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The Vinyl Word

Kuta has been opened for a couple of months in the basement of a building across Anhe Road, opposite the Eslite Bookstore. The space has sat empty for the past few years, which is an odd thing considering it has what Donald Trump once succinctly described as "Location. Location. Location."

The space is giant and it's being shared with the Bali Bali spa and restaurant, a lavishly decorated enterprise that's supposed to whisk you on a virtual vacation to the Indonesian island. Sconce lighting, plush couches, an under-lit dance floor and booths draped in nylon mystery are much the same as you'll find at any other lounge.

But it's not the wallpaper that matters so much as the people that go there and two weeks ago Kuta was the site of a bumpin' drum and bass party that brought DJs Adora, Funkstar, Elements and Zion together with MC Beemer for a pretty raucous night. It was the first in a pair of Selective Sessions parties and has created good word-of-mouth for the second party tomorrow night, a breakbeats brouhaha that'll feature DJs P!tt, Kaoru, Edmund and Point. At NT$350 to get in, which includes a drink, it's a good bet for a Saturday night, B2, 29 Anhe Rd,Taipei. (北市安和路29號B2).

Pity the same cannot be said of Kuta during the week. They're asking nearly NT$600 from guys for the chance to watch the dance floor blink; the crowds just aren't there yet, and at that price they may not come at all unless Kuta offers something different.

Something different is what's desperately needed in Taipei's lounge and club scene. Luxy and Room 18 do well for offering variety; two venues under one roof. Lab is a cool new addition for its emphasis on experimentation. You can mix your own drinks and roll your own flavored smokes. But many of the others are all lounge and no laughs. Where are the Milks, where you need to know the "secret code" to get in, or the Whisky's, which started as a fictional lounge bar in a Hou Hsiou-hsien (侯孝賢) movie, then opened it's doors for real? The swanky establishments we have now are the hairballs that Taipei's coolest cats have coughed up.

Moving on, if you're tired of hearing hip-hop everywhere you go on Friday nights, Eden is putting house up for sale. Girls are free, and get to enjoy drink specials throughout the night. Guys pay NT$350 before midnight (which includes one drink) or NT$500 afterward (and get two drink tickets). The DJs are 006, Perry, Tiwi and guests. Perry and Tiwi lay down thick, juicy tracks and attract a lot of fresh, collegiate faces wherever they go. Tomorrow night at Eden is Deep Inside, also with 006, Taichung's Declan and Saucey.

Doc Martin is at Luxy's Lotus Room tomorrow night. He's been around the West Coast dance scene since 1986 and in all that time has managed to avoid being pigeonholed. He plays with Luxy's Reason. Tickets are NT$500 before the witching hour and NT$700 after.
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