Active since 1990, he began his career releasing several 12" EPs of aggressive, rave-ready hardcore techno on revered Belgian label R&S, including 12000 AD (1990), The Second Coming (1991), Move!
The next year, Mental Overdrive released the single "Disto Disco," which featured a B-side ("Faith") co-written by R&S artist Outlander, best known for the 1991 classic "Vamp."
The album showed a notable progression in his music, maintaining its rough, distorted hardcore techno sound while adding more cerebral elements, placing it closer to Warp's Artificial Intelligence series.
The album was perfectly at home with the label's other left-field dance artists like Bjørn Torske and Kim Hiorthøy, while maintaining the unique Mental Overdrive sound.
Martinsen continued releasing Mental Overdrive singles on Full Pupp and Love OD, and contributed to Rune Lindbæk's Meanderthals project.
And now, as he walks down the Boulevard of Broken Beats he continues to spread his genes: Norsebeat; Snowcore; Drum & Ice; Jambient Prog; Tree-step; Fishco ... all are his Children.