the techno DJ has since graced the institution's dance floor multiple times and earned residencies at Herrensauna and Bassiani. Now one of a handful of in-demand, vinyl-only DJs, he's also a prolific artist and the head of two labels, KAOS and OAKS. What makes Oaks especially interesting as an interview subject, though, isn't his newfound popularity, but the underlying ethos that drives his music career. A self-described "techno punk," he reflects on what happens to the punk ethos around the underground once the underground becomes mainstream. "When you see that you've worked for the underground and then the underground becomes pop, do you want to fight against it, or do you want to be part of it?" he asks. "We're not only carrying the music, but we're carrying the values." In this interview, Oaks also talks about the art of playing vinyl, his new hip-hop project, working for the now-defunct Record Loft and his forthcoming album and live show. Listen to the episode in full.