Berghain, the Berlin-based night club (housed in a building once home to a power plant) has released its newest installment of 'sampler' tracks via Ostgut Ton--the club's main distributivity outlet for the artists who play there. The sheer cavernous size of the club hints at the influence the space has had on the sounds of the featured musicians, who often create huge amounts of spacial diversity within their work. Ostgut's sound is quite industrial; some of the major artists who have produced for the label include Shed and Peter Van Hoesen, the latter being featured on Berghain 05. As with those two artists, futuristic sounds are prominent on 05 as well.
As one of the top rated clubs in the world, Berghain sheds little expense for interior decor; focusing most of its energy on only sound and lighting. The DJ's who play here mechanize their performance similarly, letting their music dominate the massive space and command the attention of all present.
Ostgut has released a number of Berghain 'sampler' releases promoting the club and artists who frequent its stage. Berghain 05 is a three-track piece that includes work by three musicians (Peter Van Hoesen, Reagenz, and Vril), but Van Hoesen's work is the stand-out piece here. "Axis Mundi" is a massive techno work that submerses the listener in a loop of watery delays designed for play in the club's massive space. While "Axis Mundi" at-home-listening is a worthwhile experience, one can't help but feel that the other half of the auditory experience can only be felt on a Berghain-sized system. The Reagenz and Vril tracks, which are more traditionally 'techno' based, fail to fill the shoes of "Axis Mundi," but "The Labyrinth" still bounces through some interesting melodic and technical work holding the listener's attention. Vril's "UV" seems to hit all the right spots, but development is slow and uneventful when compared with the first two tracks and makes for a slightly unfulfilled listen.
Berghain is definitely a spot to plan a trip to Berlin around, it is likely to satisfy any satiation for techno lovers and provide a glimpse into the huge German electronic scene.
You can buy Berghain 05 at the following online retailers:
Enjoy!
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