The vast selection of CDs in each store (the Shida location has almost 10,000 albums, while the branch in The Wall has 6,000) is an obvious draw. White Wabbit stores also differentiate themselves by serving as gathering spots for Taipei’s indie music scene, says Wu.
“If we create a place to talk about music and connect with other fans, then we’ll be able to survive as a business, even though our customers will continue to download a lot of their music,” says Wu.
Building a sense of community has always been part of White Wabbit’s marketing strategy, down to its twee name and logo
(a floppy-eared bunny).
“When I started, everyone thought indie music was a serious thing that only smart people understood and that people who didn’t listen to it were stupid,” says KK. “I didn’t want people to be intimidated by us because they thought we were a bunch of music snobs, so I deliberately chose a cutesy name.”
In the eight years since White Wabbit opened, its customers have moved from buying folk and electronica albums to preferring post-rock, which is now its best-selling genre. Ambient music and pop records also move quickly. KK and Wu keep a close eye on what sells well in the stores to decide which bands to sign or import. Sometimes this means carrying fewer of their own favorites.
KK sighs in mock exasperation when asked which of her favorite groups don’t sell well in the stores (“So many!”). They include Japan’s OOIOO, the US’ RF & Lili de la Mora, Denmark’s Green Pitch, Iceland’s Leaves and Finland’s Oi Miten Suuria Voimia. Wu’s mixtape would comprise tracks from Canada’s Do Make Say Think, Japan’s Merzbow, Sweden’s ef and American minimalist composer Terry Riley. Though they’ve found fewer fans among White Wabbit’s customers, most of these groups are nonetheless represented in the stores.
In addition to new discoveries, White Wabbit’s browsers also have the chance to come face-to-face with a musician from one of the label’s top-selling bands, Windmill (風籟坊). Bassist DaiZi (戴子) works five days a week at the Shida store and acts as a music therapist of sorts.
“If a customer wants CD recommendations, I’ll ask them what their mood has been like recently and what they’ve been listening to. Or I’ll just think of something off the top of my head,” says DaiZi, who has collaborated with White Wabbit since she was a member of Bad Daughter.
“I never thought about finding another label,” she says. “I think what makes White Wabbit unique is that there is a sense of freedom here. Our logo is a rabbit, after all. We don’t dictate what people should listen to and the label doesn’t try to tell musicians who to be.”
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