Estado de Bienestar is the bold new solo project from Nico Cabañas, co-founder of the record label Oráculo Records and Ombra Festival.
Emerging from a period of personal transformation, the project marks a departure from Cabañas’s earlier ventures — including Synths Versus Me (“So Far”, 22 Recordings) and Almax und Forte (“Nois d’Avui”, Oráculo Records). The latter had already begun shaping the sonic direction Cabañas now fully embraces: a raw, visceral, and fully analog “proto” sound.
Chapters 1 and 2 of Estado de Bienestar offer a genre-defying journey through twisted, reimagined darkwave. As if curated by a seasoned digger, subgenres collide and dissolve — EBM blends seamlessly with breakbeat, industrial goth meets trip-hop, and dub-industrial collides with jazz, creating a rich and unpredictable listening experience.
But this isn’t just about breaking musical boundaries. True to its punk ethos, Estado de Bienestar also delivers a sharp socio-political critique — both through its sonic landscape and its visual artwork. The project’s name itself references a concept often touted but rarely experienced in modern Western society. The album is a clear commentary on the cultural and ideological disorientation of the 21st century, addressing controversial themes both overtly and symbolically. It stands as a manifesto against the homogenized thinking promoted by today’s notions of what is “politically correct,” “acceptable,” or “unquestionable”, inviting the listener to reflect and engage in critical thought through music and art.
Estado de Bienestar – Chapter 1: La Escorpiona and Chapter 2: Guateque Punk will be released by Oráculo Records on May 15, 2025, in digital format and as a double vinyl edition.
www.oraculorecords.bandcamp.com/album/la-escorpiona-y-guataque-punk
