People were going to great lengths to get into Paul van Dyk's gig at Luxy last Friday. The Vinyl Word got its hand stamped to go in but quickly ducked outside for a bite. There, we ran into a friend standing by the door, eyes darting around the room.
"What's the stamp look like tonight?" he asked.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LUXY
"Like a little blue speaker that says Luxy."
He had a blue pen in hand and was hoping to copy the design on his wrist.
Sorry, friend, that trick still doesn't work.
Pity. He missed the best trance set the city has heard in two years -- almost to the day -- since van Dyk last rattled the rafters of Second Floor.
He stepped up to the same mixer Biggz had just used to get everyone's blood pumping, the same turntables, the same needles. But in van Dyk's hands the needles held a narcotic -- brimstone bass lines and celestial trebles.
Luxy was filled to fire-code and the crush of people in the Galleria meant dancing was restricted to head-bobbing, but the only folks who seemed to mind were the ones that Vinyl Word saw being carried off.
On the way out after van Dyk's set, we were handed a business card by some enterprising employee of dance club Purple. "Foreign nationals in Taiwan can bring 1 lady for free admission upon presenting their passports!!" it said.
"Just one lady?"
Yep. But the offer is good all through December, except Christmas and New Year's Eve.
And now to the mail bag and some choice cuts. Far from the maddening crowd in Taipei City, there were a few heads who took exception to an article a couple of weeks ago that basically said there wasn't much going on outside the capital city.
Gareth D'Jones lives in Taichung and DJs with Swank productions, so he has a fair idea of what's going on in Taiwan central. He said there were frequent parties but the big ones "haven't gone off too well ... I wouldn't say the scene is dead but rather scattered. In places like Sparc and Moon Island, it's not often busy until the early hours of the morning most nights."
Jones said he plays with the respected DJ Pierre on Saturdays at a small place called Oldies "where we usually play our deeper stuff. It's laid back and definitely a chance for folks to hear something a little different. On the same note, Declan (A100), Swank and myself are launching something new at Mash" next week.
Dubbed "Housecats," the music will be deeper, techier and slightly more underground, with a VIP visit from Trix. "Final word: A house music scene does exist outside of the gangster-oriented night clubs of Taichung," Jones said.
A man who should need no introduction, Felix the Housecat, is on tomorrow at Ministry of Sound; while AXD has Wonderland vs Kylie (dress as you please, please).
The pick of the week, however, will go to the ever-present Lim Qiong (林強), who will be hosting a free party under Huazhong Bridge in the park from 6pm in the evening until 12pm. DJ Zeus will get the party going, there will be some short films at 7pm, Stingray at 9pm, more short films and music, then Nylas feat. Punk Can to finish things off. Go to love4444@her-he.com or phone (0955) 666 740 if you need further information. But why would you? Just go.
May 18 to May 24 Pastor Yang Hsu’s (楊煦) congregation was shocked upon seeing the land he chose to build his orphanage. It was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the only way to access it was to cross a river by foot. The soil was poor due to runoff, and large rocks strewn across the plot prevented much from growing. In addition, there was no running water or electricity. But it was all Yang could afford. He and his Indigenous Atayal wife Lin Feng-ying (林鳳英) had already been caring for 24 orphans in their home, and they were in
On May 2, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), at a meeting in support of Taipei city councilors at party headquarters, compared President William Lai (賴清德) to Hitler. Chu claimed that unlike any other democracy worldwide in history, no other leader was rooting out opposing parties like Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). That his statements are wildly inaccurate was not the point. It was a rallying cry, not a history lesson. This was intentional to provoke the international diplomatic community into a response, which was promptly provided. Both the German and Israeli offices issued statements on Facebook
Even by the standards of Ukraine’s International Legion, which comprises volunteers from over 55 countries, Han has an unusual backstory. Born in Taichung, he grew up in Costa Rica — then one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — where a relative worked for the embassy. After attending an American international high school in San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, Han — who prefers to use only his given name for OPSEC (operations security) reasons — moved to the US in his teens. He attended Penn State University before returning to Taiwan to work in the semiconductor industry in Kaohsiung, where he
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday delivered an address marking the first anniversary of his presidency. In the speech, Lai affirmed Taiwan’s global role in technology, trade and security. He announced economic and national security initiatives, and emphasized democratic values and cross-party cooperation. The following is the full text of his speech: Yesterday, outside of Beida Elementary School in New Taipei City’s Sanxia District (三峽), there was a major traffic accident that, sadly, claimed several lives and resulted in multiple injuries. The Executive Yuan immediately formed a task force, and last night I personally visited the victims in hospital. Central government agencies and the
RSS