Berghain's Ostgut Ton label bookends a decade with Zehn

Although ten years of label output certainly deserves celebration, Zehn is not a greatest hits or a retrospective. Instead, there are 30 exclusive tracks (that’s a 3xCD package, or for vinyl enthusiasts 10x12”s), the majority of which sit somewhere between the genres of house and techno. The more uptempo techno you’d expect to hear pounding out over the speakers in Berghain’s main turbine hall, whereas the more house orientated tracks you’d expect to hear played in the upstairs Panorama Bar.

A glance at the tracklist and you’ll find the names of residents synonymous with the club: Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Steffi, Ryan Elliot. There’s also the welcome inclusion of artists such as DVS1, Efdemin, Martyn, Anthony Parasole, Function, and Luke Slater through his guises as Planetary Assault Systems and L.B Dub Corp.

From the 30 tracks on offer, some of the standout techno tracks worth mentioning here are: Ben Klock’s Sirens, where a Mills-esque hypnotic bleep skips around the groove as eery synths build the tension. On a similar tip, DVS1’s crisply produced [Ecks] is every bit the hypnotic builder. ATOM TM’s Stromlinen is a well crafted big system tool; muffled stabs punch through like a thunder storm brewing out at sea.

Substance’s Keine Angst is a pounding slab of techno with an industrial edge, oh and it’s got a tribal chant to boot. DIN’s Mono (an Efdemin & Marcel Fengler collaboration) is a classy piece of techno, a little reminiscent of Carl Craig’s epic remix of Delia Gonzales & Gavin Russom’s Revelee; a modulated synth line that builds throughout as the percussive gears are worked to excellent effect.

Panorama Bar resident Steffi’s ‘Iöweberschtel’ is a subtle early morning number (although early morning in the context of a club that opens all weekend can get confusing..) with a distinct early electro feel of say Kraftwerk to it. Dinky’s Planes is a deep n' techy house number with spacey vocals adding a touch of the euphoric. Former Ostgut boss Nick Höppner’s Double Cross is a deep percussive house workout, it’s chunky drums best communicated loud.

Virginia’s Never Underestimate is a deep, soulful slice of Sunday afternoon house music. Elsewhere, Doms & Deyker’s (a Steffi and Martyn collab) Whirling has a timeless underground feel to it; a cross between acid house and breakbeat; a track that could have soundtracked seeing in dawn at a 90s rave, just as it could a future shutter opening/lights up moment.

To these ears, the most interesting tracks on Zehn are those caught between genres, or an obvious assignment to a particular dancefloor. Marcel Fengler feat Elif Bicer's opener Fallin sets the tone nicely with a huge oscillating sub, eery vocals and percussion akin to a Moderat record. Another highlight is Barker & Baumecker’s Love Is A Battlefield, a lovely arpeggiated melodic trance techno number, which nicely captures the rush of a dancefloor ‘moment’. Finally worth mentioning here, is dutch maestro Martyn’s Jah Bedouin, a track that fuses dub, techno, and housier elements to great effect.

Looking to the future, Ostgut Ton have managed to bottle the kind of soundtrack you'd experience over a weekend (well) spent at Berlin’s most famous nightclub. It’s a collection of grown up dance music that nevertheless jacks n’ slams as you’d expect. Zehn will no doubt appeal to the legions of DJs out there, just as it will the vast numbers of folks who've enjoyed the music they’ve experienced whilst dancing away at Berghain or Ostgut Ton’s label parties. Even for newcomers to the electronic genres, this is a release well worth delving into.