So far, crowds have been overwhelmingly receptive at Room 18, where he spins weekly as a resident DJ. "Taipei's developing a really diverse scene it seems. This is definitely a good place to be because the crowds are open to anything. You can tell things are changing fast." He said he's finding a lot of space to experiment with new mixes and work on funkier, jumpier sets that push the envelope as far was what's considered danceable at a Taipei club.
Taipei's also a good place to settle while he establishes his new label No. 5 Records and gets his live act China Chill off the ground.
"China's music industry isn't up to speed yet and piracy basically makes it impossible to turn a profit there. Taipei's where it's at, for now."
Though he's not making any promises, he expects to be around for a few years, doing his regular gigs at Room 18 and shuttling to a residency slot in Shanghai once a month with occasional shows in Europe and the US, while putting out CDs.
With so much on his plate and the paparazzi already chasing him down after he's been in town only six months, it will be interesting to see what he makes of his celebrity status in Taipei. "I'm going to try to break a new Asian electronica style and take it to the world." Those are bold words, but at least here in Taipei, we'll get an update every week.
Chozie plays tomorrow night at Deep and on most weekends at Room 18.
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