DJ, Producer & Label Owner · Barcelona, Spain
Maceo Plex
Maceo Plex is Eric Estornel, the Barcelona-based house and techno DJ who runs Ellum Audio and Lone Romantic and records as Maetrik and Mariel Ito.
quick facts
- Real name
- Eric Estornel
- Also known as
- Maetrik, Mariel Ito
- Born
- 1978
- Nationality
- American
- Based in
- Barcelona, Spain
- Active since
- 1993
- Labels
- Ellum Audio, Lone Romantic
- Genres
- Techno, Tech House, Deep House, House
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, de.wikipedia.org, beatportal.com
Maceo Plex is the house and techno alias of Eric Estornel, an American producer who works from Barcelona and has spent three decades moving between deep house, tech house and techno under several names. He runs two labels, Ellum Audio and Lone Romantic, and has released on Drumcode.
Early Life and Path Into Music
Maceo Plex's real name is Eric Estornel, according to English Wikipedia and German Wikipedia. Both give 1978 as the year of his birth, with a day that differs by one (6 November on the English page, 7 November on the German one) and Flower Mound, Texas as the birthplace. Beatportal's artist profile says he was born in Miami to Cuban parents and raised in Dallas from his early teens, so sources disagree on where he was born. They agree that he began DJing around 1993, which the profile marks as 30 years in the game in 2023.
Beatportal says he first performed as Eric Entity, then as Maetrik for techno and Mariel Ito for IDM and electro, and adopted Maceo Plex toward the end of the 2000s. It dates his move to Valencia to 2009, as European bookings grew, and describes him as living mostly in Barcelona now.
Sound and Style
Wikipedia lists his genres as deep house, tech house, house, techno and progressive house. The aliases split that range, with Maetrik used for techno and Mariel Ito for IDM and electro, per Beatportal. His first album as Maetrik, Quality Exertion, came out on Treibstoff in 2002, and My Cyborg Depths appeared in 2005 as Mariel Ito.
Ellum Audio and Lone Romantic
Ellum Audio was founded in 2011, according to Dancing Astronaut's 2017 profile, and its first release was his own High and Sexy EP. The article describes a label that began as a platform for his own music and grew to release other artists, including Shall Ocin, Gardens of God, Dino Lenny and Fiberroot, in a sound that moves between melodic and sparse with a dark, futuristic mood. Beatportal says he later launched Lone Romantic for more experimental and emotive music, leaving Ellum Audio to handle dancefloor releases.
Career Highlights
Beatportal ties his early 2010s breakout to house singles on Crosstown Rebels, "Vibe Your Love" and "Your Style," which led to his debut album Life Index in 2011 and then Ellum. English Wikipedia lists further albums: Journey to Solar (2016, Ellum Audio), Solar (2017, Lone Romantic), Mutant Series (2019, Ellum Audio) and '93 (2023, Lone Romantic). It also lists a 2012 DJ Award for Best Deep House DJ, a 2018 fabric 98 mix and a long Ibiza history at Space and Amnesia, plus Mosaic by Maceo at Pacha every summer since 2016. In 2021 his remix of Faithless's "Insomnia" reached number one on Beatport, per Beatportal.
Wikipedia lists Drumcode Records among his labels, the imprint run by Adam Beyer, and the 2014 Conjure series included a Drumcode release. He is named among the techno and tech house acts confirmed for Amsterdam Dance Event's 30th anniversary edition, and a 2015 Sea You Festival set is the source of the photo above; see our Sea You Festival page.
FAQ
Who is Maceo Plex?
Maceo Plex is the stage name of Eric Estornel, an American DJ and producer based in Barcelona who plays house and techno and runs the labels Ellum Audio and Lone Romantic.
What is Maceo Plex's real name?
His real name is Eric Estornel, according to English and German Wikipedia. He has also released music as Maetrik and Mariel Ito.
How old is Maceo Plex?
Maceo Plex was born in 1978, which makes him 47 (age 47 as of October 2026). English Wikipedia gives 6 November and German Wikipedia 7 November, so the exact day varies by source.
Where is Maceo Plex from?
Maceo Plex is American. Wikipedia gives his birthplace as Flower Mound, Texas, while Beatportal says Miami, and he was raised in Dallas. He is now based mostly in Barcelona.
What genre does Maceo Plex play?
Maceo Plex plays techno, tech house, deep house and house. As Maetrik he makes techno, and as Mariel Ito, IDM and electro.
What label does Maceo Plex run?
He runs Ellum Audio, founded in 2011, and Lone Romantic, a later imprint for more experimental and emotive music.
What is Maceo Plex's Ibiza residency?
Wikipedia says he has hosted Mosaic by Maceo at Pacha each summer since 2016, and has long played at Space and Amnesia.
festivals
Past appearances and announced lineups only, each checked against the festival's own records.
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