# Esem

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{{Short description|Bulgarian electronic musician}}
{{for|the ESEM (microscope)|environmental scanning electron microscope}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist
| name         = Esem
| birth_name   = Georgi Hristov Marinov
| alias        = Esem, Eesn
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|02|10}}
| origin       = [Varna, Bulgaria](/source/Varna%2C_Bulgaria)
| instrument   = [Computer](/source/Computer), [Laptop](/source/Laptop), [Synthesizer](/source/Synthesizer), [Tracker](/source/Tracker_(music_software)), [Sequencer](/source/Music_sequencer)
| genre        = [IDM](/source/Intelligent_dance_music), [Ambient](/source/Ambient_music), [Downtempo](/source/Downtempo), [Tracker-music](/source/Demoscene)
| occupation   = Music, Field Recording, Sound Design
| years_active = 1997—present
| label        = [deFocus](/source/deFocus), [Merck Records](/source/Merck_Records)
| website      = [http://www.esem.name]
}}

'''Georgi Hristov Marinov''' (born 10 February 1979), known professionally as '''Esem''', is a Bulgarian electronic music artist. Esem used to be known as the [tracker](/source/Tracker_(music_software)) musician StereoMan,<ref name="amigamusic">[http://amp.dascene.net/detail.php?view=7071 StereoMan at Amiga Music Preservation]</ref> a member of the music group New Objectives in Sound Exploration ('''NOISE''').

==Musical career==

Marinov got involved in composing [electronic music](/source/electronic_music) and the [demoscene](/source/demoscene) in the late 1990s, through the work of [Brothomstates](/source/Brothomstates) and [Lackluster](/source/Lackluster) among others. After a five-year [netlabel](/source/netlabel) membership in NOiSE ("New Objectives in Sound Exploration") Marinov was signed up to [deFocus records](/source/deFocus_records) for his first vinyl single – "Ikae", and debut album "Enveloped", thus becoming the first contemporary Bulgarian electronic music artist to have released a music record on vinyl.

After releasing his second album "Serial Human" commercially on [Merck Records](/source/Merck_Records), Esem moved to London where he produced the material for "Scateren" – his third album. "Scateren" was released as a free<ref name="survivalstrategies">[http://esem.name/?p=96 Survival Strategies For Emerging Artists at Esem's official website]</ref> [Creative Commons](/source/Creative_Commons)<ref name="scateren">[http://esem.name/?scateren Official release page of "Scateren"]</ref>-licensed download on [Kahvi](/source/Kahvi), and quickly became one of the label's most downloaded titles. In 2007 parts of "Scateren" were licensed and subsequently released by [Nintendo](/source/Nintendo) as background music to the [Nintendo DS](/source/Nintendo_DS) game "Theta",<ref name="theta">[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/axij/ Nintendo Theta Video Game]</ref> and as downloadable ringtones (complementary to the game title). The original album remains available under Creative Commons.

Esem was a regular guest on the Lithuanian label Sutemos's "Intelligent Toys" series, featured alongside [Vladislav Delay](/source/Vladislav_Delay), [Digitonal](/source/Digitonal), [Maps and Diagrams](/source/Maps_and_Diagrams), [Ulrich Schnauss](/source/Ulrich_Schnauss), and others.

His music has been featured on Austrian national radio [FM4 (ORF)](/source/FM4),<ref name="orf1">[http://fm4v2.orf.at/connected/86992/main La Boum de Luxe Osteuropa Spezial - Bulgarien]</ref><ref name="niedermayrbook">[https://books.google.com/books?id=4d83AQAAIAAJ Im Osten - neue Musik-Territorien in Europa]</ref> and on the [John Peel](/source/John_Peel) show on [BBC Radio 1](/source/BBC_Radio_1) in the United Kingdom. In 2006 Marinov edited a Sofia-based soundscape for the [Radia](/source/Radia) network,<ref name="radia">[http://www.radia.fm/?p=619 Radia Show 069: FieldRec-Sofia]</ref> later broadcast on a number of European radio stations. In July 2013 Marinov authored a one-hour-long programme for London community radio station [Resonance FM](/source/Resonance_FM) – "Clearspot", featuring a documentary recording of the [2013–14 protests against the Oresharski cabinet in Bulgaria](/source/2013%E2%80%9314_Bulgarian_protests_against_the_Oresharski_cabinet).<ref name="clearspot">[http://resonancefm.com/archives/14042 Clear Spot – Bulgarian Summer] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813012810/http://resonancefm.com/archives/14042 |date=13 August 2014 }}</ref>

==Methods==

Esem employs [trackers](/source/Tracker_(music_software)) and [digital audio workstation](/source/digital_audio_workstation) software for his work. Most of his published music was produced using [software synthesizers](/source/software_synthesizers) and [Apple Inc.](/source/Apple_Inc.)'s [Logic Pro](/source/Logic_Pro) sequencer. Field recordings can be heard in his work unmodified and used as source material for [signal processing](/source/Audio_signal_processing). Since 2017, videos on his Instagram feed feature [modular](/source/Modular_synthesizer) synthesizer instruments prominently.

Much of his work outside of music involves [sound design](/source/sound_design) and [software development](/source/software_development).<ref name="easterndazeint">[http://easterndaze.net/post/77995275047/interview-with-esem Easterndaze, Interview with Esem]</ref> He is the author of an [Adium](/source/Adium) soundset, called "Minus Bells".

==Live performances==

Marinov plays live only occasionally. Since 2000 he has played gigs in Europe including venues in the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, and more recently in France, and the Netherlands, using [Ableton Live](/source/Ableton_Live), [Teenage Engineering OP-1](/source/Teenage_Engineering_OP-1), and various [MIDI controller](/source/MIDI_controller)s.<ref name="liveography">[http://esem.name/?music Music section of Esem's official website]</ref>

==Discography==

* 2001 – EP – "Ikae" (12") deFocus. A lossless remaster was released in 2019.
* 2002 – Album – "Enveloped" (CD,LP) on deFocus. A remastered version was released in 2017.
* 2003 – Album – "Serial Human" (CD) on Merck Records,
* 2005 – Album – "Scateren" ([Ogg](/source/Ogg_Vorbis) digital download) on Kahvi Records. A lossless remaster was released independently in 2016.
* 2013 – EP – "Aquanaut" (digital download) released independently on Bandcamp.
* 2017 – EP – "| |" (digital download) released on Bandcamp.
* 2020 – EP – "Chaos Crop" (digital download) released on Bandcamp.

==Name==

Esem is a distorted abbreviation of S, M – the capital letters of his past demoscene alias – StereoMan.<ref name="stereomanesem">[http://esem.name/?p=45 Stereoman»Esem at Esem's official site]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://esem.name/ Official Esem website]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Esem Esem] at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)
* [https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/axij/ Theta video game]
* [http://adiumxtras.com/index.php?a=xtras&xtra_id=4027 "Minus Bells" Adium Soundset]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Bulgarian electronic musicians
Category:Intelligent dance musicians
Category:Demosceners
Category:Chiptune and tracker musicians
Category:Living people
Category:1979 births
Category:Musicians from Varna, Bulgaria

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Esem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esem) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esem?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.