Blank Forms Eighth Anniversary: HiTech and more

Blank Forms celebrates eight years on this mortal coil with an evening of music and drinks at the storied East Village ballroom, the Ukrainian National Home.

At the night’s center is an extended DJ and live set from the Detroit rap trio HiTech, who over the past two years have cemented themselves as one of the freshest developments in Rust Belt dance music. Inspired by the the frenetic, high-pitched samples of DJ Rashad, turbid weightlessness of Moodymann, and unabashed raunch of DJ Assault, rapper-producers King Milo, Milf Melly, and 47 Chops have carved out a reputation for cavernous 808 beats and visceral, Hennessy-soaked shows. As much as they pay homage to the Motor City’s deep-running musical legacy, their lyrics and soundworld are distinctly au courant, gleaned from hand-me-down booty-bass CD-Rs, slow-buffering PornHub videos, and Grand Theft Auto in-game radio stations.

They will be preceded by Joe McPhee, one of jazz improvisation’s most adventurous chameleons, syncing up with the inimitable drummer Tcheser Holmes, known for his collaborations with Aquilles Navarro, Irreversible Entanglements, and Sön. Kicking off the evening will be a set by Lucy Railton, a British cellist and composer, whose distinctive practice forges a bridge between experimental electronics, alternate tuning systems, precise timbral control, and strong attention towards psychoacoustic effects, who previously collaborated with Ellen Arkbro, Laurel Halo, Kali Malone and Stephen O’Malley, Patti Smith, and others.

Sponsorships and tables are available. Please contact Corinne Daniel (corinne@blankforms.org) to inquire.