uncle bennys | DC House Grooves

All right, all right… first of all, thanks to everyone who came out last Friday for Katrina Mir‘s debut on the club level at Flash supporting Dana Ruh, and thanks to the team at Flash for their wonderful hospitality. It was great to finally hear Katrina giving the Funktion Ones a good work out! Definitely one for the books.

Before I get to this week’s top picks, I’ve got a couple of exclusives for you. To celebrate the launch of Will Eastman‘s second album, Breathe, this Friday February 8, DC House Grooves is premiering the second track off the album, The Museum of Sleeping Pills, and we’ve also got a very special Meet the Locals podcast from the man himself, exploring the multitude of influences that contributed to his creative process while producing Breathe.

One of the hardest working and longest serving members of Washington DC’s electronic music community, DJ, producer and U Street Music Hall owner Will Eastman has been working on his second album for the past 18 months, and it features eight tracks drawing from a huge range of influences, from Classic House, to Trip Hop, to Disco and 90s Shoegaze, and has a worthy place in the collection of anyone who appreciates dance music and electronica. In Will’s own words, “While I was working on this album, my mother died and I faced a huge wall of family health issues. It hit me like a brick at the same time the United States started experiencing a political and cultural tsunami. Things are not ok in my homeland and it would be foolish to pretend they are. This album reflects that tension in its 8 tracks, from opioid addiction to our collective inability to tackle huge issues like mental health treatment and climate change. I put everything I have musically within me into this album,” says Eastman, “and the experience inspired me to share a deeper musical connection with my fans from Hilo, and to reconnect with people from all aspects of my life and tell these stories through music. Personally, I’ve been on a transformative journey this past year and a half during the making of this album, overcoming struggles and putting the new life experience I documented in Hilo to good use. I’m in overdrive.”

Without further ado, here’s the premiere of the second track on the album, The Museum of Sleeping Pills, a beautifully produced, tripped out, laid-back groover with trip-hop, jazz, disco & funk influences. Crank the volume and check it out!

Breathe will be available on Friday, February 8 from Will Eastman‘s Bandcamp page and all the usual outlets. If you’re looking for something new to listen to from a highly regarded local artist, grab yourself a copy on Friday. Support local artists! And if you’re curious about what to expect from Breathe, and want a taste of its myriad influences, check out Breath Inspirations, episode #75 of the DC House Grooves Meet the Locals Podcast by Will Eastman.

Will and the crew will be celebrating the launch of Breathe at the Breathe Album Release Party at U Street Music Hall on Saturday March 16, with sets from Will, Ken Lazee and Ozker. FREE entry with RSVP. You can also catch Will & Ozker this Saturday at U Street Music Hall at their celebration of all things Daft Punk, French house and indie dance, Rev909.

FREE with RSVP at: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1822535
Info: https://www.facebook.com/events/245947119658888/

Before getting into this weekend’s shenanigans, a quick shout to a party coming up next weekend. Late Night Mischief is back with another quality session on the amazing Grand Ancestor sound system on Saturday February 23 featuring German duo Session Victim with support from Martín Miguel. Things have been quiet on the Late Night Mischief front lately, so its great to see them back in action again. Advance tickets are required for this one, and $20 early birds are still available if you move fast. not to be missed!

No time this week to list all this weekend’s highlights, but I have included all the event flyers below, along with links to all the event pages on Facebook. Just click the link at the top of each section. The big news this Friday is the return of Uncle Benny’s After Hours Express at a new location this Friday, with a smoking line up including Ari Goldman, Samantha Francesca, Benoit & Luke. Advance tickets have been selling like hot cakes, but there are still a few $20 tix left. Don’t sleep!

uncle-bennys-after-hours-express-ari-goldman

And the big news on Saturday is the triumphant return of ROAM at a new secret location. ROAM XXVI features Joy Orbison and residents Lisa Frank, Sami & Jett Chandon, with Team Zapata‘s Martin Audio sound system. The warehouse move this weekend! $20 advance tickets available now, price will go up on the door.

Here’s my full list of Top Picks, Thursday through Sunday. Seriously quality all round, everything you need to keep you grooving through the early hours of Monday morning. See you on the dance floor!