On Saturday, May 25th, we welcomed another pair of legends into the fold of The Basement — figures whose histories in music run deep, wide, and unmistakably influential.

The Basement witnessed a moment nothing short of extraordinary — a night opened by the incomparable Asha Puthli, a living legend whose influence sweeps across continents, genres, and generations.

Asha stepped into our chamber with a grace that felt both regal and intimate, embodying the full force of a career that reshaped the sound of jazz, disco, avant-garde, and experimental soul. Few artists alive carry a legacy as vast — from her iconic work with Ornette Coleman to the European disco underground to the countless deep-cut recordings that DJs still treasure like rare artifacts.

Her voice — sultry, hypnotic, unmistakably hers — filled The Basement with a warmth and sensuality that bent the room in its direction. Every note carried history; every phrase held decades of artistic bravery. She performed early in the evening, before slipping away just before midnight, yet the imprint of her presence stayed with us long after she left the room.
For many, it was a dream made manifest.
One dancer captured the sentiment perfectly:
“Never in my lifetime did I think I’d stand feet away from the woman who taught me what sultry, sensual, and downright sexy truly is.”
Her visit was more than a performance — it was a blessing, a once-in-a-lifetime encounter that stitched a new thread into the fabric of The Basement.

After Asha departed, the evening transitioned into the capable, storied hands of Bill Brewster, one of the great historians and storytellers of dance culture, arrived with the quiet confidence of a man who has spent a lifetime behind the decks and inside the archives. Known worldwide for co-authoring Last Night a DJ Saved My Life and for his indispensable role in chronicling the lineage of DJs, clubs, and the sonic revolutions that shaped our world, Bill brought with him not only deep musical knowledge but a selector’s touch sharpened by decades across London, New York, and beyond.

His set at The Basement unfolded like a living anthology — a sequence of rare cuts, left-field choices, and soulful burners stitched together with the ease of a master narrator. Every transition felt like a page turning; every track felt like a footnote to some hidden chapter in dance-floor history. His presence grounded the evening with warmth and wit, reminding us why his voice in the culture remains so essential.

Together, they left a mark on The Basement that will echo for years to come.
With all our love and gratitude, we look back on this night as another herstoric chapter in The Basement’s story — one we shall remember, revisit, and revere.