Post
by rob_booth » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:54 pm
Big fan of Klock's production.
Berlin born DJ, producer and label owner Ben Klock is without a doubt one of the most influential players in recent Techno history. As a resident at Berghain he has been able to leave his mark on the club’s sound since its opening in 2004. But the relationship is mutual, as this space definitely had an influence on how Ben approaches Djing and producing as well.
With his hypnotic, heavily grooving dj sets and his tracks released on labels such as Ostgut Ton, Bpitch Control and his own imprint Klockworks, established in 2006, Klock managed to gain an excellent, international reputation. His musical background goes back to his youth. He trained to play the piano at an early stage resulting in his first job aspiration ever: Jazz pianist. Around this time, he encountered the concept of minimalism for the first time by listening to Steve Reich’s „Music For 18 Musicians“, which still holds a strong fascination for Ben up to this day.
In an atmosphere of departure, Berlin’s club scene blossomed in the early 90s capturing young Klock’s attention with full force: „For me the 80s epitomised Pop and a very superficial music in general. I really loved how things went more serious, how all stops were pulled, when the music got more intense and physical.“ In 1994, Ben started to play first gigs in Berlin clubs like Cookies, WMF, Delicious Doughnuts and Tresor, where he held residencies.
At first, he mainly spun house, but after a while his sets became more raw and powerful. When Electroclash took over in the late 90s, his interest in nightlife ebbed away for a few years, so he focused on his day job as a graphic designer. The opening of Berghain in 2004 rekindled his passion with a vengeance, though: „The architecture, the sound: That was how this music was meant to be presented. Everything finally fell into place. When I go record shopping, I think in 2 categories: ‚Panorama Bar’ and ‚Berghain’. They are my centre and pulse generator.“
Over the last few year’s Ben Klock’s tracks, be it solo or with his sparring partner Marcel Dettmann, found their way into a lot of DJ’s boxes. His debut album „One“ released in february 2009 on Ostgut Ton, marks the preliminary highlight of his creative output. Similar to his DJ sets, his music is steeped as much in the experience of Techno in the 90s, as it is breathing fresh air into a more than 20 years old genre. Hence, fusing the old with the new comes natural to him.
He also learned how to adapt to different expectations brought to him in clubs outside of Berlin. „My development as a DJ in the last two years has been dominated by playing two hour sets, which pretty much are the standard in clubs all over the world. I’ve learned how to play shorter, compact sets keeping the energy up throughout. Being able to play very long set still is very important to me, though, as you can tell a longer story. But I really enjoy taking this kind of feeling abroad, where people sometimes literally hunger for it.“
