Fifteen years ago, DJ Dub C (real name Carlos Cerros), who headlines the Shine party along with Cross Cutz and ApeSh!t at 18TC tomorrow night, attended his first rave and had his mind blown. At the time, he did not know much about DJs or rave culture, but Dub C was in awe of two of the DJs who were working the effects buttons and basically getting the crowd going. Their mixing styles and interaction with the fans really left a big impression on him. It was not until later that night did Dub C realize that these two DJs, who he thought were just the best local DJs he had ever seen, were the legends John Digweed and Armin Van Buuren.
For many reasons, that rave had a profound effect on Dub C. It was a definitive point in his life because it made him want to get behind the decks and play dance music. At first, Dub C started with trance because that’s what everybody was playing in the main rooms back then. As time progressed, though, trance fell out of favor and now many club goers prefer hardstyle EDM or big room progressive house. So that’s what Dub C gives them. The artists he prefers to play now are W&W, R3hab, Vinai, Dyro and Hardwell, who all sit near the apex of the DJ Mag Top 100 list.
“Some DJs say less is more, but I say less is less,” said Dub C in an e-mail interview. “I really love doing live remixes when I DJ by using lots of effects on the mixer and timing everything right to make it sound the way I want it to sound. I do everything by ear and never make playlists. I love to keep my sets different every time and I think my fans like that, too,” he wrote.
Photo courtesy of Danny Chu
Tomorrow night, Dub C brings his glow-in-the-dark party, Shine, to 18TC in Taichung, making it the third city he has thrown this party in. Begun two years ago at Brickyard in Kaohsiung and then brought to The Armory in Tainan, Dub C encourages people who attend the event to buy cheap white shirts or tank tops at the local 7-Eleven and come to the party and paint themselves and their friends.
18TC will provide the glow-in-the-dark paint as well as the black lights so everything looks properly trippy. Painting friends is always a fun way to spend an evening, and painting strangers is a great way to break the ice with someone who looks interesting. Some Shine attendees even go all out and paint themselves from head to toe so it looks like an old school Busta Rhymes video come to life. The atmosphere at these Shine parties is always high energy, just like Dub C’s musical selections.
■ Shine, featuring DJs Dub C, Cross Cutz and ApeSh!t, takes place tomorrow night from 10:30pm to 4am at 18TC, 38 Dachuan St, Greater Taichung (台中市大川街38號). Admission is NT$400 for ladies and NT$600 for men, which includes a drink.
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