Born in the United States, Joey Beltram began spinning in Chicago in 1983, dabbling with electro and hip-hop. Soon however, Beltram switched to house music as techno from Chicago began sweeping through New York City. He began releasing his own material on some small NYC labels and it was the European label R&S that noticed his talent and signed and helped establish Beltram's name. Via R&S, he released a string of early techno classics, most notably "Energy Flash." Beltram hopped from one label to another, and the different labels and ownership issues, as is so often the case, hamper a complete discography on one CD collection.
Beltram began releasing on Trax in 1983 with "Fuzz," followed by "Flashcube" and "The Start It Up" - which was released as the flipside of Marshall Jefferson's classic track "Move Your Body" in 1987. Those who hadn't heard of Beltram by now surely were exposed to his remixing skills- particularly from his remix of Human Resource's "Dominator" in 1991. His mix was the one that got the big play, with its recognizable "kiss" samples and over-the-top production. His remix catapulted the track to such popularity that MTV requested a video be produced. He gave his remix touch to Lords of Acid "Rough Sex," The Prodigy "Charly," and Smart E's "Sesame's Treet." This was surely the golden age of techno, and Beltram was in the thick of it with these remixes, especially when combined with his own 'no compromises' original releases. The music on this CD is what Beltram released on the Trax label. Its all pure techno from the era in which techno was born. The energy is raw and undeniable, and the sense of experimentation is palpable. Some (most) of the tracks on the CD end with fades, which offer the trade off of getting more tracks on the CD.
Joey Beltram is a crucial artist to the development of techno and house music, and this CD offers a glimpse into a part of his early career. Most of the big labels who released his tracks have by now offered compilations, and if you're looking to either start or complete your Joey Beltram discography, this collection of re-issues from Trax records is essential. Listening to this CD is like going into a time warp: a crucial and rewarding treat for developing perspective on dance music today. Joey Beltram's releases have stood the test of time, demanding attention as much today as they did back in the day. For those of you into samples & loops, don't sleep on "The Start It Up," which features an excellent tribal workout pre-dating the popularity of tribal elements popular in dance music today. This CD is a gold mine.
