The Basement Issue II - Spring 2022

Cover

ToC

meet the team

Piece of Fullerton - Gabriel Figueroa

As a student of Fullerton Junior College & Cal State Fullerton, I’ve had the pleasure to experience many places in Fullerton. Wether you wanted to go out, relax, meet someone- or even find yourself- Fullerton’s got a spot just for you. The following places are the small things that help make Fullerton the city that it is. If you’re a local or visitor, be sure to stop any some (or all) of the following!

HILL CREST PARK

Views of the entire city, rocks shooting water to the clouds, looping hills calling to be bombed by polyurethane & rubber wheels: Hill Crest Park is somewhere anyone- local or visitor, can make memories to last a life time.

A Stonewalk way leads to a spectacular waterfall the size of a little league baseball diamond- perfect to take that special someone or just need a minute to take things in.

Alongside is a 10 flight staircase that leads you to a breathtaking view showing the businesses in Fullerton, Fullerton college, Troy highschool & their stadiums. During the night-time natural forestry & city lights paint a breathtaking view. You will be tempted to grab a friend and get lost in one of the seven enormous grass lands, but if you get lost, you can always follow the pavement that leads you back to the entrances (just don’t go at night).

If you’re not a fan of walking & want to go on a nice drive, the park has a two-way lane that allows you to drive all around the park. Come stop by Hillcrest & make memories that last a lifetime.

1200 N Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92832

ZOMBIE DONUT & BAKE SHOP

802 E CHAPMAN AVE Ave, Fullerton,

Maple Bars with bacon bits, jelly filled donuts that look like eyes, blood dripping zombie glaze bars- whatever floats your coffin, Zombee Donuts is sure to have it. Marie Theodore & Vanessa Guillen opened Zombe Donut in 2014 & continue to deliver additional tasty options such as: Famous Eyeball, Rabies Babies, Black Widow, Coffin & Serial Killers. Not only do the donuts adopt the theme, but the shop does too! Blood splattered plaques, walls, zombie silhouettes, & coffins can be found all around the shop.

Their menu is constantly being adapted with new options that are just as creative & delicious as the formers. You can also make additional requests- check out their website to get even more of a taste!

200 N Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92832

The

Night Owl

has

been an iconic Coffee shop for both Fullerton college & Cal State Fullerton. They have open mic nights, poetry nights, live music showcases & performances. If your visit doesn’t engrave the place in your mind-than surely their brilliant marketing will. You can’t cross Harbor boulevard & Amerige avenue without seeing their gigantic Owl. You may walk in for a macaroon & a cappuccino but definitely stay for the entertainment & ambiance. So stop by & enjoy the open patio, inside seating, lounge area, live entertainment & delicious edibles and drinks - you can thank me later.

2495 E Chapman Ave, Fullerton, CA Programme Skate & Sound is a perfect go-to for any music and/or skate enthusiast. Found on State College & Chapman- you can pick up up skateboards, clothing, CD’s, cassettes, & vinyls. Their music has a nice variety ranging from Beastie Boys, AFI, Anthrax, Bee Gees, Billie Ellish, Cassie Veggies, Chicano Batman & many more. They also have music from Programmes own music label: Programme Sounds. They also have some artists play song exposes if youre interesting in finding new artists and experiencing them

125 W Santa Fe Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832 Christmas lights wrapping walls & ceilings like neon vines, a 1950’s car smashed through the entrance, beautifully lit patios & over 50 beers on tap. Their curly chili fries would make you become a regular alone. Need to take out your parents, that special someone, watch the game with your bro, or cut loose after finals? Look no further than Fullerton’s Heroes. Your call will be answered my friend. It also leads into the Socco district & the rest of downtown Fullerton in case you’re feeling extra adventurous.

323 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831 Looking to to lay low at a sunken bar & blow off steam?

