Sonic Essence

Sonic Essence Creating space for radical free expression since 2022.

INTRODUCING BOOTYMASTERS VOL.I, a love letter to the sweat-soaked lineage of music made for throwing ass, brought to you...
08/20/2026

INTRODUCING BOOTYMASTERS VOL.I, a love letter to the sweat-soaked lineage of music made for throwing ass, brought to you by Sonic Essence in collaboration with S*x Party! 🎉

We’re tapping into the energy of a 90s Miami club night and tracing the b***y bass lineage outward: Miami bass, funk carioca, teknobass, ghettotech, Atlanta b***y, electro, breaks, and beyond. Fast, freaky, low-end music all night, sure to keep you on your feet. Let’s get nasty 😈

We’ve always been serious about throwing ass… that’s why for the first time ever we are doing a twerk competition! Come flaunt your skills for a chance to win $50 and the title of BOOTYMASTERS VOL. I champion!

We are amped to feature Spell, who is joining us from Asheville and bringing firsthand energy from her time in the Miami circuit, alongside a lineup ready to keep the pressure on.

Come loose. Come loud. Come ready to sweat. 🍑🔊

$10 all night long at Pinhook, doors 8 PM, music 9 PM. 18+ event.

Tix link coming shortly! 💕 Don’t worry, we still got something special for you 9/12 😘

08/04/2026

THANK YOU for another successful Future Footwerk 💕

We know this space is unique and fills a need in our community for those with a deep appreciation of footwork and those looking for environments that welcome styles of dance that require a lot of space. We loved seeing you take up space! It has also been fun to watch our core dancers evolve in their skill and style over time 👟🔥 We see you, and we appreciate you!

We look forward to continuing to grow with you all, and we are so humbled to be a part of your own personal journey, in whatever shape that takes 🦋💕

Social media is the least fun part of the work we do, but unfortunately necessary (for now?) to stay in contact with our growing community. This post is late af, but we wanted to make sure to celebrate Future Footwerk, thank you all for your presence in the spaces we make, and let you all know we are working on new programming… announcement coming soon! 😈🔥

Resident Advisor knows what’s up, do you? 😉Shout out to Resident Advisor for making Future Footwerk a local RA Pick for ...
07/03/2026

Resident Advisor knows what’s up, do you? 😉

Shout out to Resident Advisor for making Future Footwerk a local RA Pick for the second time! 🔥

See yall tonight, $10 at door 18+ featuring Lee CARARASHERS! zo Malix

Last but not least, say hello to your co-host ROBOTICALEE! Don’t forget to grab your tix for tomorrow, the dancefloor is...
07/02/2026

Last but not least, say hello to your co-host ROBOTICALEE! Don’t forget to grab your tix for tomorrow, the dancefloor is about to be on fire 🔊😈🔥

ROBOTICALEE is a North Carolina native, hitech cyborg and DJ bringing out the manifestation of one of his truest loves to the dancefloor—footwork. Throughout his DJ journey, the Chicago footwork sound has been the backbone of DJ set and provided the foundation for his love Black electronic music. Collaborating with Sonic Essence for Future Footwerk brings this love to center stage…be ready to shake, bounce, and werk!!!

18+ / $10 / 9 PM - 2 AM
Grab tix at The Pinhook page 🔗

AAAHHHHH only two more days until FUTURE FOOTWERK returns to Pinhook featuring none other than MALICE ALEX! If you don’t...
07/02/2026

AAAHHHHH only two more days until FUTURE FOOTWERK returns to Pinhook featuring none other than MALICE ALEX! If you don’t know him yet, you’ll know him after he throws down this Friday 😈🫡

Malice Alex is an internet feign (in a good way). While his persona (digitalex) explores video editing and digital crafting, Malice Alex uses his introspective art by combining his style with dj’ing along with his digital projects. He’s been adamant about navigating the underground scene while learning and spinning the diverse sound of juke, footwork, ghetto tech, jungle, and DnB.

Early in his career as a DJ, he’s been making headway through a growing run of shows and a reputation for well-crafted, high-energy sets. His style is rooted in precision and intuition, with a sharp ear for layering and recontextualizing samples into seamless blends that keep crowds locked in!

