BEN MANSON — The work behind Less Drama More Techno
A party name can reveal an ambition. Less Drama More Techno makes me think about what we ask of a night out: a little freedom, room to move, and a few hours when we can stop explaining ourselves.
For Paris-based DJ and producer Ben Manson, those words also describe an ongoing project. The LDMT label’s own history dates the party’s creation to 2015 and the launch of its record label to 2021, beginning with an EP by resident DMN DJ. The move from events to records gives that project a life beyond the weekend.
La Demence’s artist biography places Manson within a European queer techno network that includes LDMT, Munich’s Playground and Berlin’s B:EAST. It documents appearances at venues including Blitz, Bootshaus, Paradiso and Pratersauna. I read that geography as a reminder of how closely connected our nightlife can be: different cities, different rooms, and audiences who often travel between them.
The records deserve attention alongside the bookings. LDMT’s catalogue includes Glücklichsein and Magic Orgasm (2022), the latter credited to Manson and Gerald Henderson. A more recent collaboration, Zero Phase with Mr Cozzo, was released on LDMT records on 23 May 2025. Beatport lists it at 140 BPM, in its driving techno category—a concrete listening reference rather than a promise about what he will play in Brussels.
At the anniversary Main Party, Manson is scheduled in the ING Arena Second Room from 03:30 to 05:30 on Sunday 1 November, following John Dixon and preceding Skippo.
I’m drawn to the chance of discovering a different perspective within the same event. A second room can become the centre of somebody’s night. Manson’s combination of DJing, party-building and releases makes his slot one I would like to make time for, with curiosity rather than a checklist.