MCR-T is the performance name of Julian McCarthy, a Berlin artist working at the intersection of rap, club music and underground electronic styles. Raised in Berlin, he is active as a DJ, producer, songwriter and live performer, and is known for bringing his own vocals and rap delivery into electronic settings.

Career

He first records music under the alias MCNZI, making heavy trap and ghetto-influenced tracks. Around 2018, he introduces the MCR-T project and releases the EP KRAFT on the Live From Earth Klub imprint. That release marks a move towards faster, harder electronic rhythms while keeping the direct, energetic character of his earlier work.

His music draws on ghetto-tech, Miami bass, hip-hop and techno. The sound often combines fast, pounding beats with vocal hooks and rap passages, and his live sets sometimes include him rapping or singing over his own tracks.

Live From Earth

MCR-T is a central figure in Live From Earth, a Berlin collective that begins as an independent music and art community and grows into a label, event organiser, fashion project and creative hub. His work with the collective is a major part of his artistic identity and gives him a platform for experimentation across sound and performance. He appears at Live From Earth Klub nights in Berlin venues such as Berghain and Panorama Bar.

Releases and tracks

He releases several EPs and albums, including Astral Sonic Aria (2021), 4 THA CULTURE (2021), My Voice My Weapon Of Choice (2023), and NOT THE SAME ≠ (2024), which later appears in a deluxe edition. Individual tracks associated with him include My Barn My Rules with horsegiirL, Buurman Uit Berlijn with Joost, Tootsie Pop with Miss Bashful, POGO, DIE ANGST IN MIR, and C ME 4 ME. Other tracks linked to his sets and online presence include CLUB EROTICA, GIIRLSWORLD, CLUBHOUSE, MOJADO Y MOJADA, FCK THE PROMOTER (SESHDAWG ANTHEM), and Speed Drive (MCR-Ken Remix).

Style and themes

His work sits between club soundtrack, rap performance and underground electronic music, with a style that is aggressive, humorous and rooted in Berlin dancefloors. He also speaks about nightlife culture in Berlin, including criticism of the increasing commercialisation of techno and the economic pressures affecting club life.

Performance

Outside Berlin, MCR-T performs in cities including London and Montreal, bringing a hybrid ghettotech and rave-influenced style to international audiences.