Maybe pick up a new hobby like darts or pool? Like live music? want to watch the game or have a dinner that could include but is not limited too mac and cheese balls, super-SUPER nachos, Ribeye steak, street tacos / hot dogs and or salads (for yall who are on your health grind)? Then you should stop by Big’s located on North State College blvd. Its down the street from CSUF & has been giving Fullerton residents & visitors memories for over 22 years. Make sure you come & make yours.

1900 Associated Rd, Fullerton, CA 92831

Can’t decide whether you want to go to the desert, redwoods, or tropical forest? Look no further than the Fullerton Arboretum. The arArboretum boretum is home to over a thousand different flowers, vegetables, & wildlife. Admission is free but appreciate a $5 donation fee to help preserve it all.

We recommend stopping by if you want to have a little trip into the natural beauties of the earth & its greenery- courtesy of Cal State Fullerton of course.

Whether you like to admire nature’s beauty, or be a part in making your own- the arboretum is the place for you. They offer classes & workshops in: Bonsai trees, composting, culinary, medicinal & edible plants, photography & painting. Visit their website & plan a visit.

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music divider

music divider

World In Action

By Julio Reyes

House. Techno. Drum n Bass. Breakbeat. Trance. Hardcore.

These are all variations of the same thing. A droning combination of kicks, cymbals, claps and basslines. If you’re reading this you most likely fall into one of two categories, you either enjoy EDM or you don’t, and the die-hards are probably cringing at me even labeling it all electronic dance music. I feel that this music genre and its infinite sub genres have become more popular than ever, and we are really seeing the beginning of a musical renaissance within the genre. As a raver, DJ, and even now show host, I’ve come enjoy to watching and participating in this revolutionary movement of music.

In a weird way, great things can come from oppression!

elite” as in a select few people who control the outcomes of the world, but rather the societal mannerisms that we are expected to follow. ..

It is easy to fall between the lines or put labels on things, gate-keep as some might say. But really, at the end of the day, if you are the hell you want! Music and art have been the main victims to popular scrutiny, being labeled as wild, wrong, etc. But the people making these accusations are usually not risk takers, but rather to do, say, and eat, they don’t try to understand it and it’s not their fault. That’s just the world they were introduced to. Being hostile towards something because you don’t understand it is very dangerous, and it can be argued that having those people have a say in what we do, and I think this has hindered our progression. Take the jazz movement, (or rather black music in general) as an example, the same racially influenced social stigmas were used to create a negative connotation towards this culturally rich art and musical expression. No one understood it, no one cared to understand it, because the societal norm was different back then. It’s been only quite recent where we’ve been able to appreciate what these artist and musicians really did, they pushed boundaries and paved a way, for us.

This is like how EDM started, it was underground. It was raw.

Shows and parties thrown in abandoned buildings, warehouses and middle of nowhere, desert plots of land. A place to completely let go and express yourself without judgement of others. Of course, it had to be illegally done. Like blues and jazz, house music was created by black people, but popularized really by outcasts of society.

It started in the 80’s and has had some consistent growth throughout the years but it has always kept this element of its underground roots. It felt like a home to people, an equal ground for human connection, a place of love not of labels.

Colored, gay, trans, junkie, raver whatever label society gave you, in this space there was no judgement, just love. Again, this all started in the 80’s, a magical time if you didn’t fall into these categories, but with the rise of HIV, crack-cocaine, and heavy stigmas of homophobia and racism, society had really created a harmful environment in which these people were seen and treated in day-to-day society. Against the current and the social norm, these rave parties had to be hidden away in abandoned building/warehouses. To me, it almost seems very patriotic yet punk in the sense where it was made by the people, for the people. A chance to dance, vibe and create a human connection with people and embracing the truest form of themselves while revolting and protesting society’s rules. This may just be the story of one viewpoint on an art form but really, any truly influential art form could and has taken this position somewhere along the line of its evolution.

EDM in the world we live in today is different, in many ways its better, yet also worse.

