Esplendor Geometrico

Infobox musical artist
Name = Esplendor Geométrico

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Img_capt = EG live in Tokyo 2007
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Madrid, Spain
Genre = Industrial
Noise
Years_active = 1980 - present
Label = Geometrik
Associated_acts = Most Significant Beat
URL = [http://www.geometrikrecords.com/esplendor/ Esplendor]
Current_members = Arturo Lanz, Saverio Evangelista
Past_members = Gabriel Riaza, Juan-Carlos Sastre

Esplendor Geométrico is a Spanish industrial band. The band was formed in the early 1980s by Arturo Lanz, Gabriel Riaza, and Juan Carlos Sastre, who had all been members of El Aviador Dro Y Sus Obreros Especializados. They took the name "Geometric Splendor" from "GEOMETRIC AND MECHANICAL SPLENDOR AND THE NUMERICAL SENSIBILITY" (Italian:"Lo splendore geometrico e meccanico e la sensibilità numerica"), a text of the Italian futurist, F.T. Marinetti.

History

In 1981 the band released their first single, "Necrosis en la Poya", in the Tic Tac label, followed by their debut LP, "Héroe del Trabajo / El Acero del Partido" in 1982. In 1985 the band formed their own label, Esplendor Geométrico Discos, and released their second LP, "Comisario de la Luz / Blanco de Fuerza". Their highly recognisable style of harsh industrial rhythms was developed on two further albums - 1987's "Kosmos Kino" and 1988's "Mekano Turbo", the latter considered by many to be the definitive EG release. After the 1989 live album "Live in Utrecht", future releases would appear on the Geometrik label.

1991's "Sheikh Aljama" saw overtly Arabic influences in the music, while "Veritatis Splendor" (1994) and the "Balearic Rhythms" (1996) saw a partial softening of their traditionally abrasive sound. By then the band was a duo, consisting of Arturo Lanz and Saverio Evangelista, the latter having joined the group in 1990 while also continuing to maintain his other project Most Significant Beat.1997's "Polyglophone" saw EG return with a vengeance to the full-on assault of their previous work and, the following year, artists such as Coil and Chris and Cosey contributed reworkings of classic Esplendor Geométrico tracks to the remix album "EN-CO-D-Esplendor". In 2002, the Chinese-influenced "Compuesto de Hierro" was released, while a double CD compilation, "Anthology 1981 - 2003", hit the shops in 2005.

Lanz now lives in Beijing and Evangelista in Rome but the group remains very much active and has been making selected live appearances of late, including a recent appearance in Kyoto, Japan, with Peter Christopherson of Throbbing Gristle and Coil, DAF's Robert Görl and CoH. April 2007 saw the release of a new album, "8 Traks & Live", featuring eight new audio tracks and a DVD containing the band's performance at Madrid's DeciBELIO festival in June 2006. Although often ignored in histories of industrial/electronic music and with many of their releases extremely difficult to find, EG have exerted a strong influence, not only in industrial music but within the wider electronic field. Their influence is especially detectable in the sound of Autechre and Pan Sonic. They are also the prime inspiration for the power noise scene.

Discography

* "Necrosis en la poya" 7" (1981)
* "EG-1" cassette (1981, reissued on CD in 2000)
* "El acero del partido/Héroe del trabajo" LP (1982, reissued on CD in 2000)
* "Comisario de la luz/Blanco de fuerza" LP (1985)
* "1980-1981" cassette (1986)
* "En Roma" cassette (1986)
* "En directo: Madrid y Tolosa" cassette (1987)
* "Kosmos kino" LP (1987, reissued on CD in 1996)
* "Mekano-turbo" LP (1988, reissued on CD in 1994)
* "Madrid mayo '89" cassette (1989)
* "Live in Utrecht" LP (1990, reissued on CD in 1999)
* "Diez años de esplendor" 2 x cassette (1990)
* "Sheikh aljama (jeque de aljama)" CD (1991)
* "1980-1982" 2 x cassette (1993)
* "Arispejal astisaró (powerful metal)" CD (1993)
* "Veritatis splendor" CD (1994)
* "1983-1987" CD (1994)
* "Nador" CD (1995)
* "Tokyo sin fin" CD (1996)
* "Treinta kilómetros de radio" CD-EP (1996)
* "Balearic rhythms" CD (1996)
* "80's tracks" CD (1996)
* "Tarikat" 2 x CD (1997)
* "Polyglophone" CD (1997)
* "Syncrotrón" mini-LP (1998)
* "EN-CO-D-Esplendor" (remixes) CD (1998)
* "Compuesto de hierro" CD (2002)
* "Moscú está Helado" (remixes) CD (2004)
* "Anthology 1981-2003" 2 x CD (2005)
* "8 traks & live" CD / DVD (2007)

External links

* [http://www.geometrikrecords.com/esplendor/ Official website]
* [http://www.rotordiscos.com/ Official distributors]
* [http://rwm.macba.es/en/research/ Monographic podcast with interviews to Arturo Lanz and a selection of their music]