As you know, we of the Basement take deep pride in featuring and illuminating West Coast talent that resonates with our taste and practice. Our guest that night, October 26th, was a prime example of this philosophy…

RICH A.B. hailed from the golden era of the San Francisco scene and had been dancing and playing music for over 25 years. He came up in the Bay Area punk rock scene in the early ’90s, where he began his search to collect rare records. His older brother was already a radio and party DJ and had opened RICH’s eyes to the art form of curating music for people and place. He dove quickly into the story arcs of the mixtape and disseminated his tapes into the SF community, but it was the confluence of destiny at the now-legendary Wicked Full Moon party at Bonny Dune in 1993 that seduced him directly into the West Coast rave scene. He was head over heels hooked and embedded himself in the culture of local music and dance. In 2016, from a new home base in SoCal, RICH co-created The Sound of Make Believe parties, which ran until the end of 2023. The S.O.M.B. happenings were founded upon the concept of breaking musical boundaries by way of a fully conceived and curated Klipschorn hi-fi sound system, influenced directly by the hero and legend, David Mancuso and the Loft. Stunningly, this approach had been a rarity in West Coast nightlife, and at The Basement, we immediately recognized a sister in S.O.M.B.

Behind the decks, RICH A.B. was a similarly comprehensive force, throwing cuts from all corners, crafted intently to always make the floor heave… We were absolutely eager to catch what this wise and studied selector procured for our Basement ears…

You joined us for our patented Halloween Special. As was tradition, the space was dressed to the nines in all its spooky glory… a fresh episode in haunted Basement hijinks awaited!!! It was an unforgettable night, and those who were there knew they had witnessed something truly special.