Geistform

The creator of this live recording is Rafael Martinez Espinosa, known as Geistform—a Spanish industrial/electro music producer and performer based in Rubí (Barcelona). Espinosa began his career in the early 2000s, releasing five electrifying albums on renowned labels, including Germany’s Hands Productions and Belgium’s Daft Records, managed by the influential artist Dirk Ivens (Dive, Klinik, Absolute Body Control, etc.). Espinosa also collaborated with Ivens on the album Behind the Sun, swiftly gaining global recognition and a reputation among fans of harsh, rhythmic compositions. Geistform’s production draws from minimal techno and industrial sounds, blending powerful electronic beats with intense analog textures and distortions, primarily generated from analog sources, oscillators, and purely electronic tones. Geistform’s live shows are celebrated for their kinetic energy, penetrating rhythms, and intense danceability. His performances at festivals like Maschinenfest, Forms of Hands, and others across Europe showcase his high technical skill and commitment to his conceptual artistry.

STM 087 is an algorithmic and meticulously crafted live recording that reveals the artist’s deep connection to sound, clarity of logic, and musical sophistication. This recording smoothly transitions through nine of Geistform’s subtly shifting compositions, many of which were played for the first time. Each track takes on new musical colors as Geistform’s live improvisations bring unique variations to his pre-composed works. Listening closely to the layers of signals and sequences, one senses Geistform settling into a “comfort point” where his recording becomes richer, more dynamic, and cohesive. The frosty tones, pulses, static noises, and convulsing rhythms, developed with architectural precision, build electrified spaces and monumental soundscapes. High-fidelity speakers and loud volume fully convey the electric tension and the intricate interplay of electrons in this timeless masterwork.

From the studio catalogue

STM 087 is akin to Leon Arthur Tutundjian’s abstract painting Abstract Composition, where black-and-white geometric backgrounds create diverse illusions and interpretations of reality. The painting’s surreal language seems to convey coded messages about parallel worlds, scientology, and speculative futures. Geistform’s mathematically composed recording, where he channels his extensive musical and life experience into a striking tonal matrix, echoes the transcendence in Tutundjian’s work. Geistform’s balanced artistic vision enables listeners to plunge into a grand maelstrom of colliding electricity.

Equipment used

Samplers/sequencers: MPC 2500 and Elektron.
Analog synthesizers: modified Korg MS20, MFB and Moog Minitaur with CP module.
Digitech reverb and delay.
Electro-Harmonix fuzz, distortion effects and ring modulator.
Mackie mixer.