Gesaffelstein

Mike Lévy, born 24 June 1985, is a French DJ and record producer from Lyon who performs under the stage name Gesaffelstein. Often referred to as the "Dark Prince of Techno", he is best known for his record production and high-profile collaborations, including his single "Lost in the Fire" with the Weeknd. His professional name is a portmanteau of the German term Gesamtkunstwerk, meaning "total artwork," and the name of physicist Albert Einstein.

Lévy was born in Lyon, France, to Jewish parents from North Africa. He began producing music at sixteen after playing an analog synthesizer. In 2008, he released his debut EP through OD Records. In 2009, Lévy co-founded the independent record label Zone alongside the Hacker, Alex Reynaud, and David Rimokh.

In July 2012, Gesaffelstein appeared on the cover of DJ Mag, and his track "Viol" was featured in commercials for Citroën and Givenchy. He achieved wider attention in 2013 by co-producing tracks on Kanye West's album Yeezus, including "Black Skinhead" and "Send It Up." On 28 October 2013, he released his debut studio album, Aleph, through Parlophone Records and OWSLA. His remix of the Hacker's "Shockwave" was also included in the video game Grand Theft Auto V.

In 2015, Gesaffelstein collaborated with Jean-Michel Jarre on "Conquistador" and composed the soundtrack for the film Maryland. He produced two tracks for the Weeknd's 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, before signing with Columbia Records. In early 2019, he released the singles "Lost in the Fire" and "Blast Off" featuring Pharrell Williams, leading to his second studio album, Hyperion, released on 8 March 2019. He followed this with the EP Novo Sonic System later that year.

Gesaffelstein's track "Orck" was featured in an Apple event in October 2021. He later released two collaborative EPs with KayCyy—TW20 50 in 2022 and TW2052 in 2023—and issued his third studio album, Gamma, on 29 March 2024. In 2025, he co-produced and co-wrote on Lady Gaga's album Mayhem. At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, he won Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of "Abracadabra," attracting attention by wearing black gloves and a black reflective mask while accepting the award without speaking.

Described by critics as a dark, threatening, and underground form of techno, Gesaffelstein's music relies on building tension through silence before releasing explosive bass and percussion. His work draws influence from 1980s industrial dance groups like D.A.F. and Nitzer Ebb, as well as Dopplereffekt, Kraftwerk, Joy Division, and the Hacker. Over his career, he has also worked alongside artists including A$AP Rocky, Lil Nas X, Charli XCX, and Daft Punk.