The Vinyl Word

Marcus Aurelius. PHOTO: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES

Forget clubs for a weekend and imagine instead a free party on the beach, fresh air and salty tunes from 16 DJs and an MC, visuals courtesy of a VJ and the dawn rising over the Pacific Ocean.

Booty and the Beach takes place tomorrow night at Baishawan (白沙灣) in Taipei County, half an hour north of Danshui and is the pick of the week, despite the threat of bad weather in the wake of Typhoon Conson.

Marcus Aurelius and Jon Watson of Tensegrity promotions are starting to get a name for themselves with some imaginative productions -- which included their rollerskating, breakbeat disco show in Ximending -- and this one could be memorable, too.

On a weekday, Baishawan is a clean stretch of sand, with clear water that is a great place to unwind. On the weekend the crowds gather and the vendors pile up to give the place an atmosphere that is more continental than tropical: lots of paddlers, ice creams, umbrellas as shields from the sun and the wails of children.

Whatever with the typhoon, the event will go ahead, Aurelius says. "It's a go. If we can't do it on the beach we're gonna find an empty place we can hook the speakers into. Any way, we're gonna have fun."

The rollcall of DJs includes Aeleks, Audiomatik, Choyce Kutz, Dr. Who? and MC T-Train, Elements, Finni, Francis, Funkstar, KK, K-Fancy, Marcus Aurelius, Michaelphonic, Phil E. Blunt, Remedy, Sleezy E and Hooker, who is also know as Dominik Tyliszczak from Citizen Cain.

Hooker, as we will call him for now, is one of the pillars of the party scene in Taipei and has lent his speakers for the beach event. He is also one of the guys behind Sugar, at Luxy every Wednesday. DJs will be spinning "sweat house," Hooker says, the newest and rarest. It's free for ladies and free for guys before 10pm. Book a booth and you get a bottle of champagne, gratis.

Tonight Luxy, it's Ceelander 2, with a male model walk-off contest for NT$10,000 and Hong Kong turntable master Joel Lai, plus Saucey and SL. Next week we review Luxy trancemaster Joe Ho's debut CD.

Mark Pember, aka Meat katie is on tonight at Ministry of Sound; and Swank in Taichung is putting on Hot Shots at Club Sparc (formerly Rush) with the Connect DJs, a late-nighter until 7am, tomorrow.

The Vinyl Word: It's going to be frat-boy heaven with Blowin' into Summer at Partyroom (Living Mall, 12th floor) tomorrow, the latest hip-hop event of questionable taste. There will be "deepest throat" contests, "blowjob swallowing" races and free beer bongs. DJs Wayne, Analogue, Kill and Sam will provide the background music.

For your information:

What: Booty and the Beach
When: Saturday, June 12, 6pm to 10am
Where: Baishawan Beach
Directions: Take Highway 2 North for half an hour past Tanshui. Turn left at the sign for Baishawan Beach and go to the far end. Buses leave Danshui MRT every half an hour until 9.30 pm and then back from the beach at 6.30 am (NT$44).
Contact: (0955) 121 911 or (0939) 608 645.