One

VINYL FORMAT. One is the debut full-length album by Berlin's Ben Klock. Controlling his output over the last decade with care and accuracy, Ben has only released a dozen EPs, rather than falling for an inflationary release policy. Working with Ostgut Ton, BPitch Control, Memo and his own platform Klockworks only, he chose trust and longevity over quick visibility. So how does a producer whose 12"s have always been dedicated 100% to the dancefloor, approach his first album? "The piece's atmospheres in itself and in relation to each other were of greater concern than thoughts like 'do I need another ambient track, or do I need a kick drum to make this work in a club?' In principle, all of it is techno, but I don't see One as a pure club album." Stylistically, Klock draws on plentiful resources. There's the dirty techno in "Grip," the sexy, intermittent "Check Your Pulse," alongside ambient-like tracks such as "Init One" and "Init Two," as well as the dubstep-inspired "Goldrush." And then there are the outstanding cuts "Goodly Sin" and "Ok," featuring vocals by Elif Bicer. In comparison to her recordings with Prosumer and Murat Tepeli, here her voice has been reduced to the bare essentials. With its rugged bass line and crafty claps, "Ok" is even reminiscent of a contemporary version of Nicolette's early work with Shut Up And Dance, but first and foremost it expands the Berghain sound to include a notion of pop. One displays a depth and maturity of sound rarely found in this compactness. In all its stylistic variety, this album oozes with Klock's traditional understanding of techno. The special sound at Berghain, the low bass, the hiss and the rumble, the economic melodic fragments and the eerie atmospheres are unique and ever-present. Ben Klock defines techno as visionary music, and his work knows about its past, yet remains completely up-to-date without ever coming close to Detroit and minimal cliches. One is a powerful techno album marking an early highlight of 2009, raising the bar both for techno and Ostgut Ton.