In 1996, DJ Gabriell was stranded in a blackout at a seedy warehouse somewhere between Boston and Providence, armed with nothing but a suitcase of goth records, his last cigarette, and a half working turntable. As the storm howled outside, Gabriell lit his cigarette and began looping samples on PA system jacked from a funeral home. The walls shook. Shadows danced. A mysterious figure in velvet boots appeared from the dark and whispered, “Build the night.” When the power came back, Gabriell emerged with a vision: a dark haven of sound and style, a gathering of night creatures draped in lace and leather. And so Nokturnal was born.