What would you get if cute little robots manufactured in China made babies with punk rockers? Possibly something that sounds like Dirt Star (土星人).
What would you get if you pulled the stars from the sky and listened to the music they made, then asked a madman to translate the lyrics? Possibly something that sounds like To a God Unknown.
And what would you get if you transported punks back in time to the early days of jazz? Possibly something that sounds like Blood Orange.
PHOTO: ALITA RICKARDS
This information is for those who are not looking for good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll, straight up punk rock or funky jazz music. This is for those people who like to hear utterly unique music.
Dirt Star (Ron Skinner) performs on this tour with Floaty Keith (Keith Saunders) on bass and Yen Hui (陳燕慧) on drums. “I like the idea of a democratic, utopian band thing, but I only stay in a city a couple [of] years before I leave again, so it’s hard,” he says.
He has solved the problem and come up with a bizarre, catchy, electronic-rock sound by programming all his tracks and manipulating them while he plays on stage. He built a controller box “so I can control all the beats and samples and can trigger parts of songs directly from my guitar.” And he engages his audience with banter in Chinese and bilingual lyrics.
Dirt Star, who lives in Shenzhen but studied at Beijing University and at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, credits his Mandarin fluency to “learning through KTV.”
To a God Unknown creates dreamy, dark, trippy soundscapes over which vocalist — singer would be a misnomer — Leon LaPointe orates, whispers and rants. It is a uniquely beautiful and sometimes haunting experience to hear them play live.
Blood Orange is a newcomer as a band, though two of its members are from defunct punk band The Deported, with Charles McHale from Public Radio on trumpet and Jubba Van Wyk of the Moneyshot Horns on drums. They play a chaotic, convoluted, cacophonic punk/jazz hybrid that would sound accidental if it weren’t for the tightness of their full stops.
“They are amazing. There is nothing like them on the island. Everyone is so hungry to see someone really into what they are doing,” said Public Radio bassist Thomas Squires.
Dirt Star plays with Sons of Homer tonight at Bliss at 9:15pm, and tomorrow at Vu Livehouse at 10pm. To a God Unknown and Blood Orange play tonight at Vu at 10pm. Cover is NT$300 with one drink at Vu Livehouse, which is located at B1, 77, Wuchang St Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市武昌街二段77號B1), and NT$200 at Bliss, which is located at 148, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段148號).
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