Decker Handlir
Baltimore watchdog Staff Writer
High Zero is a collective musical foundation dedicated to improvisational and experimental music in the city of Baltimore and abroad. This year the foundation turned 25 years old. Marking a substantial achievement for both the foundation and involved musicians.
High Zero was founded in 1998 under the principle of providing spaces and crowds for experimental musicians to perform their art. It’s especially fitting given Baltimore in recent years has become a hub for experimental music and art. High Zero emits a sense of community that acts as a paste for keeping musicians together and performing frequently. With weekly performances and shows, Baltimore has no shortage of entertaining experimental music and art.
One of High Zero’s most important events are High Zero Fest. Which has occurred every year in September at the Baltimore Theatre Project since 2001. It hosts a plethora of artists who are randomly paired together and are then forced to improvise. This scenario is intentional; it presents both the performers and the audience with a new and unique experience. A majority of the artists who perform at the High Zero Festival are Baltimore-based artists. But the festival is known to attract artists from all over the world.
In 2022, High Zero Festival hosted Pulitzer Prize-winning sound artist Raven Chacon, based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This year featured 11 state out-of-state performers, 5 of whom were from outside of the United States.
“My favorite part was being able to witness long-time High Zero performers continuing to showcase their music,” said Liam Mischke, an attendee of High Zero Fest and Towson University student. “I think there is a lot of creativity and inspiration and a sense of community involved in experimental music, which is why High Zero has been such a prominent part of Baltimore experimental music.”
The Red Room is a donated space courtesy of Normal’s Books and Records, in Baltimore. Originally founded in 1996, and later donated to High Zero in 1998. It’s where you can find weekly shows hosted by the High Zero Foundation and the Red Room Collective. Shows consist of musical performances, film showcases, poetry, and performance pieces.
“It develops a sense of community around the music which would not as easily find a home in Baltimore without a reliable performance space,” said Miles Engel-Hawbecker, a film professor at Towson University. “The younger folk I do meet there are often people who have been to shows there before and are now playing experimental music themselves.”
Many venues battled to stay open very hard during COVID-19 and recent years. But only a few were able to remain open during and after the events of Covid-19.
“The art needs a home, you know? It has to happen somewhere. Especially, because there are so few venues. Everywhere in the U.S. right now but especially in Baltimore. Since the pandemic, there are fewer venues and there are more bands than ever,” said James Ford, an employee at Normal’s Books and Records. “a lot of the sort of marginal spaces I think dried up. Even like really well-established DIY spaces, places like the Copycat.” High Zero Foundation and the Red Room continue to host exciting and experimental acts. Another smaller festival is upcoming, under the name of Diffusion Festival. Which will be the 6th year it’s taken place.
Resources:
The High Zero Festival has one request for its musicians: Come completely unprepared; The Baltimore Banner.
What is High Zero? High Zero Foundation
https://highzero.org/2023_site/about/
High Zero experimental improvised music festival returning to Baltimore from Sept. 15-18; Baltimore Fishbowl.
https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/high-zero-experimental-improvised-music-festival-returning-to-baltimore-from-sept-15-18/
Series; The Red Room