Blank Forms Ninth Anniversary: Dez Andrés and more

On Friday, June 20th, Blank Forms celebrates nine years on this mortal coil. Please join us at the storied Ukrainian National Home in the East Village for drinks and a series of special performances from Dez Andrés, Will Sessions, 7038634357, and more.

Since 2016, Blank Forms has platformed the work of experimental musicians and artists through three primary programming avenues: publishing books and records, staging live performances and exhibitions, and stewarding archives. Funds from our anniversary party will go directly to the artists, engineers, editors, and archivists who make our work possible. For more information about purchasing VIP tables or otherwise supporting our future programming, please contact Corinne Daniel at corinne@blankforms.org.


Celebrated producer and percussionist Humberto Hernandez—best known as Dez Andrés—is a legendary figure in Detroit’s music scene. From his early days working with rising producer J Dilla—first as a member of the rap crew Da’ Enna C, and later as the DJ for Slum Village—to his house cuts on Moodymann’s KDJ label, Andrés has bridged the Motor City’s diverse and often disparate musical communities with an audible sense of ease. His signature sound—marked by slithery funk and hard-hitting rhythms—reflects a deep-rooted connection to the full spectrum of Black diasporic music. Squelching basslines interweave with featherlight keys, throaty scatting, and gritty staccato flourishes; the seductive, languorous atmosphere of a jazz lounge fuses with the reckless joy of an afternoon block party or late-night rave. 

Andrés’s omnivorous approach to production and composition reflects not only the rich musical cultures thriving in Detroit today, but also the legacy that runs in his family. His father, Humberto “Nengue” Hernandez is a renowned Cuban percussionist who has performed with legends like Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, and Linda Ronstadt. While Andrés cuts like “New For U”, “Mighty Tribe”, and the recent banger “What Would You Do?” (co-produced with the late, great Amp Fiddler for the female vocal trio Dames Brown) have become dancefloor staples, Andrés is also known inside the Motor City as an in demand live percussionist. He provides rhythms for the jazz group Duality/Detroit, the Shigeto Live Ensemble, and his melodic lines, beautifully suited to live performance, are featured in live sets with Sam Beaubien, bandleader of the Detroit-based instrumental collective Will Sessions. 

For Blank Forms’s ninth anniversary party, Dez Andrés and Will Sessions will debut Andrés’s live band for the first time outside of Detroit, featuring Dez on congas, Sam Beaubien on trumpet and synths, Ian Fink on keyboards, Amir Edwards on drums, Tim Shellabarger on bass, and Kasan Belgrave on saxophone. Following the live set, DJ Dez Andrés will spin.


Neo Gibson records, performs, and produces under the alias 7038634357. Their music is characterized by its formal precision, melodic structure, and idiosyncratic emotional tenor. Synthesized and recorded entirely on their computer, Neo Seven (Blank Forms Editions, 2023) was their first vinyl record. Waterfall Horizon, out from Blank Forms Editions this June, is their second.