MCR-T is a man of many names—and just as many sounds. Driven by an unrelenting urge for self-expression, the German-American artist has long used as many media as possible to articulate his vision. Growing up on the outskirts of Berlin in Zehlendorf, he didn’t initially experience much of the city’s chaos. But as a teenager, he gravitated toward the skateparks in the heart of Berlin, where he came into contact with other creative forms like hip-hop, graffiti, and film.

Under the alias MCNZI, he soon began experimenting with everything from ’80s rap to post-punk and SoundCloud trap. Not long after, he also started releasing music as MCR-T—an identity more rooted in the techno and club scene.

For a long time, MCNZI was his main project. But as MCR-T, the ghetto-techno producer and DJ has steadily built a growing international audience.