Joey Beltram

With a number of legendary tracks such as "Mentasm" and "Energy Flash" to his name, New York-based DJ and producer Joey Beltram is widely acknowledged as a leading innovator in Belgian-style acid and techno. Although his roots as a DJ lie in Chicago house (he still focuses on the style when he spins at home), Beltram's relentless club tracks were high points of late-'80s/early-'90s pre-breakbeat hardcore techno, and remain on many DJs' top ten lists as genre- and period-defining examples of post-Detroit European dance music. Born and raised in Queens, Beltram began DJing at a young age, spinning New York and Chicago-style house in his bedroom before moving into production and solo work. By the age of 18, Beltram was recording for Detroit techno staple <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Transmat%22">Transmat</a> and working on tracks with Mundo Muzique and <a href="spotify:artist:3AhwIUus3pIaA3CvYBEtpy">Richie Hawtin</a> for the latter's <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Plus+8%22">Plus 8</a> imprint.

After Beltram released "Energy Flash" on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Transmat%22">Transmat</a> in 1988, the track was also picked up by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22R%26S%22">R&S</a>, launching his music into a Belgian association which remains to this day. He followed up the reissue with a single for the label in 1992, "Mentasm," a classic of "hoover"-style techno, so-named for its blaring, vacuum-cleaner synth noises and slamming beat. The track was embraced by Belgian techno/hardbeat fans and DJs alike, catapulting Beltram to widespread acclaim. Although Beltram remains best-known for his techno work, he by no means confines himself to that style, dabbling as well in house and ambient, as evidenced by his eyebrow-raising Aonox LP released by the San Francisco experimental label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Visible%22">Visible</a> in 1994. He was back to hard minimalistic acid with 1995's Places (for Berlin's <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Tresor%22">Tresor</a>) and 1996's Close Grind (released on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22NovaMute%22">NovaMute</a> as <a href="spotify:artist:63iQYElXCSbSwXUSTmlMiD">Jb3</a>). Beltram's abundant mixing skills are displayed on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Logic%22">Logic</a> collection Joey Beltram Live as well as The Sound of 2 AM on Moonshine. ~ Sean Cooper, Rovi