Every autumn, southern Taiwan’s dance music fans gather at Tainan’s Masago Beach (馬沙溝) for one of the biggest nights of the year. But this year there have been two last-minute changes of venue. Organizer Spunite announced a week ago that this Mid-Autumn Festival weekend’s event would take place up north at Taipei County Exhibition Hall (台北縣工商展覽中心), and then we were told on Wednesday that it will be held at Luxy. The Vinyl Word sat down with Spunite’s director, Brian Tsai (蔡家緯), to find out what’s going on.
Vinyl Word: Why did you move the party to Taipei?
Brian Tsai: Bad press about the party last week was the main reason. Three articles in the China Daily News [Tainan’s major local paper] bashed our party last Thursday. And when we called the paper to protest, they told us that someone very powerful instigated the coverage, and then we were informed that we weren’t allowed to use the venue. That’s why we had to relocate at such short notice.
VW: What’s the lowdown on Masago?
BT: The first Masago was in 2002. I stumbled across the venue and decided to do a party there. Since then we’ve been doing it every year. The size of the party went from 400 attendees the first year to some 4,000 in 2005. We had Armin van Buuren in 2004. We had a hip-hop stage in 2005, but it didn’t quite work, so after that we decided to solely stick to electronic music. Besides Spring Scream in Kenting, Masago has been the only big outdoor party in the south, but I’m quite worried that the chance to party has been taken away.
VW: For the past few years, speculation has it that you were going to quit organizing the party.
BT: Every year there was something frustrating that made me want to give up. But I always found a solution. The other thing that’s keeping the party going is the help and support I receive from my friends. I’m very grateful to them.
VW: How do you select the DJs? Is there a theme?
BT: The majority of our supporters are into trance, so we always have a big trance act. Also, we try to find someone who other promoters are unlikely to book. This year we are hosting Egyptian DJ duo Aly & Fila [Aly Amr Fathalah and Fadi Wassef Naguib], young luminaries on DJmag’s Top 100 DJs chart. It wasn’t easy for them to come to Taiwan because the visa application process was very difficult, but we managed to take care of it. The other headliner is Shinichi Osawa [aka Mondo Grosso] from Japan. He’s famous for both disco house and indie dance. I want the music to be diverse, so Osawa is perfect.
In addition, there will be a string of local acts. Each specializes in different kinds of music, from house, breakbeat and drum ’n’ bass to techno, indie dance and trance. It’ll be like a musical trip.
(This interview has been edited and condensed.)
M9 (Masago 2009) is tomorrow from 10pm to 5am at Luxy, 5F, 201, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段201號5樓). Tickets are NT$1,000 at the door and NT$800 in advance (available today only). Admission includes two drinks. For a list of ticket outlets and the full lineup visit spunite.com/m9.
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