Leaving Taiwan can be a difficult thing. Reverse culture shock sets in and looking at everyone who is still in Taiwan’s Facebook community having fun causes a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out). Robi Roka (real name Rob Mallenzi), who returns to Taiwan this weekend by playing at 18TC tonight and Triangle tomorrow, always said he wanted to come back.
For the past year, Roka has been deejaying in clubs and pubs around London and even preforming at the odd Russian wedding or two. He has also been honing his production skills by making mash-ups as well as original music and releasing the tunes via Soundcloud. Now, Roka is back and ready to make an indelible mark on Taiwan’s music scene.
The highlights of Roka’s time in Taiwan before were when he helped arrange and promote drum and bass legends Andy C and DJ Hype. The show at Room 18 on Thursdays was a lesson in DJ wizardry as Andy C played three turntables and really smashed the crowd at a place not known for drum and bass.
Photo courtesy of Robi Roka
DJ Hype was another good experience for Roka, and now he wants to build on those successes with his promotional company, Urban Asia.
“Now that I’m back, I’m looking to play things differently. When I first started out in Taiwan I would say yes to every gig. Now, I’m looking at being more selective and working on bigger projects,” Roka said.
“Urban Asia’s goal will be to continue to bring talent from across the globe while bridging the gap between the East and West,” he added.
Roka’s time in England was not only spent gigging and staring at his computer, though. Like a sponge, he soaked in London’s musical energy, which has a dark side rare in Asia. People can expect to hear that London sound in his upcoming sets.
As for the length of his return, Roka answers in his notoriously cheeky way: “Somewhere between three months and 10 years.”
Love2Funk with Robi Roka, tonight from 10pm to 4am at 18TC, 38 Dachuan St, Taichung City (台中市大川街38號). Admission is NT$400 for ladies and NT$600 for men, which includes a drink. Syncopation is tomorrow night at Triangle from 10pm to 5am, 1, Yuman St, Taipei City (台北市玉門街1號). Admission is NT$300 and comes with a drink.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
A few months ago, the Vinyl Word did a profile on Kloud, a new open-air bar on the roof of the ATT4Fun building. Within weeks of that article, Kloud shut down and one of the final photographs was DJ Cross Cutz playing throwback tunes to a turned up crowd at a Taipei Paris Nights party with the 101 in the background.
Tomorrow, Cross Cutz (with his DJ partner Zulu as the Electrique Brothers) and Taipei Paris Nights return to the ATT4Fun building to celebrate craft beers at Brklyn.
■ Taipei Paris Nights present Beerfest, tomorrow night at Brklyn from 10pm to 2am, 6F, 12 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路12號6樓). Admission is free.
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