The question on many punters lips last week was: "Why would a DJ like Mark Farina play at Room 18, and in the club's small, crowded bar area at that?" Despite reservations about the venue, which pales in comparison to other clubs such as London's Fabric and Ministry of Sound that Farina frequents, clubbers turned out in force.
Taipei's nightlife scene is, of course, incomparable to that of San Francisco, Los Angeles or London: after MoS died a death, Room 18 and Luxy dominate the billing for big-name DJs in the capital. And since Room 18 is the only club that's teamed up with Hinote record company (which owns Om, the label that Farina is closely associated with), it makes sense that Farina played at the upscale stalwart to promote his latest release, House of Om, instead of Luxy - which would have been a more suitable choice.
Boring club politics aside, most partygoers were just thrilled that the legendary West Coast house guru graced these shores with his presence.
The queue outside 18 Lover snaked round the block on the night, and the place was filled to bursting point by the time Farina went on at 1am. With such a tiny dance space, a/c overload and a thick haze of cigarette smoke, dancing became a bit of a challenge. However, Farina's super tight mixing and eclectic style, which included funky rhythms and a cappella, not only got bodies a wriggling and a writhing, it also transformed the sometimes weary looking DJ into a vigorous beat-master-at-work. His signature "hip house" (hip-hop influenced house) with bumpin' bass lines and drums clearly pleased the crowd. Avid admirers were able to stay close to the booth, glued to every single move that he made and some managed to snap a self-portrait with the down-to-earth star. It was a night of fantastic music, tainted only by the thought that Farina could have rocked the larger room next door.
Lastly, a scoop about Taipei's newest club, AgeHa (pronounced "ah-gay-ha"), which is taking over the premises of the now-defunct Champagne 3 (B1, 171 Songde Rd, Taipei, 台北市松德路171號B1). The latest edition to Taiwan's nightlife is holding a weekend of preview parties, beginning tonight with Japanese techno heavyweights Ken Ishii headlining and the Disco Twins. Tomorrow it's a hip-hop/reggae party featuring Kaori, Masterpiece Sound and
O-Ken. The bad news: both nights are invite only. It seems the PR-savvy organizers want to create a media buzz before they open the doors to the hoi polloi for the official opening, which features house DJ Emma from Tokyo, on Aug. 3.
The gigantic AgeHa club in Tokyo boasts one of the top sound systems in Japan, and its crew created quite a stir when they came to town last August for a party at Nankang 101, so hopefully the new mini branch will be a hit. For more information, visit www.ageha-taipei.com.
RSS