Joey Beltram—born in Queens in 1971—shot onto the techno map with 1990’s “Energy Flash” and, a year later, “Mentasm,” co‑produced with Mundo Muzique under the Second Phase alias. The latter track spawned the infamous “hoover” (or “mentasm”) riff: a snarling synth tone that spread from Belgian rave floors to hardcore, drum‑and‑bass, and countless other scenes. By the time Daft Punk name‑checked him on “Teachers” (1997), critics were already calling him a two‑time revolutionary; writer Simon Reynolds argued Beltram had reshaped techno twice before he was twenty‑one.

Beltram spent the ’90s refining his sound across revered labels—Warp (the Caliber EP), Tresor (Places, “Ball Park”), and Novamute (Close Grind as JB³)—while also cutting tracks as Code 6 and launching his own imprint, STX, in 1999. Festival dates at Awakenings, Coachella, Mayday, Nature One, and Dance Valley kept his profile high, and he has maintained a steady release schedule into the 2000s and 2020s with outings on Tresor, Drumcode, Harthouse, MB Electroniks, Bush, and more. Now a veteran but still an active touring DJ and producer, Beltram’s enduring legacy rests on both his foundational tracks and his ongoing contributions to global techno.