Mtrex Berlin Techno Debut Arrives with the "Antrieb" EP and "Berliner Schmutz"
Thirty-Five Years in Electronic Music Meet Berlin Fever Records on Three New Tracks
Groove techno lives or dies on the loop, and Antrieb commits without hedging. Mtrex built these three tracks around raw, rolling grooves at DJ-friendly tempos between 130 and 140 BPM. The Mtrex Berlin techno debut landed on 17 July 2026 through Berlin Fever Records. It arrived alongside Berliner Schmutz, his collaboration with Noisy Shaun.
You can listen to our full playlist which contains the artist’s music, and know more about the artist’s work by scrolling down the page.
The Mtrex Berlin Techno Sound, Raw Groove And DJ-Friendly 130 To 140 BPM
There are two ways to build a techno track. You can chase the drop, or you can trust the loop and let small changes do the work. Mtrex takes the second route. Antrieb runs to three tracks, Treibstoff, Leerlauf and Vorwarts, and each one is built for the middle of a set. That is where a record has to hold a floor without announcing itself.
The tempo range matters more than it sounds. At 130 to 140 BPM a track sits in a window a DJ can mix into almost anything. It is fast enough to drive, yet slow enough to keep the groove readable. That is a functional decision rather than a stylistic one. It also tells you who these tracks are for, because they are made to be played out.
What keeps them interesting is the underground edge running underneath. Mtrex describes his own sound as raw and slightly unconventional. That shows in the way the grooves refuse to settle into the obvious pattern. The rhythms stay addictive without turning polite. Three tracks is the right length here too, since this kind of writing rewards focus over sprawl.
Berliner Schmutz, Noisy Shaun, And The Road From Soest To Berlin
Released alongside the EP, Berliner Schmutz on Spotify pairs Mtrex with Noisy Shaun. The title translates roughly as Berlin dirt, which is a fair description of the register both producers work in. Here grit is a production choice, not an accident.
The two have form. Their earlier collaboration Sleaze 1 on Spotify landed in October 2025, and Noisy Shaun’s own site later announced a follow-up. So this is a working partnership rather than a one-off. Collaborations in techno often flatten out, because two producers pulling toward the same centre can cancel each other. This one avoids that by staying committed to the groove first.
Thirty-Five Years In Techno, A Hiatus, And A 2021 Return
Mtrex works out of Soest in the Netherlands. His history with electronic music goes back more than thirty-five years. He stepped away for a long stretch. Then, in 2021, he came back with renewed energy, taking on modern production tools while keeping the instincts he started with.
That combination explains a lot about how Antrieb sounds. The arrangement discipline is old-school, but the sound design is current. His son, Maslzo, is active in techno now too, and that link to the newer generation feeds back into the work. So does his coaching with the producer Beau Didier, and his membership of the international Hypnotic Techno Production Community, which puts him in regular contact with producers worldwide.
Signing to a Berlin label closes a loop for an artist with those roots. Berlin Fever Records is a Berlin techno imprint, so arriving there is a real marker rather than a formality. It also places him in front of the audiences these tracks were built for, across the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Belgium.
For Listeners Who Follow Charlotte De Witte, Ben Klock And Amelie Lens
If Charlotte de Witte is in your rotation, the appeal here will be immediate. She built her reputation on stripped, relentless grooves that hold tension rather than release it. Antrieb works from the same principle.
Ben Klock is the other obvious reference. Klock’s Berghain sets are a lesson in functional techno, records that exist to serve the room over the long haul. That is exactly the brief these three tracks answer.
Finally, Amelie Lens rounds out the picture. Her records lean on driving, high-energy patterns aimed squarely at the floor. Berliner Schmutz in particular shares that intent. Anyone who follows the Belgian and Berlin end of the scene will recognise the territory straight away.
TopMusic.News curator team: “The thing that earns Antrieb a place on our list is restraint. Mtrex resists the urge to keep adding, so the groove stays legible for the whole track. That is a harder discipline than it looks. It is also why these will still work in a set a year from now.”
Where To Stream The Mtrex Berlin Techno Releases And Follow Him Next
Both releases have been on the major streaming services since 17 July, and the Antrieb player sits at the top of this page. DJ material and works in progress live on SoundCloud. His wider catalogue is on Beatport.
For everything else, Mtrex is on Spotify, Instagram and Threads. He is preparing to bring this material to live stages, so those feeds are the place to watch. If raw groove techno is already what you reach for, Antrieb belongs in the pile.
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