Joe / Ghostix Labors

I am a hardware developer, programmer, and illustrator. Ghostix Labors started in the underground of circuit bending—rescuing forgotten machines from the trash and breathing new life into them. Today, that same raw, DIY philosophy drives my work in the Eurorack world, where I design and build custom synthesizer modules from the ground up.

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/// From “Circuit Bending Dreams” to Modular Reality ///

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It all started with a happy accident in 2009. Bored after watching a video about circuit bending, I scoured my room for anything that made a sound. All I found was a broken smoke detector that used to go off in the middle of the night for no reason. I cracked it open, and suddenly, the circuit reacted to the touch of my fingertips. I didn't even own a soldering iron back then—I just rigged it together using junk from other broken items. I mounted that old-school circuit into a cigar box, and it still works to this day. From that moment on, I was hooked.

When I walk through the streets at night, I collect interesting plastic parts and random debris. To most, it’s just trash. But to me, these abandoned objects are the foundation for new artifacts. The same philosophy applies to the vintage toy keyboards I used to modify. I’m not talking about modern, cheaply made toys. I’m talking about the golden era of the 80s—the early Yamaha and Casio product lines. They sound a bit harsh and raw out of the box, but that’s because they lack a proper filter section. The grit, the lo-fi resolution, the raw digital artifacts—that is exactly what gives these little machines their massive personality.

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/// Engineering the Future ///

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But my journey didn't stop at modifying existing gear. To push the boundaries of sound even further, I had to build my own tools.

Today, I channel that gritty, experimental energy into the development of Eurorack modules. I operate as a complete one-man laboratory. Every instrument that leaves my desk is a singular vision: I engineer the raw hardware circuits, I write the code for the digital brains, and I illustrate the front panels and PCB layouts myself.

I merge the unpredictable, chaotic soul of circuit bending with precise, modern electronic engineering. It’s no longer just about hacking what’s already there; it’s about manifesting completely new instruments that bring a raw, unpolished, and highly personal aesthetic into the professional studio.