It’s gotten much more popular that’s for sure, with companies like Live Nation and Insomniac bringing this music culture to a much larger platform globally. This is awesome, and I’ve enjoyed it greatly, but it’s not until I got into the Los Angeles underground rave scene that I truly started to understand the deeper meaning of it all, at least, what it meant to me. I’m kind of grateful that I’ve never really clicked or fit into one place because it has forced me to explore the new environments around. I met people from all walks of life, from vagabonds, drug dealers, to doctors and professors with Ph D’s in this scene. It has only made me realize that the stigmas and ideas that my parents taught me (and really, the ideas that the world taught my parents) were kind of bullshit to some extent. With every character I met along the way, I only realized how human they were, how much more we had in common than we had differences. We all went out of our way to come here because we wanted to escape for a bit, communicate and connect. Covid made that tough for everyone for the last few years, but the hidden parties never stopped. It can be argued that what we were doing was counterproductive or dangerous, but we tried our best to be smart and careful about it, and as risky as it was, we saw more risk in losing the human connection.

EDM in the world we live in today is different, in many ways its better, yet also worse. It’s gotten much more popular that’s for sure, with companies like Live Nation and Insomniac bringing this music culture to a much larger platform globally. This is awesome, and I’ve enjoyed it greatly, but it’s not until I got into the Los Angeles underground rave scene that I truly started to understand the deeper meaning of it all, at least, what it meant to me. I’m kind of grateful that I’ve never really clicked or fit into one place because it has forced me to explore the new environments around. I met people from all walks of life, from vagabonds, drug dealers, to doctors and professors with Ph D’s in this scene.

Of course, it’s not this perfect utopia, I’d be lying if I said that.

Yes, at moments drugs and substances take a seat along for a ride, for some people, but really those things would have always been there as a part of those peoples’ lives, music scene or not.

These are decisions people take for themselves, and their escapist habits can always be traced back to loss, trauma and hardship that they’ve witnessed, and these beautiful people are just going through it. I do not like how social media portrays the rave scene because it shows the same negative connotations that society showed towards past artforms.

They take one very small piece of it and blow it up to label it, and in this case it’s the drug use at some of these events that’s being used as of center of focus for it to be labeled as bad.

There are sometimes arguments, unpredictable people, and the places these events usually take place are sketchy. Allowing people to completely be themselves means you see the beautiful and ugly qualities of them, just like I’m sure I’ve shown my own. But as we come back and forth, we learn, and further understand why we do the things we do and accept that part of ourselves, and even perhaps work towards change. I kind of think about it like from a DJ perspective, every song is really a new obstacle that comes into our life, and with every transition into a new song is another shot or a new obstacle to overcome and grow. And, if you fail and shit all over the floor, you’ll have another opportunity tomorrow, hopefully the next song transition will be good. Right? Really, empathy is root of what this scene is about, the music, the connection. I am grateful for every good and bad experiences I’ve had, and I just hope that I can help collaborate and work towards paving a way for people to find themselves. It doesn’t even have to be through this music or this scene, in my case it just works for me. I just want a space for everyone to be loved and respected, just as some have shown me.

EDM tacks that’ve inspired me: Breathe - Camelphat

Don’t Leave Me - FJAAK Humble Hearts - Bambook

Ghost Voices – Virtual Self (Raito Old School mix) Stereotypes - DJOKO (Chicago Loop Remix) Lovelee Dae – Blaze (Bicep Remix) After Earth - Ben Bohmer

Run - I_O, Lights

Untitled Needs - Laurence Guy

Sad Machine Porter Robinson

You’ve Done Enough Gorgon City, DRAMA Seeds - Westseven

Make Do – Stanley Kubrix

Luxuria - Deadmau5 (Tinlicker Remix) Devoted to u – Folamour Simple Hit – Dombresky

Error 909 - Hot Since 82

Undercover – Lane 8 (Yotto Remix) Vocal Chords - Claude VonStroke Impression

Voyage - Weska - ANNA

I Want You - Yotto, Braev Never Enough - Matt Wills Show Me Love - Robin S

Monophobia - Deadmau5

Hot As You Want - Lane 8

Sex - Black Loops

Ode to Love - Tour Mahbourg Glue - Bicep

Stay With Me - Pryda

Come Together - Nox Vaghn, Marsh

Orville Peck: The New Cowboy in Town

By Andrew Torres

Rising star Orville Peck is taking country music by storm by creating his own untraditional path bringing new listeners to the popularly hated genre.

