One of the Pacific Northwest’s hidden societies, GEIST & THE SACRED ENSEMBLE forges a doom-inflected folk ritualism—dirges tinged with experimental psychedelia, post-rock, and eerie, meditative moments. For the last several years, the group has presented the West Coast underground with a clear vision for their sound and lyrics. They create an otherworldly space for the listener, leading them into a trance before building up excitement. The overarching lyrical theme reflects idealism—a yearning for an end to the modern human condition and the destruction of constructs and constraints of oppression. Their music serves as an invocation, not just an expression.
Geist & TSE has shared the stage with acts as diverse as Earth, Oranssi Pazuzu, Insect Ark, Soriah, Six Organs of Admittance, Pedestrian Deposit, Yonatan Gat, Father Murphy, and Jackie-O-Motherfucker, and have appeared at Litha:Cascadian Midsummer, Thirst For Light, Fun Hog, Northwest Psych Fest, Missoula Psych Fest, PNW Folklife, Magma Fest, Dismal Fest and Escalator Fest. Their live shows are hypnotic and emotionally-charged, often taking place at unique locations like a metal forge & foundry, forests and meadows, old schools, churches & more. At their greatest, Geist & the Sacred Ensemble’s tunes exist as an ever-changing pilgrimage; transforming their abstract drifts into apocalyptic folk hymns or private confessionals.
Geist
started in late 2005 after M. Sauder left Geist Road in Lancaster, Pa
and hitched-hiked around the country with a childhood friend. Inspired from that trip and experiences of growing up as a
gravedigger from a Christian household led to the original themes of this project. In 2007 percussionist Samuel
Joseph came in to offer his rhythmic wizardry thus becoming Geist &
Samuel Joseph. By 2008 they self released their self-titled ep 'Geist
& Samuel Joseph'. The following year they started to have a
rotating cast of musicians and Geist & the Sacred Ensemble was
born. The current version of the band is M.Sauder, S. Yoder, C. Segawa and J. McCormick.
