Acardipane is best known as Mescalinum United. It was in 1990 under this alias that he produced what is considered to be the first ever hardcore techno track – “We Have Arrived” went on to spawn an entire genre. His work is extensive and highly influential, nor is it limited to solo productions: in 1989, he co-founded Planet Core Productions, or PCP, with Thorsten Lambart. PCP is also home to an array of sub-labels, all of which champion an abrasive, unrelenting sound.

Acardipane was first exposed to electronic music through a guitar teacher who owned a Roland TR-808 and a Korg MS-20. By the time he was 18, he was hooked. He waited tables in a restaurant in Frankfurt that would feature live shows from the likes of Nitzer Ebb and Front 242. He was attracted to the abrasive sounds he heard but was less enthusiastic about the rhythms. Meanwhile, he was drawn to the rhythms of Chicago house and Detroit techno, but found the timbres of those genres to be too soft. This musical exposure and discerning taste formed the basis for what would later become hardcore. Ever since, Marc Acardipane has produced music using nearly 90 solo aliases and around 40 more as collaborations. Drawn to these monikers for the artistic freedom they offer, each has a distinct character: T-Bone Castro uses only open hi-hats, Alien Christ was inspired by Detroit’s Suburban Knight, and so on. His tireless output has been crucial in the history of hardcore.

He appears at CTM 2018 as part of a formidable lineup dedicated to hardcore and gabber, featuring old pioneers and new experimentalists alike.