18+ / $10 / 9 PM - 2 AM
Grab tix at The Pinhook page 🔗

FUTURE FOOTWERK THIS FRIDAY featuring CARCRASHERS! alongside ZLA Roboticalee & Malice Alex! Are you ready? 😈CARCRASHERS ...
06/30/2026

FUTURE FOOTWERK THIS FRIDAY featuring CARCRASHERS! alongside ZLA Roboticalee & Malice Alex! Are you ready? 😈

CARCRASHERS is a twenty year old Dj and producer swarming in from Charlotte NC. He blends sounds of juke, Baltimore club,Jersey club and Jungle his well thought out sets will make you dance subconsciously. Get ready for CARCRASHERS cause he is ready for you……

18+ / $10 / 9 PM - 2 AM
Grab tix at The Pinhook page 🔗

INTRODUCING zo! 💫 ZLA will be joining us for FUTURE FOOTWERK next Friday 7/3 at Pinhook! This is a very special treat y’...
06/26/2026

INTRODUCING zo! 💫 ZLA will be joining us for FUTURE FOOTWERK next Friday 7/3 at Pinhook! This is a very special treat y’all won’t want to miss… have you ever heard a footwork set treated as ceremony? Get ready to awaken your spirit and move those feet!

ZLA is a dj, rapper, producer, visual artist, and whatever else spirit calls her to be. she was born and raised in raleigh, north carolina, and currently lives in durham, north carolina. as a student of the west afrikan religious tradition of ifá, she thinks a lot about the spirit of the drum — its centrality in ceremony, collective healing, and the moving of energy. she sees this afrikan rhythmic & spiritual continuity present in all black electronic dance music. the energy she channels through music guarantees an unraveling — an embodiment. one can expect a sonic experience grounded in the fullness of what it means to be alive and what it means to discover oneself again and again.

$10 all night, 18+, 9 PM - 2 AM. Tix available at Pinhooks website! Featuring Lee Malix CARARASHERS! zo

ONE WEEK AWAY! Are you ready to throw down? Don’t forget to snag ur tix online! FUTURE FOOTWERK is BACK at the Pinhook… ...
06/25/2026

ONE WEEK AWAY! Are you ready to throw down? Don’t forget to snag ur tix online!

FUTURE FOOTWERK is BACK at the Pinhook… for real this time! 🤑 💪🔥🔊

We are excited to have the opportunity to run this back one more time with a whole new crew of MINDBLOWING artists ready to rock ur world with a frenzy of footwork all night long… and what’s more? This event is now 18+! 🙌

This is our last event on the books, so come dance with us while you can 😈🔊

FEATURING:
Lee
CARARASHERS!
Malix
zo

Future Footwerk is a dance party celebrating footwork, a Chicago-born electronic dance music style characterized by its blindingly fast 160BPM and rapid rhythms that make you wanna dance! This party brings Chicago to Durham with a look toward the future–expanding the footwork sound as a Black electronic tradition.

Future Footwerk is a collaborative partnership between Sonic Essence and ROBOTICALEE that follows in the footsteps of Detroit-Durham Connection and B***y Break (our ghettotech series), two series that uplift and celebrate the contributions of Black music pioneers that laid the groundwork for the international electronic music scene we hold dear today.

Join us for a night of footwork & body moving rhythms with a stacked lineup of NC-based DJs!!

18+, $10 all night long
9 PM - 2 AM
Friday July 3, 2026
The Pinhook (Durham, NC)

06/23/2026

WOW … y’all really blew us away with this one 🤯

Thanks for spending Juneteenth with us at Pinhook for DIRTY SOUTH, and letting us stop to speak about Historic Stagville and the work of Stagville Descendants Council mid-show ❤️

History doesn’t stop with the past, it’s being made every day, and it’s our responsibility to help steward collective memory. Events like this, while incredibly fun, are an extension of this work. We feel so blessed to be a part of this community making space and making history together.

Y’all made this our highest attended event ever!

We loved seeing all the new and familiar faces, moms, sisters, brothers, cousins, and out of town visitors gathered on the dancefloor in unison and unbridled joy 🥹 Thank you for the love, the trust, and the energy you brought into the room. Our community is truly better because you’re in it 🫶

If you’re new here, what was your first impression of us? And if you’re old here, how did you feel about this programming? Do y’all want to see more like this? What else do you want to see? Let us know in the comments below!

Also… we have long talked about doing more financial transparency breakdowns at Sonic Essence. Given this was our highest attended show, would y’all be interested in seeing a full $$$ breakdown of what this event actually cost, earned, and paid out? 🤔 We think you’ll be surprised by the results!

——

We’ve got ONE MORE event for you before we are on summer break ☀️ Join us for FUTURE FOOTWERK Friday 7/3! It’s your last chance to dance with us for now 😉

Address

Durham, NC
27704

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