Even in a city that can reasonably claim to have reinvented techno for a new century in a variety of world-class dance venues, Berghain has acquired a mystique that sets it firmly apart from other Berlin clubs. This disc is the fourth in a series of DJ mixes released under the
Berghain imprimatur (though what that means isn't entirely clear, as the recording doesn't seem to represent an actual live set from the club), and it's the debut mix by DJ
Ben Klock.
Klock's approach is refreshingly catholic: where other DJs tend to find a groove and dig into it for an hour or so, offering variations on a more or less consistent rhythmic theme,
Klock wrecks everything up: opening with a cloud of disembodied ambience (154's "Apricot"), he then proceeds to cue up the disarmingly and eerily pretty "Pressure" by DVS1, then a quietly bouncy piece of tech-house by
Martyn titled "Miniluv," and then everything goes to pieces.
Levon Vincent's "The Long Life" is disjointed and radically unsettled, and sounds like a bunch of robots having an argument using car horns;
Rolando's "De Cago" is even more creepily unsteady and features frighteningly muffled vocals, and is then followed by
Kevin Gorman's "7am Stepper," on which the beat itself is almost completely muffled and blurts of dubby noise provide the real rhythmic punctuation. By the time
Tyree comes in with "Nuthin Wrong," the sonic texture has opened up significantly and become more fun again, thanks in part to some clever and artfully wielded vocal samples. Very impressive overall. ~ Rick Anderson