Getting to Know Your Local DJs (Part II)

Next up in our DC Takeover profile are the talented Charles Martin and Baronhawk Poitier Williams.

Charles Martin

A vinyl fiend with an ear for East Coast House, Techno and Breakbeat, Charles Martin truly appreciates the eclectic.  He began DJing in 1996 after hearing guys like Danny Tenaglia, Scott Henry, Charles Feelgood, and DJ Icee: “After hearing acts like them perform and seeing how they moved crowds, I was inspired to start spinning records myself.”

Even with over a decade of DJing under his belt, Martin is still able to find a favorite moment among all the gigs. “Spinning at SEOne in London has been my best moment so far. It’s a huge room with a booming sound system and is located in old tunnels that run under the Thames River.” As a well-traveled DJ (he’s played gigs all along the east coast, the UK, and South America), he hopes to keep amazing experiences like SEOne a frequent occurrence in his career.

His dreams of hopping around the globe more often do not diminish his love of the D.C. scene. “DC has such a talented roster of artists, with a real wealth of knowledge and appreciation for quality music.  It’s fantastic to always have great music options week in and week out and I’m honored to be able to share the decks with such great local talent.”

Check out his Blisspop Promo mix here!

Baronhawk Poitier Williams

Between his background in Dance, his success as a DJ, and the coolest name ever, Baronhawk Poitier Williams is a triple threat.

Williams started dancing when he was in high school and naturally his love for a groovy beat grew into a passion for DJing.  “My friends and I were always collecting music, competing with each other over who had the better popping tracks or the best bboy breaks,” Williams states. “I really enjoyed the way people reacted and responded to music that they liked, so what better way to continue doing that than through DJing?”

Now that he firmly has his feet on the ground as a local DJ, Williams is setting his sights on the stars. “I’m hoping my career will take me to different parts of the country, globe, galaxy, whichever.”

And it sounds like Williams is already on his way to a globetrotting career; he cites DJing the “Think Big Battle” in Copenhagen as his personal highlight so far: “A six hour set in a room full of open minded dancers REALLY allowed me to use as wide of a range as I wanted. I love an audience that can rock with me as I’m playing around with different atmospheres and rhythms.”

Check out his Soundcloud page here!