Moritz Simon Geist is a music producer and artist based in Dresden, Germany. After studying mechanical engineering, he pursued a music career internationally. He works with robots to create electronic music. He debuted with the mechanical drum robot “MR-808” in 2012 and has since explored the sound making and producing of electronic music with robots and mechanics. His compositions are influenced by various electronic music styles as well as classical music. Geist has worked with artists such as Mouse On Mars, Tyondai Braxton, or Robert Lippok and has showcased his works and performances at several hundred occasions since 2012 such as the the Venice Biennale (Italy), the South By Southwest Festival, Teh Philharmonie de Paris, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg or ZER01NE South Korea. From 2017 - 2020 he held a master class at the NYU Berlin. The Rolling Stone Magazine listed him as one of the "10 Great Musical Discoveries" SXSW 2019. He was awarded numerous awards, like the German Pop Music Price 2022 (Lower Saxony), the Working Grant ZER01NE in Seoul 2023 or the VIA VUT Award 2019.

Life and education

Geist has a classical music education on piano, clarinet and classic music, but turned to electronic, punk and noise music in his student years. After finishing his diploma in electrical engineering and starting his PhD in a research facility, he turned to work as a freelance artist full-time in 2012.

Works

In 2012 Geist build his first robotic music instrument the “MR-808”, designed after the classic electronic drum machine “TR-808”. The “MR-808” features 12 drum instruments which are beaten by small robots, such as a snare, toms or bass drum. The instrument is controlled with MIDI, and can be played by the audience. The work gained a lot of attention online and was displayed at many occasions. The installation won the Cynetart Prize 2014 and is part of the touring exhibition 'Electro' by the Philharmonie de Paris alongside works of Jeff Mills and Jean-Michel Jarre.

Tripods One (2017)

In 2017 Geist released the installation “Tripods One”, which is a small robotic music system featuring five robotic percussive robots. In an interview for the magazine Fast Company Geist states he wanted to create DIY futuristic instruments which have something new to them, and which don’t reference something that already exists. The installation won the Visual Music Award 2017 and was nominated for the design price of saxonia 2018.

Album “Robotic Electronic Music” (2018)

In 2018 Geist released his debut Album “Robotic Electronic Music” distributed by Kompakt Distribution and produced by Andi Thoma from the band Mouse On Mars. On the 8-Track Album, Geist used only physical instruments, and it was sold with the claim of being the first techno album entirely played by robots.

Collaboration

In 2014, Geist started a collaboration with the electronic duo Mouse On Mars. They played together at international occasions, such as the Moog Festival or at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. In 2018, the Mouse on Mars Album Dimensional People was released, for which Geist built a custom made robotic music system. With this system it is possible to trigger various objects and percussion elements with MIDI.

Exhibitions

Since 2016, Geist has exhibited several works at museums, for example at the AIx Music exhibition at the Ars Electronica Center or at the Science Museum Milano. In 2019, Geist was nominated for the VIA/VUT Award alongside Holly Herndon, who won the title. Since 2020, Geist runs a studio also doing corporate works in Dresden, Germany