Geometry of splendor

Industrial sound and avant garde rebellion in 1980s Spain

Geometry of Splendor is a documentary portrait of the Spanish industrial music band Esplendor Geométrico, offering an immersive exploration of their origins, influences and legacy. Formed in 1980 by Arturo Lanz, Gabriel Riaza and Juan Carlos Sastre after leaving Aviador Dro, the group emerged as one of the most innovative and transgressive proposals within the Spanish music scene.

Taking their name from a futurist poem by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Esplendor Geométrico developed a sound language based on noise, repetition and rhythmic intensity. Their compositions broke with traditional musical structures, replacing melody with cacophonous sequences, abstract sonic spaces and mechanical pulses that evoke a hypnotic, almost trance like state.

The film poses an essential question from its opening moments: what is music and what is not. From this starting point, it unfolds into a visual and conceptual journey constructed through psychedelic imagery and collage techniques that mirror the band’s disruptive aesthetic. This experimental approach reflects both their artistic philosophy and the broader avant garde movements such as futurism and ultraism that informed their work.

Set within the cultural and political landscape of Spain in the 1980s, and closely linked to the Movida madrileña, the documentary contextualises the emergence of industrial music in Spain. Directed by José Ramón da Cruz, known for his work in video art during the same period, the film reconstructs the environment surrounding the band and invites the viewer to engage with music as a limitless medium for expression and transformation.