Joey Beltram

{{Short description|American DJ and music producer|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox musical artist

|background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|11|6}}

|birth_place =

|origin = Queens, New York, U.S.

|occupation = {{flatlist|*Record producer

DJ}}

|genre = Techno

|years_active = 1990–present

|label =

}}

Joey Beltram (born November 6, 1971){{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joey-beltram-mn0000181628|title=Joey Beltram Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor...|website=AllMusic|access-date=November 6, 2024}} is an American DJ and record producer, best known for his pioneering singles "Energy Flash" and "Mentasm" and for remixing Human Resource's "Dominator".

Rave recordings

"Mentasm" (is inspired by the title "Acid Rock"{{Cite web |title=Joey Beltram |url=https://www.awakenings.com/en/artists/joey-beltram/722/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Awakenings |language=en}} by Rhythm Device released in 1989{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/49437-Rhythm-Device-Acid-Rock|title=Rhythm Device : Acid Rock|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} and the title "Do That Dance" by The Project released in 1990),{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/18080332-The-Project-Do-That-Dance|title=The Project : Do That Dance|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} co-produced with Mundo Muzique and released under the artist name Second Phase in 1991,{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|pages=40/1}} became iconic within rave culture, as it was the track that gave birth to the "mentasm riff" (also known as the "hoover sound"): a churning, dirgelike synth pattern that wormed into techno's communal genome and has since been mutated and reused in thousands of records.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/group/thread/506323Beltram|title=Joey Beltra|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} The "mentasm riff" is also strongly associated with drum and bass, the Belgian techno scene (with the titles "Le Seigneur des ténèbres" by Pleasure Game released in 1991{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/328694-Pleasure-Game-Le-Seigneur-Des-T%C3%A9n%C3%A8bres|title=Pleasure Game|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} and "Destiny" by Insider released in 1991),{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/32647-Insider-Destiny|title=None|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} and the R&S record label, as well as

hardcore/hard house{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/104907-Friends-Of-Django-Fuckin-Revenge-|title=Friends of Django Fuckin Revenge|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/21112-Vitamin-The-Point|title=Vitamin The Point|website=Discogs.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} in their various permutations since 1992 (with the titles "Fuckin Revenge!" by Friends Of Django released in 1992 and "Cosmic Trash" by Vitamin released in 1993).{{Cite web|url=https://www.awakenings.com/en/artists/joey-beltram/722/|title=Joey Beltram|website=Awakenings.com|access-date=November 6, 2024}} Beltram was referenced as a pioneer in the late 1990s house music scene by Daft Punk, in their song "Teachers" off their 1997 debut album, Homework and author, Simon Reynolds, credited Beltram with having "revolutionized techno twice before the age of 21,{{cite book|last=Reynolds|first=Simon|title=Generation Ecstasy|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tGaRJiXe74UC&dq=simon%20reynolds&pg=PA122|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415923736|access-date=3 May 2011}}" when describing both "Energy Flash" and "Mentasm" in his book Generation Ecstasy.

Throughout the years, Beltram has continually toured at major festivals around the globe.{{cite web|title=Tour dates: Joey Beltram|url=http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/joeybeltram/dates|website=Residentadvisor.net|access-date=3 May 2011}} He has also continued releasing techno, with his 1993 and 1994 tracks "Aonox" on Visible and "the Beltram re-releases" on Trax, the "Caliber" EP on Warp, and his 1995 LP Places and 1996 single, "Ball Park" on Tresor counting among his work in the 1990s. He was also invited to release another album, Close Grind, on Daniel Miller's Novamute imprint under the JB³ alias.{{cite web|website=Discogs.com|title=JB³, Close Grind|url=http://www.discogs.com/JB%C2%B3-Close-Grind/release/2616585|access-date=3 May 2011}}

In 1999, he launched his own label STX{{cite web|website=Discogs.com|title=STX Records|url=http://www.discogs.com/label/STX+Records|access-date=3 May 2011}} with Arena, while he continued to release under Code 6 and JB³, as well as headlining events such as Awakenings, Coachella, Nature One, Mayday and Dance Valley. Returning to Tresor in 2004, he released the album Rising Sun. And he has kept up a busy release schedule ever since, with tracks on Womb, Harthouse, Drumcode, MB Electroniks, and Bush.

Selected discography

=Compilation albums=

Classics (1996)
The Sound of 2AM (1999)

=Singles=

"Energy Flash" (1990)
"Mentasm" (1991, as Second Phase)
"Cop Car" (1994)
"Caliber" (1994; UK No. 96)[https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/the-caliber-ep/ Chart statistics of "Caliber EP"], Officialcharts.com; retrieved January 20, 2019
"Game Form" (1995)