San Diego’s Okapi Sun will release their new album, Techno Prisoners, this week.
The band, named after a jungle creature and founded by scene stalwarts Gabi Sanchez and Maren Parusel, represents a significant departure from the duo’s past collaborations. (As members of Okapi Sun, they go by Leo and Dallas.)
Whereas Leo and Dallas’ previous band (Parusel’s solo project) mainly produced high-energy indie rock, Okapi Sun is all about the EDM — or to put it more simply, the party.
According to Okapi Sun, their writing process involves getting “all caffeinated and sugared up” and experimenting with different instruments and sounds before “[molding] the jam into a pop song.”
Techno Prisoners‘ 11 tracks were recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Ethan Allen (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) and Grammy winner Neal H. Pogue (Janelle Monáe, Outkast, Pink). With the high-end producers and a polished sound, Okapi Sun seem poised for the big time.
Okapi Sun will release Techno Prisoners this Thursday, April 24 at the Casbah as a digital-only download. To make up for the lack of a physical record, they’ve put together some fancy download cards. Go check ’em out!
Okapi Sun on tour
04/24 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
04/25 – Los Angeles, CA – Silverlake Lounge
04/26 – San Francisco, CA – Milk Bar