- Two generations of Berghain meet in the middle: glorious, galloping techno.
- Ben Klock has had a massive impact on the sound of techno for someone with relatively few records. Tracks like "Subzero" and "Dawning" still sound sleek and futuristic today. Any new Klock is a reason for celebration, though most of his recent stuff has come through collaborations with other artists, including Lucy and his old sparring partner Marcel Dettmann. For the latest release on his Klockworks label, he reaches out to techno's new guard in Fadi Mohem—making his name with previous releases on Klockworks and Modeselektor's Seilscheibenpfeiler—who also happens to be one of Berghain's newest residents.
This cross-generational meeting doesn't so much reinvent Klock's sound as spruce it up with some of the more exaggerated touches of Mohem's other, bolder solo EPs. You can hear Klock in the bounce of "Hydrocarbon," which centers around a grotty, two-note melody that reminds me of the earliest Ostgut Ton releases—think Norman Nodge or old Samuli Kemppi. It's one of the grittiest things on Klockwork in a while. Then again, you can also hear Mohem's verve in "Gateway," where the classic combo of sustained strings and sonar is pushed to its limit, the functional skeleton pockmarked with patches of glitchy rust. There are moments when the whole track feels like it's being bent to snapping point, and they are fantastic.
"Prefix" is my personal favorite, with a classic spring in its step and a slightly offbeat snare pattern that becomes a hook all in itself. These are the touches that make a great techno track—something small, yet profound. The modulation is perfect, lending "Prefix" both a hypnotic groove and enough change to keep you hooked as long as it's played out. Ditto "Prism," which is just a well-built techno track any way you look at it. Klockworks 34 isn't flashy, but it doesn't need to be. This is excellent techno from two people who are very, very good at it.
Tracklist01. Prefix
02. Gateway
03. Hydrocarbon
04. Prism