So much is said about the Berghain brand of techno being cold and steely that it’s easy to just accept it as fact, when in reality some of the warmest techno and house I’ve ever heard originates from that old power plant near Berlin’s Ostbahnhof. Although the Berghain’s boys are fully capable of making the frigid stuff, that’s only half of the story. Compression Session, Ben Klock’s latest EP for Ostgut Ton, offers up some of his most melodic work in recent memory. Many will remember “Compression Session 1” as the centerpiece of Klock’s recent Berghain 04 mix CD, and here it’s given the whole A-side to properly radiate. The kick drum is tough as nails, but serves mostly as an anchor to an incandescent, almost anthemic tangle of synth strains.
“Static Test” is a more along the lines of what we expect from Klock. Raw, potent grooves pound against the air and move your bones like the aural equivalent of an adrenaline shot while controlled melodic washes drizzle down from above. “Compression Session 2” dials back the intensity with more warm analog sounds simmering just under the surface. Bone-crunching techno may be what Klock’s best know for, but at this point no one should be surprised by the emotion, however subtle, he imbues in his tracks, and Compression Session is a powerful statement in this vein. Combining the serene and pounding, lithe and jacking, Klock easily notches another killer onto his belt.
