Last But One: Ben Klock Plays White Rabbit's Penultimate Party

Ben Klock’s marathon sets are just one reason why Berlin warehouse club Berghain is revered as among Europe’s most exciting venues for electronic music. Klock’s Beijing set will fall far short of the ten-hour mark, but will still be one of June’s must-see events - not least because of the news that it will be the second-to-last party at White Rabbit's Tongli space before the club closes and seeks new premises. We talked to Klock about remixing pop songs, the fall of the Berlin Wall and his World Cup predictions.

"There’s not a lot in my record bag besides vinyl. When I travel, I always leave a little space for another pair of sneakers. Besides that, everything else I need is in a separate bag."

"All the really good tracks I think of remixing are so good that I ask myself “why remix them?” I guess I’d choose some polished pop songs and see if I could give them a complete other direction – add some dirt to them. Sometimes there are really nice songs and voices, but the production is so cheesy and pop-oriented that you don't really get the feeling behind it. It’d be interesting for me to break down that pop shell and see if there is something behind that is more essential."

"The main reason why Berlin has become such a melting pot for electronic music is the fall of the wall in 1989. Suddenly you had two completely different cities in one city and there was a special free vibe. Techno was just the right music at the right time for the right city. There were so many empty buildings in east Berlin, and suddenly you had clubs everywhere. Berlin is also still quite cheap compared to other big international cities, and that’s always good for creativity."

"I like a deep and somehow dark sound. I like music that wants to tell you something, but also leaves you some space for your own pictures. I want to create an intense experience. I'm not the guy for happy elevator music that doesn't do any harm to anyone."

"My longest set was 18 hours back-to-back with Marcel Dettmann. Sometimes I play nine or ten hours just myself. For those long sets, I go through my old records and try to find some gems that I haven't played for a long time. That can take a few hours. But I don't really prepare the set – I just let the flow take me where it takes me."

"I’ll watch the World Cup, but I don't follow football that much that I could say anything about Germany’s chances."

"My prediction for Germany’s game against Serbia on June 18? 2-1 to Germany."

Test your stamina with Ben Klock at White Rabbit on Friday, June 18 from 10pm. RMB 70.