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instep
exclusive
Underground utopia
The Basement is fast becoming a see and be seen sanctuary
for the young, restless, bold and beautiful of Karachi. Instep
looks back at one year of the Basement to see how exactly it became
all the rage
By Huma
Imtiaz
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It
created a definite buzz in Karachi. The Basement became a haven for
some, others didn't much care for it and there is still a legion out
there who haven't figured out exactly where it is yet. In a narrow
Zamzama alley, there is a little red carpet before a large, imposing
grey door. A narrow staircase leads down to the most talked about
'grey area' in the city.
Not only is the place a dingy grey, it is also difficult to figure
out what it is. The Basement is not a restaurant, neither is it a
coffee shop, though you can get snacks and finger food. It has the
best music in town and the live DJ nights are attracting electronica
buffs and providing a much needed platform for the disc jockeys of
Karachi. The Basement is one year old now and is still going strong.
On the anniversary, owner Shahbaz Sumar threw a party for patrons
and friends, who helped make The Basement a success. With the resounding
beat of music, candles and balloons strewn around it was a celebration
of an unlikely success story. Loyal clients who insist that the Basement
is their living room. And they were out in full force, grooving to
the |
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beat and having a grand time celebrating a place that is the next
best thing to home, and sometimes even better. |
Rewind: One year back
Karachiites see a new restaurant or cafe open every month. Yet, there
is nothing really different about them, in terms of menu, decor, and
the experience they offer. All that changed when the Basement opened
on January 1, 2006 the very first place of its kind in Karachi that
allowed visitors to experience an out-of-Pakistan experience. |
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When
one walks into the place, the first thing to strike the eye is the
decor. The interior sports an industrial feel, with stone grey walls
broken by illustrations and dim lighting. A plasma screen plays some
channel non stop, while tech house music blares from the sound system.
You walk into a dream lounge with your posse of friends.
Through swirling cigarette smoke one can see the good looking owner
Shahbaz Sumar flitting from one table to the other, with a well-worn
apron setting him apart from the crowd. The next second, one sees
him fiddling at the turn tables, and the Basement's walls reverberate
with funky music. He spends time with every customer in the place
and they are all unanimously charmed. Well spoken and welcoming, Shahbaz
himself is an essential part of the Basement experience.
Once you get to know him, you realise that Shahbaz's personality is
evident eveywhere.
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The
man
Shahbaz takes full responsibility for the decor, "The interior
was all done by me; most of the furniture was lying at my house. It
has a very industrial/incomplete feel to it. The murals were painted
by a signboard painter onto flex, I gave him the reference image and
he replicated them perfectly."
Having done a stint at a film school in Hampshire, Shahbaz's past
alias was DJ Baz*d and eclectic minimal tech house music was his forte.
Trying to escape the life of being an industrialist, Shahbaz initially
decided to open a record store and lounge called Vinyl Basement, but
then to make it legal, since the CDs he wanted to sell would be 'black
market items', his idea took the form of The Basement – a lounge
that served food along with turn tables to satiate the DJ in him.
There are, Shahbaz says, a lot of limitations since the lounge/club
scene is a very grey area, but he does want to concentrate more on
opening a vinyl store at the Basement in the future. |
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Juggling
his job as Director of Marketing at a major textile group along
with managing the Basement, Shahbaz has his hands full, yet he has
managed to bring in more additions at The Basement to attract a
wider range of clientele.
The difference
What really sets the Basement apart is the music. With the lack
of clubs in Pakistan, the tech house music that plays here brings
yuppie customers back. House music is getting an audience here thanks
to the internet, music channels, parties and raves. The Basement
takes house one step further in the local context. With established
contacts in Germany, UK, etc; Shahbaz had access to a lot of different
music, which was still relatively unknown to Basement's clientele.
And the hot and happening of Karachi definitely have a taste for
it.
On any regular night, one can rub shoulders with the media and fashion
elite of Pakistan and the rock stars of Pakistan, all friends of
Shahbaz. Album launches, video premieres, etc at the |
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Basement have also helped make the celebrity crowd a permanent part
of the clientele.
When a regular person sees the celebrities at the place, it makes
them wonder if the place is for the elite crowd only, or mildly put
is the place 'exclusive' in nature? Shahbaz dispels that notion. "Yes
it's exclusive, but we have a policy that we let everyone in at the
door. And those who don't feel comfortable here leave on their own,
we've had mullahs walk in here and leave immediately because they
can't relate to the place." |
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So what does one do at The Basement? Eating good food and listening
to great music can get monotonous. And in the land of the pure, the
true definition of a lounge cannot be explored fully. Hence, The Basement
is now fast turning into a center of activities of a different kind.
It helps provide a platform to the talented youth and give restless
Karachiites something to do on a muggy weeknight. Infinite Arts organizes
stand up comedy and musical performances every Thursday; the FIFA
World Cup season saw the Basement overflow with people, sipping on
fresh falsa juice and watching the games on the projector screen.
Events like these help attract the younger college crowd to add to
the more mature Basement regulars who drop in to have a cuppa and
hang out before heading home or meet up there before going to a party.
A new addition includes DJ nights when DJs like Faisal Baig, Shady
(Sheheryar Hyatt), Shakir, Adnan Reddy and Altimish Jiwa spin their
sounds. The wi-fi internet service ensures that workaholics can relax
and remain connected to the rest of the world. Last
and least... the food
The first thing that strikes one about the menu are the prices -
they're a bit on the high side, with no food item costing less than
200 rupees. However, the quality of the ingredients used makes up
for it. Shahbaz's experimental side is visible in the menu as well
with items like palak paneer and spicy prawn masala, which are served
with corn bread nachos. Desserts are also expensive, but then again,
the NY cheese cake IS flown in from New York. New additions on the
menu like the chicken pesto wrap and masala fries have jazzed up
the menu a bit, but one must keep in mind that they are snacks.
The Basement is NOT a restaurant.
"I've actually brought the prices down, and the drinks are
cheaper than any other restaurant on Zamzama by comparison, since
the drinks cater to the college/university crowd who can't shell
out the money for the food. The green sauce (habanero) is imported
from Mexico; the green tea comes from China!"
Focusing on less is more, the Basement stands out as an example
that something different can work in the entertainment starved city
of Karachi.
In a
nutshell
So what does The Basement really offer to its clientele? Shahbaz
categorically states, 'great food, great music. It's a different
place for different people. You never know who you'll meet. People
end up mingling between tables, there's a guaranteed okay crowd.
You will feel momentarily that you're not in Pakistan.'
To truly enjoy The Basement experience, one really needs to put
preconceived notions of restaurants and cafes out of their minds.
It already has a reputation of being a place to see and be seen,
but more importantly it is also a place to relax, disconnect from
the world and kick back to the electronic sounds.
With some spicy prawn masala of course.
The Basement
is located on 6-C, 4th Commercial Lane, Zamzama.
Photos by: Tapu Javeri and Fayyaz Ahmed |
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