In 2016, Insomniac — the company that built EDC into a 150,000-person spectacle — launched a deliberately small, deliberately underground brand called Factory 93. Named after the Factory Records-inflected spirit of early warehouse rave culture, it was a bet that the LA market had depth beyond festival headliners. Ten years later, that bet has paid off. Factory 93 is now the institutional backbone of LA's techno and house underground — the brand that brought Berghain residents to downtown LA and made Exchange LA a destination on the global circuit.
The Origin: Why Insomniac Went Underground
By 2015, Insomniac had established itself as the dominant force in large-scale electronic music events in California. EDC Las Vegas routinely sold out its 135,000+ capacity. But the company's founder Pasquale Rotella had grown up in the LA rave scene of the early 1990s — a world of warehouses, acid house, and deliberately anti-commercial underground parties. Factory 93 was, in part, an attempt to reconnect with that heritage.
The brand's name references Factory Records — the Manchester label that released Joy Division and New Order — and the number 93 is a nod to 1993, the peak of the California rave era. That historical consciousness distinguishes Factory 93 from most corporate attempts to capture underground credibility: the reference points are specific, sincere, and well-chosen.
Exchange LA: The Anchor Venue
Factory 93's partnership with Exchange LA — a 1,200-capacity venue in downtown Los Angeles housed in a former bank building — gave the brand a physical home that most promoters lack. Exchange LA's Funktion-One sound system, intimate layout and industrial-meets-Art Deco aesthetic made it legitimately competitive with underground European venues. The fact that a major promoter controls a venue of this quality is unusual; typically, underground promoters rent from independent venue operators, which limits production control.
Exchange LA hosts Factory 93 events regularly, alongside independent bookings. It's become the venue in LA where European techno artists play when they want a proper club experience rather than a festival set. Residents and touring artists from Berlin, Amsterdam and the UK have all used Exchange LA as their LA base — which in turn builds the venue's and the brand's reputation in global booking conversations.
The Booking Philosophy
Factory 93's booking criteria differs meaningfully from Insomniac's main brands. The artists tend to have strong European credibility — Resident Advisor charting, regular Berghain or fabric slots, respected releases on labels like Drumcode, Ostgut Ton, Kompakt or Pampa. The emphasis is on longevity and craft rather than immediate commercial profile.
Factory 93 in 2026
- 2016Factory 93 launches with a series of warehouse events in downtown LA, establishing its identity separate from Insomniac's main brands.
- 2018Partnership with Exchange LA deepens; the venue becomes the brand's de facto flagship club, hosting monthly events with European headliners.
- 2020–2021COVID hiatus; Factory 93 emerges with a renewed focus on outdoor events and expanded streaming content during the shutdown period.
- 2022–2023Return to full capacity; Factory 93 expands to occasional warehouse events at larger venues including the Los Angeles Convention Center and industrial spaces in Vernon and the Arts District.
- 2025–2026Factory 93 now produces events monthly at Exchange LA plus quarterly large-format events at alternative venues across LA County. July 2026 event confirmed at Exchange LA.
What Factory 93 Means for the Wider Scene
The existence of a well-funded, credibly-booked techno brand in LA raises the baseline for the entire scene. When artists like Adam Beyer, Charlotte de Witte or Ben Klock play Exchange LA under the Factory 93 banner, it normalizes that level of booking for LA audiences — and raises expectations that smaller, independent promoters then have to meet or position themselves against.
For emerging artists on the California circuit, Factory 93's presence is both an inspiration and a benchmark. Getting a Factory 93 opener slot is a meaningful credential. Being name-dropped in Factory 93 social content reaches a global audience that follows the brand specifically for underground-credible recommendations.
KEEPITIL Connects Artists to Bookers
Apply to join the KEEPITIL network and get your name in front of promoters across LA and Orange County.