Pop-country and bro-country have turned off many country fans and have discouraged new listeners from exploring the genre. It does so by milking classic country tropes until they’re bone dry. This caused many people to stereotype that country is solely based around trucks, beer, and denim.

I fell into the category of people that would instantly dismiss country when people would ask what kind of music I would listen to. Hate for country is very surface level, supported by a mob mentality that makes it cool to hate on country. Orville Peck turned me into the person who can say I listen to everything, including country.

The masked cowboy takes inspiration from classic superstars such as Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. As a child, he was a big fan of westerns like the Lone Ranger and felt a connection to cowboy culture. He related to cowboys because they were rough around the edges and out of the mainstream.

The Lone Ranger was a big inspiration for Peck’s unique style that sets him apart from most country artists. Peck sports a leather fringe mask to compliment his one-of-a-kind outfits. The fringe mask conceals his identity, so you will never see him without the mask, almost like a western superhero.

Although Peck’s identity is somewhat a secret, he does not view himself as anonymous. There’s much speculation on who is behind the mask, but Peck has not

BEFORE THE BASEMENT...

ZINES. NOT EVEN ONCE.

RIOT GRRRL TAKEOVER

By Andrew Torres

Riot Grrrl is a feminist punk movement that started as a response to the sexism permeating the punk scene.The movement started in the 90’s with the creation of zines using a feminist lens that highlighted the hostility women faced in the punk scene. Zines are small do-it-yourself magazines popularized during the1970’s punk scene. Riot Grrrl zines included topics of sexism, domestic violence against women, female empowerment, gender, sexuality, etc. Bikini Kill, Jigsaw, Girl Germs, and Not Your Bitch are notable zines from this era.

The harsh and gritty aesthetic of punk music was thought to be too much for women in the scene with some arguing that girls can’t be punk. That led to punks taking the stage to create their ownsubgenre geared towards fighting the male dominated punk scene to make it more inclusive. Like riot grrrl zines, bands would talk about feminist themes in their songs and during their performances. Riot grrrl bands ensured their shows were a safe space for women to express themselves in a way they were not able to at “regular” punk shows. “All girls to the front! All boys be cool for once in your lives,” saidKathleen Hanna, lead singer of Bikini Kill. There were many instances of heckling at live shows which can be seen from recordings of live shows on YouTube. Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Sleater-Kiney, Huggy Bear, Heavens to Betsy,etc., are notable bands fromthe 90s.

Riot grrrl took the punk scene by storm and gained huge popularity in the Pacific Northwest, which is argued to be its place of origin. Unsurprisingly, the movement received much push back from men in the punk scene that perpetuated their sexist views. However, that did not stop the genre from spreading across the country and in spiring bands for generations.

FASHION

N DIVIDER

Honeybun’s Holy Grails

By Amanda Castro

A guide to some of my most sacred items in my life, from a certified material girl (aka I am a Taurus) My most sacred beauty products I have been using for years that still hold up: Kosas Super Creamy Brightening Concealer: A few years ago my favorite concealer by another brand was discontinued and I tried Kosas on a whim. I ended up loving it and have repurchased it way too many times. The coverage is amazing, it blends easily, it lasts all day and does not crease; what more could you ask for? I only use this concealer and hope it never gets discontinued, or else I will be lost again. From Sephora $28.00

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Liquid Blush (Matte Terracotta): My favorite beauty product by far is blush and Selena Gomez did not let me down when I discovered this product in a shopping friendzee. This blush is very pigmented and lasts all day. From Sephora $20.00

I don’t think there is any better food in the world than sushi. Honestly, I love fish so much I would be perfectly happy eating just sashimi, (aka plain fish, which pairs perfectly with soy sauce.) for the rest of my life. For a specific spot I would reccommend Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa (Multiple locations in Southern California.)

