From Brute Force in Punk to Studio Owner: Looking back on his storied, nearly half century career, Geza X likes to say he was spawned from the cesspool of punk rock in the '70s. Immersed in the L.A. scene as a roadie, live sound engineer and musician with the Bags, Deadbeats and his own group Geza X and the Mommymen, he became a top producer—starting with the Germs' first single “Lexicon Devil.” When his second track, Dead Kennedys’ 12-inch maxi single “Holiday in Cambodia,” exploded, he became the genre’s premier producer, bringing his brute force, loud sounds, doubled guitars and vocals in the studio to albums by Black Flag, Redd Kross, The Avengers, The Weirdos and hundreds of others.
Geza subsequently built three studios, including City Lab with Josie Cotton, recording acts like Butt Trumpet. His greatest mainstream success came in 1997 with Meredith Brooks’ global, Grammy nominated No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 song “Bitch.” Opening his Satellite Park facility in Malibu in '98, he produced and made the room available to indie bands from across the country. Shifting gears after the Great Recession, he moved everything to a Downtown L.A. venue called The Vortex, where he continued to produce for a number of years.
Launch of Geza X Records: While at Vortex, Geza began disc mastering for artists (both in person and online) in a wide variety of genres (indie rock, Latin, jazz, neoclassical, etc). One of his clients, Robbie Fields of Poshboy Records, hired him to remaster the label’s entire catalog and encouraged Geza to start his own label. Geza says, “In mastering all these titles, it hit me, like a Eureka moment, that this was the perfect vantage point to cherry pick great bands to sign to a label,” Geza says.
In launching the label, he made key connections with Airplay Direct (a radio promotion platform) and Sony Orchard (a major distributor) and a direct contract with SiriusXM. The catalog is small, but as he says, “every record is a doozy,” covering a broad spectrum—indie, punk, glam, R&B, Latin and ambient music. Artists include Robbie Quine (glam), Gabriela Penka (Latino ska), Stomp Box Holiday (modern Americana), Strychnine 99 (San Diego styled hardcore punk) and Magnet Hearts (California folk-rock). The label also released Rodney on the Rock, Volume 4, featuring 18 songs from legendary DJ Rodney Bingenheimer’s SiriusXM show Underground Garage.
Vinyl Production and Other Services: In the early days of the resurgence of vinyl, Geza connected with two overseas pressing plant to offer incredible wholesale deals—including an indie package deal of 250 LPs for $2,999 (shipping cost varies). His website blurb captures his aesthetic perfectly: “Tired of the confusing a-la-carte menus at vinyl pressing plants? Extra charges for four color labels? 12-14 month wait times?
Paper inner sleeve EXTRA? Plastic inner sleeve EXTRA? Outer sleeve EXTRA? We know how maddening it is to format the art and the music!!! Wouldn’t it be nice to have GEZA X handle it all for you?” He says, “We offer major label quality to indie bands at reasonable rates.” Geza’s other services include mastering for digital and vinyl, mixing (including stem extraction mixing) and general consultation.
Contact Geza X, 310-601-8707
