As part of her guest curation at Le Guess Who 2024, Crystallmess invites British contemporary artist Blackhaine. The artist’s radical approach to drill and noise music extends to body movement, immersive A/V installation, and creative direction for globally renowned rappers.
Informed by bleakness, Blackhaine expresses on stage what can be called ‘negative ecstasy’, in a hybrid performance of voice, movement, and stage design. The artist’s detached nihilism has proven resistless by the music and art scene. From Playboi Carti’s arenas, who wouldn’t be the same without his stage direction and production, to the Tate Modern, Blackhaine’s art thrives in endless spaces, making them grimmer along the way.
In April, Blackhaine released the experimental short film And Now I Stand on a Hill. Directed by Rawtape, written and produced by Blackhaine, the multi-disciplinary movie features unreleased tracks and performances.
Blackhaine performs at Le Guess Who? 2024 on Thursday, 7 November, curated by Crystallmess. Also performing at the festival are a.o. Shabjdeed & Al Nather, HiTech, ELUCID, Mimosa, Angry Blackmen, Cõvco, LustSickPuppy, Nazar and many more.
Photography by Archie Finch