A Polco sticker Vaccine holder is a cute and smart way to carry your vaccine card while protecting it! If you're messy, but overly prepared like myself, and carry your vaccine card everywhere you go; you absolutely need a cute and protective holder for it. Bring it in your pocket or purse and have it ready to show at your next concert or favorite bar! @TinyMoonChildCo on Etsy, $9.99

What better way to make a long commute filled with traffic better?

Decorate the inside of your car!

Adding cute accessories like a Kirby air freshener make long drives a little more bearable.

From ahhgela.com $6.99 Both Polaroid cameras and disposables had their moments, but I believe the point-and-shoot deserves a bigger comeback. The Kodak M35 35mm is super cute and comes in a variety of colors!

Amazon $27.60 Urban Outfitters won my heart over with these strappy platform heels that are actually easy and comfortable to walk in! I have never found a pair of cute heels that are both stylish and comfortable, but these UO “Willow” heels are a must-have! I will be wearing them at every event until they fall apart. They also come in a lime green for those who are looking for a pop of color in their wardrobes. UO $69.00 Make every day your birthday when you wear this scent! This is one of my favorite scents. It’s like a sophisticated cupcake and I can’t get enough of this sweet, yet floral fragrance. The nose behind this fragrance is Marissa Zappas. Main accords: Vanilla, tuberose, honey, white floral, citrus, Top notes are Sugar, latex, Lemon and Heliotrope; middle notes are Cupcake, Whipped cream, Tuberose, Sugar and Rose Petals. $150 on Fragrantica.com Everyone needs at least one stuffed animal in their life and Jellycat has some of the cutest by far because they can double as decor or a cuddle-buddie. Below is the “Fabulous Fruit Strawberry!” $12.00 on Jellycat.com

List by titanradio

PATRON

THE BASEMENT FILM FAVORITES

A collection of favorite movies by The Basement Zine staff.

FILM D

DIVIDER

By: Kirsten Ochoa

Catalina Melgoza, Brown Sugar (2002) “This movie is a rom-com and takes place in New York City and the main character, Sidney, is a music journalist. Growing up I was introduced to early Hip-Hop and Rap music. My dad, who is a DJ and who was a former breaker in the 80s when Hip-Hop was just starting, introduced me to the Hip-Hop culture. I aspire to follow his footsteps as well as Sidney’s, plus I love the music and artists that are featured in the movie!”

Jack Pruitt, Girlfriends (1978) “I feel like the theme of my life right now is learning how to be alone and be comfortable with it. Also, I want Melanie Mayron’s hair in this movie. What an icon.”

Julio Reyes, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) “Really fell in love with the animation in this film. Hi-key cried when I watched it the first time. Really brings you to coming to terms with living life, growing, loss and all other aspects of reality that in time we will all face. It also kinda brought back the kid in me, teaching me not to worry so much. It’s all a leap of faith.”

Andrew Torres, Waves (2019) “I felt connected to the characters’ experiences and environment in this movie. The film covers familial struggles like violence and addiction while showing the importance and necessity of a loving family. The movie also includes tracks ‘LVL,’ ‘IFHY,’ and ‘Backseat Freestyle,’ which I listened to during a difficult time in my life.”

Abigail Vidauri Milan, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) “This classic horror film is an iconic emotional rollercoaster and defines my taste in films, and style. I love everything horror and spooky!.”

Brandon Walkley, Almost Famous (2000) “If I could inject a movie into my bloodstream, it would be this one. My passion for the things that I love is so profound, and I deeply admire how inspired these characters are to pursue their beautifully adventurous dreams. Gave me hope as a kid and it still does.”

POST-CO

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