fabric 12th Birthday Countdown: Catching Up With Ben Klock

When Ben Klock started his residency at the beginning of Berghain’s now internationally celebrated existence in 2004, his firm take on minimal arrived at a time that many in the techno world was despairing at a lack of style and substance in the genre. Working off the smallest amount of elements possible and finding their raw power, Klock has harnessed the driving force and funk that has set him aside and propelled him to his current heights as a DJ and producer. Whether it’s in his extended DJ sets in his native Berlin, or concentrated into two short hours elsewhere he’s constantly where he wants to be every weekend - behind the decks. With such a busy schedule we managed to catch up with for a quick chat ahead of his set at our 12th Birthday shebang this weekend. Hi Ben, thanks for speaking to us again. You’ve been so busy this year with non-stop touring - what do you find hardest about being away from home so much? It's the life I've chosen. Do I miss evenings cuddling at home in front of the TV, being hypnotised by stupid weekend shows, no. I enjoy life the way it is. What are your survival techniques when plane and hotel hopping? It's amazing how much extra energy you get from those little catnaps on the plane. There is not much of a technique. Do you still find time to get into the studio enough? No. What’s your record bag looking like at the moment? I hear you’re dropping in some electro these days? My record bag looks like a silver 'remowa' case. There is music inside. Techno. A little bit of house, very little electro. Well, I've been playing Anthony Rother's 'Don't Stop The Beat' again for a few times lately. Also DJ Hell and Jonzon's EP on Disko B from 1995 - great record! And maybe some other stuff that has some electro-ish vibe. But other than that I call it techno. Which records have been your favourite in 2011? Any consistent hard hitters? I don’t have time to go through all my music right now. But what comes to mind immediately is Robert Hood's remix for Tommy Four Seven - Typical Hood: simple, effective, yet deep and still very unique. I had some amazing moments with that track this year, like that night in New York, where I played with Nina Kraviz (see video below).I'm also having great times at the moment with some tracks from Planetary Assault System's forthcoming album on Ostgut Ton. What’re you looking forward to for the last quarter of the year? I'm looking forward to running in the park while red and yellow leaves are falling down from the trees. What can we look forward to from yourself and Klockworks? Watch out for another DVS1 coming next month. That's going to be Klockworks 08. As for myself: I promise to spend more time in the studio next year again. So 2012 will be a productive time with more output than this year. Are there any records that you have in mind to do the magic on our birthday here? Right now I'm in Australia. But when I'm back home I will dig deep into my records to find some nice classics that are appropriate for this special date. And in any case: 'In the dark we live'!