What’s On team up with pals Hype to preview Ben Klock in Dubai, at Level 41 Media One Hotel, Dubai Media City. Get tickets and information.


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Asked what cities feature on his list of techno hotspots, Berghain resident Ben Klock responds: “Detroit, London, other parts of Berlin. Tokyo is also a great place for techno; it has amazing sound systems and knowledgeable music lovers. And New York’s techno scene is also growing. Sometimes you find an amazing scene somewhere where you least expect it.”

Dubai’s techno fans should prove that point exactly when Ben clocks in to headline Plus Minus Sessions this Friday. It’s an opportunity for techno lovers to experience his dark propulsive techno firsthand, and while Ben won’t be laying down one of his legendary ten or twelve-hour marathon sessions, he will be playing an extended four-hour set for the Plus Minus massive.

“I really look to have something warm in my sets, something that makes you feel good. So, instead of dark you could say ‘deep,’” says Klock in this week’s Hype Magazine.

Ben, along with fellow DJ Marcel Dettman, is synonymous with infamous Berlin techno club Berghain, and has become the venue’s most fêted resident since it opened in 2004. The German techno doyen is responsible perhaps more than most for lifting Berghain to mythical status among global clubbers.

Meanwhile, his productions, most notably on Ostgut Ton (like 2009’s acclaimed artist album, One) and his own Klockworks label, provide visceral aural evidence of an ability to create drama and mood with brutal, punishing beats, while his 2012 Fabric 66 mix is deemed a series highlight to this day.

Away from home, Klock’s reputation precedes him on a global scale. Despite competition from stellar names like Jamie Jones, Sven Väth and James Murphy, his set at One Club was a highlight of Barcelona’s Sonar festival this year, and he’s hot-footing it to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Tokyo after his Dubai gig.

Reflecting on his monthly Berghain residency, Klock adds: “No matter how many times I play there I still get excited. Every time I play there I still get this ‘wow!’ experience.”

Now it’s up to Dubai’s clubbing crew to give Ben a ‘wow’ experience from the UAE.

Level 41, Media One Hotel, Dubai Media City, Friday, December 5, 9pm to 3am, Dhs100 in advance, Dhs120 on the door. Metro: Nakheel. Tel: (050) 3599798. platinumlist.net

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