Alvin Risk, DD, & more @ U-Hall
A few weeks ago (7/17), Alvin Risk, Toy Selectah, and Designer Drugs blew up U St. Music Hall (DC). It was insane, to say the least. I had never been to U-Hall before, but as soon as I walked down the stairs and realized that the place was a basement flanked by two bars with a small stage at one end and DJ booth at the other, I knew it was going to be a great night. DC based Alvin Risk was charged with the task of coaxing the, at first hesitant, crowd out onto the dance floor. Alvin got things warmed up, literally, with a wide range of bumping tracks from chill dance floor enticers to nitty- gritty electro. Everybody was getting down by the end of his set. Next up was Toy Selectah, a DJ/producer hailing from Monterrey, Mexico. He kept things going with a set packed with a massive, Latin infused sound. Needless to say, both Alvin Risk and Toy Selectah killed it.
As the night went on, the place got hotter… and hotter… and hotter, turning the dance floor, along with everyone in the place, into a sweaty, hot mess. But nobody let that stop them from tearing it up. With one member in attendance, Designer Drugs kept things in motion with an epic set packed with massive tunes. At one point, Michael (Designer Drugs) threw down a huge dub step track, taking everyone by surprise. Immediately afterwards… “Warp” exploded through the sound system, all hell broke loose. I had to take a second to soak in what had just happened. So did the guy next to me, who took a break from nursing his beer to cover his mouth in shock. It was one of those moments you hope to experience at any show, where the crowd and DJ/band/performer/whoever just click, creating an electrifying and unforgettable atmosphere. In this case, everyone in the place was sweating their tits off and dancing up a storm without a care in the world. Even the ceiling was dripping from all of the heat and moisture. It was absolutely crazy. After Designer Drugs, Alvin Risk played a SECOND set! Unfortunately, I couldn’t stick around for it but I’m sure it was ridiculous.
The next day, Michael was nice enough to do an interview outside of Alvin Risk’s home studio. Please forgive me if my questions seem pretty weak, it was my first face-to-face interview. Sorry you had to be the guinea pig Michael! Check it out below and also these tracks by Alvin Risk and Toy Selectah! Enjoy.
Designer Drugs – Back Up In This(Alvin Risk Remix)
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Vampire Weekend – Cousinz (Toy Selectah Mex-More Remix)
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**KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR DESIGNER DRUGS’ UPCOMING ALBUM IN SEPT/OCT!!**
Click the link below to read The Beat Brothel’s exclusive interview with Designer Drugs!
