Nü Androids’ dual dancefloor concept made its return for another installment with riveting performances from Rivo and ChaseWest.
In recent years, Washington, DC‘s electronic scene has captured the attention of ravers across the East Coast, with its stacked lineups at award-winning venue Echostage and the rise of intimate shows in unique locations across the city. Local event curator Nü Androids has been leading the charge in diversifying the city’s music scene, bringing dynamic multi-sensory parties to the capital.
Founded in 2017 by Nayef Issa, Nü Androids’ journey began at the beloved Flash nightclub in the bustling Shaw neighborhood. Issa began utilizing the underground hotspot’s third level, The Green Room, for their Sündown series.
The closest thing DC has to Club Space, the rooftop dancefloor — adorned with greenery and a giant glittering disco ball — became the go-to place for dancing each summer. Delivering high-caliber shows, the promoter highlighted local and rising talent. The impressive list of alumni includes Massane, Barry Can’t Swim, Kettama, and superstar DJ John Summit back in 2021.
The flagship event was the catalyst for an impressive takeover of the DC house music scene. Rapidly expanding, thanks to their innovative approach to nightlife, Nü Androids began throwing pop-ups in The District and beyond. Due to popular demand, the team relocated their Sündown series to a larger venue. Nü Androids finally found a permanent home at the modular event center, Culture, and its intimate roof venue, Vera.
Nü Androids recently unveiled their latest concept, The Duplex. A two-venue takeover utilizing Culture and Vera’s connected spaces, the experience would bring two distinct vibes. While it had been years since my days of frequenting the promoter’s events, when I saw ChaseWest and Rivo were headlining the second installment, I decided to return to DC to see how much the landscape of dance music had changed.
Culture and Vera have become vital additions as venues for electronic bookings in Washington, DC.
The landscape of the music scene has changed drastically over the past decade. With mass venue closures across the country, including DC’s U Street Music Hall during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, independent venues across the country struggle to stay afloat due to the rising costs of operation.
As the city prepares to lose another popular downtown venue, Soundcheck, in January 2026, more changes are on the horizon. As it’s one of the few truly intimate rooms in the city, talent will need to find a new go-to club for their upcoming tour routings.
Fitted with Danley Sound Labs speakers, projection mapping, and a high-end lighting rig, Culture can easily be molded to fit the signature vibe of each artist. The mid-sized warehouse space, complete with two bars, offers the option to change the layout for the performance, accommodating the rising popularity of 360° sets.
Sister venue Vera provides a contrasting experience. Operating as a restaurant during the day, it transitions into a nightlife spot in the evening, transforming its dining room into a dance party. Decorated with disco balls and earthy tones, the ambiance created lends well to the pulsing sounds of house music’s hottest acts. A rather small and intimate space with minimal production, the venue could become the perfect place for hosting pop-ups and smaller acts.
The Duplex could easily become the next fan-favorite event from the Nü Androids team.
Hosting the second edition of The Duplex on December 12, the two-venue takeover featured performances from ChaseWest and Rivo as well as resident DJs Mazlow and Farouq. With staggered starting times for each venue, attendees could easily catch all four acts of the night, which was exactly what I intended to do.
It was my first time at either venue, and I kicked off my experience with Mazlow commanding the room at Culture. It had been a while since I was that engrossed in a local DJ’s performance. Mixing high-energy beats, Mazlow amped up the crowd, preparing the room for the main act.
ChaseWest took the stage to put on a minimal masterclass over roughly three hours. Hot off an appearance at Art Basel, the producer took the stage with a grin to play out numerous edits and his originals, including “D.O.P.E” and “TRY.” Looking to catch the remainder of Farouq’s set before Rivo hopped on the decks, I headed to the staircase leading up to Vera.
Unfortunately, the floor had reached capacity, leaving a wait time to join the party upstairs. Once enough people had shifted their way downstairs, I found my place on the dancefloor right before Rivo played out his first track. While I had come expecting a set filled with melodic techno and Afro house, his song selections skewed toward tech house for the majority of his set.
One thing that stood out to me was the ability to pick your own adventure. For the price of one ticket, you had access to two entirely different shows. Attendees could arrive early and get the most out of their money by seeing four spectacular performances — or just come for one headliner. The ability to freely flow throughout the space and choose your vibe is what will keep people coming back to future iterations of The Duplex.
Nü Androids is helping create a new chapter for the Ivy City neighborhood.
Culture and Vera have found a home within a community that has struggled to find its footing for years. Created as an African-American suburban development in the late 1800s, it quickly became an industrial hub boasting warehouses and factories. As businesses moved out in the 1960s and environmental and health issues plagued the community, Ivy City became desolate.
There have been numerous attempts to revitalize the community with the introduction of fresh restaurant concepts and cultural spaces. Situated on the same block as the shuttered music venue, City Winery, the team behind Nü Androids invests in the future of Ivy City, aiming to bring an established concert space back to the area. What was once a Habitat for Humanity warehouse now has new life as a meeting place for like-minded, music-loving individuals.
As early dance music spaces were predominantly Black and queer, this venue feels more like an homage to the history of the neighborhood and the intention of house music. Setting out to create a brand that will force the DC nightlife scene to evolve, the event curator is adamant about leading the movement away from standard shows and toward experimental programming.
The future of dance music in DC depends on the continuation of innovative approaches, and Nü Androids is leading the way. Whether by acting as a catalyst for change within the music scene or contributing to the development of Ivy City, Nü Androids continues to pave the way forward. Dreaming up new and immersive experiences for the Washington, DC electronic scene, the promoter has stepped up and emerged as a pioneer that will push a city stuck in its old ways to evolve and blossom as a destination for dance music.
Follow Nü Androids:
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Follow Rivo:
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Follow ChaseWest:
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