When it comes to Berlin’s Berghain and its myth, we all know the deal by now: techno, concrete, marathon dances. Fact or fiction, Berghain 04 comes in the nick of time. It is impossible to reduce Ben Klock’s musical vision and especially his work as a DJ. Stereotypes and close-minded genre definitions have never been wished-for by the protagonists (Berghain and Klock) anyway and they won’t help you here. After contributions by André Galluzi, Marcel Dettmann and Len Faki, Berghain 04 avoids any hints of a one-dimensional attitude. Ben Klock seems not to care about classifications, about the limits and differences of techno and house, if something fits into the dubstep formula or if a record is in line with the scheme of an almighty and dominating bass drum. The Berghain resident is just doing what always separated a brilliant DJ from a good one: Klock adopts the music as his own.

Literally, Ben Klock’s debut mixed CD is a cornucopia of new, unreleased and exclusive pieces. Bass music hero Martyn delivers one of his clunky hybrids, Berlin’s best kept secret Roman Lindau presents breathtaking, chrome-plated dub techno and a new player by the name of ACT surprises and amazes all at the same time. You will hear fantastic novelties by Rolando, New York’s very own Levon Vincent, Klockworks artist and Minneapolis genius DVS1 and of course by Ben Klock himself. On the one hand, an astonishing melodic and engaging track called “Compression Session 1” and on the other one “Elfin Flight”. An unwound collaboration with Elif Biçer and a perfect lead to the levitating and grand finale.

Klock turns all these ingredients into one long and harmonic blend. Without any sign of hectic or nervous breaks, but not without thrilling moments, peaks or valleys, turning points, Berghain 04 primes its listener for the climax of a long night out: the disappearance of space, time and the outside world. Akin to his album “One”, Ben Klock combines his classic appreciation of music, melody and hidden hook lines with the anonymity of solid machine sounds.

These comparisons might be drawn with a worn-out pen, just like all the insufficient adjectives used to describe Berghain’s magic, but that is exactly what is achieved here. Ben Klock gets effortlessly and truthfully to the heart of a sound, a feeling and most of all an aesthetic. Berghain techno soul.

Text: Gerd Janson

Junior Boys | Work (Marcel Dettmann Remix)

Tracks CD

1. 154 – Apricot
2. DVS1 – Pressure previously
3. Junior Boys – Work (Marcel Dettmann Remix)
4. STL – Loop 04
5. Levon Vincent – The Long Life
6. Jonas Kopp – Michigan Lake
7. ACT – RoHd
8. Mikhail Breen – Veracity
9. DVS1 – Confused
10. Rolando – De Cago
11. Kevin Gorman – 7am Stepper
12. Ben Klock – Compression Session 1
13. Roman Lindau – Keppra
14. Tyree – Nuthin Wrong
15. The Echologist – Dirt (Ben Klock Edit)
16. James Ruskin – Graphic
17. Ben Klock feat. Elif Biçer – Elfin Flight
18. Rolando – Junie