New Forms Presents: Ulla, Caro, Adam 2, Hydra:bad

Space Afrika*

Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, Space Afrika will not be performing at Program V. The Manchester duo will be postponing their New Forms debut to 2023.

We realize this adjustment may be disappointing to some people in our community and are able to offer a full refund to ticket holders that request one through Showpass before 8 pm on Friday, December 9. All said, some incredible people will take the stage tomorrow night and we would love to see you there!

Manchester UK’s Space Afrika make music of what they term “overlapping moments” – oblique mosaics of dialogue, rhythm, texture, and shadow, half-heard through a bus window on a rainy night.

Their releases Above The Concrete/Below The Concrete (2014) and Somewhere Decent To Live (2018) were sparse, spacious yet intimate electronic abstractions, partly inspired by their observations of industrial landscapes and experiences of life in the North of England.

In 2020, Space Afrika released their most emotionally charged project to date, hybtwibt? (have you been through what i’ve been through?). First recorded for broadcast on NTS Radio before being edited down to a half-hour collage and released a few days later in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. As Black Lives Matter protests were gathering momentum across the U.S. and UK, the Manchester duo’s self-released mixtape captures the unrest with intercutting fragments of their own unreleased work. Described as a “dreamlike tapestry”, and hailed by Pitchfork and Bandcamp as one of the best ambient albums of 2020, sales of the mixtape continue to raise funds for Black Minds Matter UK and the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in support of the fight for racial equality.

The duo went on to release in the spring of 2021, Untitled (To Describe You), a collaboration with photographer, filmmaker and poet Tibyan Mahawah Sanoh, generating a living, breathing study of the duo's Northern working-class Black British reality.

Ulla

(Ulla Straus) is an artist by ways from Kansas and California, but currently based in Philadelphia.  She has released music on an array of labels such as Quiet Time, Experiences Ltd, West Mineral Ltd, and her most recent record Limitless Frame on Motion Ward.

In 2020, Ulla released her critically acclaimed Tumbling Towards A Wall which has received praise as one of the best albums of 2020 from Resident Advisor, Pitchfork, Washington Post, and Bandcamp. Ulla has also collaborated with a number of other artists including Perila, Pontiac Streator, Exael, and Ben Bondy.

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Caro

Caro is a producer, DJ and radio-host living and working in so-called BC, Canada. Known for their vast and diverse collection, Caro's sound lands somewhere between the realms of smoked-out experimentalism and deep rhythmic soundscapes. The former being showcased on their weekly radio show on CJLY "The Tea", and the latter being shared at festivals like Mutek, Bass Coast and Shambhala. They share the side project "Lamps" with collaborator and friend, Emrrld, and released their debut solo LP "Lowlands" on Limbo Tapes in 2021.

 

Adam 2 

For Adam 2, electronic music has always provided an opportunity for self-discovery, creative exploration, and personal liberation. Since 2016, the Vancouver-based producer and DJ has worn multiple hats in the city’s growing scene, fulfilling the roles of promoter, music curator, and co-founder of Techno label PPRZ. 2020 saw the release of featured mixes on Honcho, Techno Hour of Power, and the creation of Afrofuturism is Now – a mix series amplifying the music of Black artists.

As Adam 2’s career gains momentum, they continue to build their reputation by transfixing audiences with evocative, experimental techno that intersects dynamic physicality and playful cerebralism.

 

Hydra:bad

Kampala, Uganda native hydra:bad is a dj/producer who uses sonic narratives to bridge the divide between himself and his environment. Channeling grief and dislocation into cathartic release, his frenetic productions and genre-bending DJ sets aim to interrogate the club environments duality as a space of the sacred and profane. As part of the @accelerationradio collective, he is committed to creating community and gathering spaces around music through audiovisual presentations and intentional curation.

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Location & Event Details

New Forms 2022 Live Series IV will take place at our new venue, KW Studios, at #10 – 111 Hastings St W.

A versatile production and performance space with a long history in arts and underground music communities, KW Studios is located in close proximity to Waterfront Station and multiple bus lines (R5, 003, 008, 014, 020). The venue is wheelchair accessible, but should you require any accommodations, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help.

Elevators and stairs leading to the performance space and refreshment area are accessible from the studio's Hastings St. entrance, just to the right of the main entrance to the Woodward's Atrium.

New Forms staff will be present at the door to welcome you and assist anyone with accessibility needs.