Round n’ Round with Rich Korach, SF’s Detroit ambassador – Interview by Chris Fricke

Rich Korach at Housepitality
Rich Korach at Housepitality

Personally speaking, Rich Korach first blew my mind at an AYLI party at the late compound in September 2010, he stole the show and instantly became one my favorite deejays. I am not alone, Rich usually leaves a memorable impression on those who get to see him ‘destroy it.’ Since then, he has acquired more and more recognition and high profile gigs in SF but also all around the US. Also since then, I have had the great pleasure to become buddies with Rich and enjoy his unique personality and quirky humor that only an expert deep techno-house dj and ex high school prom king from Detroit combination could be.

Rich Korach - High School Prom King
Rich Korach - High School Prom King

It is fair to say he is one of San Francisco’s fastest rising talents over the past year but hardly a newby to the game. Rich is a Detroit transplant who spent five years as a resident DJ with Paxahau (producers of the Detroit Electronic Music Festival) before moving to SF in 2008.  Since then he has become one of SF based AYLI’s main henchman resident deejays. Rich has been there done that as far as being a dj, he has played at Space – Ibiza, Weekend Club – Berlin, all over the U.S. and was even invited to tag team by the one and only Richie Hawtin at the Paxahau 7 Year Anniversary after party in 2005….

Richie Hawtin and Rich Korach tag team in 2005
Richie Hawtin and Rich Korach tag team at the Paxahau 7 year anniversary after party - 2005

So, yeah, Rich is NO ROOKIE. The only problem with all this great stuff just said about Mr. Korach is that we rarely get to see him headline a gig here at home, SO, we are absolutely proud to let him have his way with the magical dancefloor at Housepitality on Wednesday December 7th 2o11. The evening is hosted by Chris Fricke.

As a VERY VERY special treat to make this an even more AMAZING NIGHT, world acclaimed vocalist and producer QZEN of Permanent Vacation and Klasse will be in SF and agreed to open for Rich. This is a rare occasion for all of us and we look forward to having Rich under the spotlight with world class talent around him. Opening the evening is our honorable resident señor Fil Latorre.  In the slow groove lounge we have our other Housepitality residents Keith Kraft and Jamaika Suk delivering a blend of anything but house music beats to round out your mid week party experience. As usual Art Show and free champagne starts at 9pm, hand crafted bourbon, tequila and pisco cocktails by Kira Buck in the back, we got you! Get ready for another panty droppin’ evening at Housepitality.  – Miguel Solari

Mr. Rich Korach - photo by Micah Weiss
Mr. Rich Korach - photo by Micah Weiss

THE INTERVIEW:

With no further ado “Mr. Housepitality,” as they call him, Chris Fricke had a chance to interview Mr Korach. This is the serious discussion they had together:

CF: How does your hair style fit into your pursuit of music? Is it just your will for perfection or something we just can’t understand?
RK:hahaha…they’re pretty unrelated. But if i was forced to pick one thing they have in common i guess it would be “change”.  See this hair shit is pretty new for me.  I pretty much looked like an 18 year old up until about last January when I discovered I could grow facial hair.  and I guess one of the main reasons i’ve always wanted to dj rather than trying to actually make music is i have to be able to change it up quickly.  I’ve never had the attention span to sit and meticulously perfect loops for hours on end.  Im way to ADD for that currently.  Hopefully one day that changes.
CF: Who would be a better DJ… Ultimate Warrior or Macho Man Randy Savage?
RK: Without a doubt Macho Man Randy Savage…..The Ultimate Warrior is just a brute force lacking the precision and control necessary to properly dj.  OH YEAHHHHHHH!!!
CF: Tell us about being prom king. Are there any tips you can give to your fan base on becoming the king?
RK:being prom king is a state of mind brah…..haha jk.  So my day job threw an 80’s prom recently at the KOFY TV 20 dance studios.  Unknowingly my coworker rigged the prom king competition for me to win because I kept on joking around saying I was going to win it, and then i did.  My silver double breasted suit was definitely prom king worthy though 😉  As far as advice on  becoming the prom king I guess i would say “work hard and stay in school”.
CF: Imagine you are a Thundercat. What skill would you hone most to combat the evil wizard Mumm-Ra?
RK: I think lightning claws would be pretty awesome.  Then i could confuse the evil wizard with a fantastically wicked light show and kick him in the nuts.  Boom!
CF: I see that you are carrying a Paxahau keychain… could you tell us about that?
RK:I worked with Paxahau Event Productions in Detroit for about 5 years before moving out here to SF and joining up with AYLI.  I got to witness and be a part of some really cool things during that period in Detroit.  One of them was being the Merchandise Manager at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival for a few years in a row.  I helped guide the merchandise process from concept, development, production, and sales of all the official DEMF gear like t shirts, keychains, slipmats, stickers, and dj bags.  I keep the metal dye cut paxahau keychain as a reminder of all the awesome shit I was able to be a part of back when I was living in the D.  One memory that I’ll share was helping Dan Bell carry some of his extremely vintage and rare synthesizers up to the Hart Plaza main stage area so he could set up and do soundcheck at 10am in the morning for his first live show in 10 years.  I was so careful to NOT drop that fucking synthesizer!  And seeing him knock it out of the park when he performed that night was something I’ll never forget.  It was so awesome.
CF: There is a rumor going around that you might have other Paxahau decoration. Would you care to reveal? The fans want to know.
hahahaha…..back when i was helping produce all the festival gear our screenprinter made one pair of red paxahau boxers for me. I think they’re still the only pair of Paxahau boxers ever made.  They quickly became my game day underoo’s and up until very recently I would wear them every time I had a gig. It was a fun superstition  But i guess when it comes to underwear, you just have to retire them sometimes.  haha.
—————end of transmission———————
Enjoy Rich Korach’s mixes here:

