Comprised of Kuala Lumpur natives Blink (aka Lau Hoe Yin) and XU (aka Puah Kok Leong), Lapsap, which is Cantonese for “rubbish,” is anything but. With a passing resemblance to Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie, the pair cite Manchester United, Roger Federer and pork [see note at end] as three of their major influences, and have, in the space of three years, amassed a fan base they lovingly refer to as “Freaks.”
“To be honest, we don’t really care what the media think of us,” Blink said. “From the start it was all about the music and the attitude ... just go out and have straight-up fun. We’ve had problems with our name because ‘rubbish’ has a negative image, but once the media saw us getting [recognition], it didn’t matter.”
As solo DJs for the better part of a decade and as Lapsap for the past three years, Blink and XU have garnered an impressive list of accolades that include 2004’s Heineken sponsored Found@Thirst championship, 2007 and 2008’s “Best DJ” and 2008’s “Most Stylish DJ” from Juice Magazine and 2007’s “Men of the Year” from Clive Magazine. The pair were the first Malaysians to be invited to play at the Global Gathering electronic music festival in the UK, have shared the stage with an eclectic range of artists including 2manydjs, Brodinski, A-Trak, Jack Beats and Simian Mobile Disco, to name a few, and toured Asia and Australia several times.
What is it that sets a Lapsap night apart from the rest?
“We’ve never believed in playing one genre,” says Blink. “We like to play everything under the sun. As long as we think it will get people grooving, we’ll play it.”
With their career firmly on an upward trajectory, the future looks rosy.
“I think there’s another shift about to happen in club culture,” Blink says. “The whole rock ’n’ roll DJ thing is fading and what we’re hoping for is that an ‘Asian sound’ emerges. As one country it’ll be very tough to achieve, so we need to connect everyone in this region and start something. Taipei, we’re coming for you!”
Lapsap with Mykal (ER Discotheque) and Matty D (Swank) tonight from 10pm 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$500 at the door. On the Net: www.luxy-taipei.com
For more information on Lapsap, visit
www.myspace.com/wearelapsap
Correction: A mistake was introduced to the Vinyl Word in the editing process. Blink and XU didn't cite the Argentinean band Pork as inspiration. They actually said they were influenced by pork, as in the flesh of swine. The Taipei Times regrets the error and in no way meant to denigrate the importance of the meat to the musicians
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