The Vinyl word's omnipotent potential finally realized itself last Friday by attending both Kid Koala and DJ QBert's sets at Room 18 and Luxy, respectively. On a night predicted to present an impossible dilemma for among partygoers it turns out there were winners and losers. And more importantly, between two highly anticipated shows, one impressed, while the other depressed.
The Kid Koala show at Room 18 on Friday was easily the most spectacular display of scratching that's ever passed through Taipei. To put things in perspective, Kid Koala told the Vinyl Word that he'd brought 100 records for his set, which was supposed to last a little over an hour -- that comes to no more than 45 seconds per record.
A lot of the time, Kid Koala's turntables were turned off and he was spinning the records with his hands to get the speeds he wanted, sometimes moving the plate in reverse. The highlight of the show came when he put on a jazz percussion record and on a second turntable scratched out a beautiful jazz sax solo for what might have been five minutes. Jaws remained firmly on the floor until the last note, when the place erupted in applause. Hands down, the place to be last Friday was Room18.
PHOTO: MAX WOODWORTH, TAIPEI TIMES
At Luxy, an electrified crowd pumped on an energetic set by resident DJ Noodle greeted QBert by chanting his name and entertaining high expectations. QBert's QFO, a patented integrated turntable and mixer design, is a good-looking machine, but one that might be better suited for inside his living room and outside a dance club. An artist that admits his music is percussive, would have benefited from some more melody, more beat continuity and, to be completely honest, another turntable. QBert's scratching abilities, not to be mistaken, were impressive, but skill didn't make up for one-dimensional, obnoxiously choppy chicken-necking beats that lacked a flow and paled in comparison to Koala's complex combos.
Tonight, starting another big weekend, Luxy is hosting Chicago DJ Bad Boy Bill, who'll be shaking the Lotus room with the kind of Techno mixes you would expect from a DJ recently named BPM Magazine's "Favorite DJ of the Year." Lucky for us, we made the list for his Asian tour. DJ Baku will complement Bill in the Luxy Galleria room, a show that promises to be a Top-40 beat fest. Tickets are NT$400 before 11pm, NT$700 thereafter.
MOS presents a worthwhile Friday night alternative to Luxy with Australia's premier electronica act NuBreed. The three member crew, known for outrageously electrifying live performances, will be exploding eardrums with bone shaking beats. Tickets are NT$350 before 11pm, NT$800 thereafter.
Tomorrow, you may want to consider a road trip for the UK's DJ Guya and Irish DJ Ruffiness playing at Soundgarden in Taichung or to check out Jade, an outdoor party with Taipei nightclub regulars Saucey and Edmund teaming up with Taichung's Raibowarrior, Caddywamp and others. For information on Jade's venue and ticket price, check http://www.revevolution.com
Or, for some outdoor fun on the other side of the island, pop over to the beach at Dahsi for Thigh Tide, a free-admission celebration of David Hasselhoff's 52nd birthday. DJs K Fancy, Marcus Aurelius, J4, Hooker and more will be on hand for a night of house, hip hop and just about everything else.
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