Latest tracks by Rich Korach

“LIKE” Rich Korach on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/djrichkorach

Our Housepitality Facebook invite:

http://www.facebook.com/events/310797898945560/

——- The Deets ————-

Description

Michael Tello and Miguel Solari invite you to

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ H O U S E P I T A L I T Y ] ] ] ] ] ] ] – Hosted by Chris Fricke, feat San Francisco’s Detroit Ambassador:

Rich Korach (AYLI, Paxahau, SF-Detroit)

:::

FREE Champagne from 9pm-10pm and art show presented by Art Tease SF featuring: WoodRow
FREE before 11pm with RSVP at www.housepitalitysf.com/rsvp
Guestlist is FREE Before 11pm, $5 After (thanks for the support)

Main Room Support:

> > QZEN (Klasse, Permanent Vacation) – YES, she is opening for Rich.

> > Fil Latorre (Housepitality, Staple)

Slow Groove Lounge:

>> Keith Kraft

>> Jamaica Suk

Mixologist – KIRA BUCK – handmade pisco, tequila and bourbon cocktails.

Rich Korach’s bio – by Roxanne Tomco:

Rich Korach discovered underground electronic music in 1994, finally encountering the sound that would transform the rest of his life. Growing up just north of Detroit, Rich witnessed performances from some of the early pioneers of techno. Shortly after immersing himself in the underground warehouse scene in Detroit, he became an active DJ himself. The next decade included such highlights as: being a resident DJ for Detroit’s legendary production company, Paxahau, playing gigs at: the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (2005 and 2008), Space – Ibiza, Weekend Club – Berlin, and all across the U.S.  Rich even had an impromptu tag session with one of his musical heroes of the time, Richie Hawtin, in 2005.

In 2008, Rich moved to San Francisco to thwart the cold and live in one of the most diverse and beautiful cities in America. Since then, his performances in the Bay Area underground have caused quite the stir, resulting in a residency with promotions powerhouse As You Like It (AYLI) and a steadily increasing demand for performances.  He has played alongside a wealth of artists, including Tiger and Woods, Deniz Kurtel, Lee Burridge, Matthias Tanzmann, Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts, Walker Bernard, Christina Chatfield, Mike Huckaby, Steffi and Lee Curtiss – and that was just 2011.  To say Rich Korach’s sound is an instant classic is understood to those who’ve become converts to his shows. His is an insatiable appetite for the unexpected, which makes watching his next move upward and onward such a joy.

Rich Korach’s mixes:

World class acts, world class music. We got you! see you on the dancefloor!

Located at Icon Ultra Lounge
1192 Folsom St. at 8th St., SF

8pm-2am | 21+ | 3 Rooms
$5 before 11pm, $10 after
FREE before 11pm with RSVP at www.housepitalitysf.com/rsvp