Moritz Simon Geist - “Grams”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 1

Pairs Well With…John Cage, Steve Reich, Holly Herndon

The ‘robot musician’ returns to SXSW in 2024 with new music and machinery, an artist pushing the boundaries of how songs can be crafted and performed without the human touch. Programming his own robots gives Geist freedom not bound by traditional instrumentation and the output is justifiably foreign and weird. Latest single “Grams” has as much connection with dubstep than musique concrete, splicing rhythm in whims and spurts. It’s techno with an emphasis on ‘tech’ and an excellent palette cleanser that won’t be like any other SXSW stage this year. (Kevin McStravick)

2019 Review: This is music that must be seen, not just heard. Mortiz Simon Geist performs all of his music using robots, programming based on sounds that electronics make as parts move and process. It’s a delicate science demanding understanding of rhythm, melody, and technology beyond just pressing buttons or even traditional instruments. Geist’s music feels more like a found-sound project than electronic music, but is constructed in a way that is more song than experiment.