The Vinyl Word

MC Sean has been in touch with his inner neopagan for some time now. PHOTO: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES

For a party with a neopagan twist, check out "Imbolc," which comes from the Irish imbolg -- "in the belly." Basically, it's an ancient pagan festival celebrated at the beginning of February that later became associated with classical Greek mythology's legend of Persephone and the coming of spring.

This year in Taipei it's being celebrated in Zhonghe, at Vortex Pub on 302, Yonghe Road (台北縣中和市永和路302號), a new venue for back-to-basics good food, music and DJs.

"This is the time when bulbs are sprouting and the days begin to lengthen. It is a time for preparation and renewal, for the light of the sun is now returning," said organizer MC Sean. The master of ceremonies, who describes the pub as womblike, said the place would appeal mainly to "Celts, other Aboriginals" and anyone looking for something different from city-center nightclubs, which he described as "spiritually vacant."

"My aim is to provide a venue that is an antidote to the spiritual wasteland of the big Taipei nightclub. ... It's going to be eclectic. I'm planting my seed now so we can harvest some big summer festival parties."

For the opening party there will be the band Medicine Pipe from Taichung and around midnight DJ Andrew Ford will be spinning into the late hours with a blend of trance and house. Tickets are NT$500.

Instead the Deep Inside show tomorrow at Eden, Trix is having a going-away party. He's off to Shanghai. Saucey and Trix will be playing tech and tribal back-to-back and the party is free.

Tonight "poet DJ" Hernan Cattaneo from Brazil is at Ministry of Sound. The "Bloom of Youth -- Eden" party will have "magic ribbons" and "dreamy, all-white looks" are preferred. We don't know what it means either. Who cares? He's a good DJ.

Tomorrow X-Direction the hugely influential and stylistically impeccable DJ Tiger will be laying out his wares with a best collection, voyage and free-CD giveaway. All night to 8am.

With Room 18 now closed for good, Taipei's night-life know-it-alls have been jabbering about what its proprietors might be doing next. The Vinyl Word has it from an inside source that they're planning on moving up in the world -- to the 85th floor of Taipei 101.

"That building has problems," our source said. "There's a lot of politics involved and right now there's nothing but empty space there. Nothing is going to happen until at least the end of the year."

In the meantime, our source tells us, the Room 18 proprietors are looking to reopen the Room 18 dance floor a couple doors down from its original location and will expand with a bar called 18 Lovers, which will focus on culture.

They have a partner in London, the owner of Milk and Honey, who'll be here to train bar staff and work on the look and feel of the new place. They're also partnering with a group of clubs in Japan to have a satellite video link and share DJs.

Look the new Room 18 and 18 Lover to happen after this year's Kenting spring weekend.

The forecast for the post-Chinese New Year weekend looks to be cool on Friday, Feb. 11, but warms up on Saturday, Feb. 12 with a series of pre-Valentine's Day parties. Club 70 will host a singles' night for Valentine hopefuls. Luxy will be pimping a Valentine's theme as well, with its Honey Party.

The Vinyl Word: Get in touch with your inner neopagan.