When you are a legendary DJ and producer, you don’t need to do promo because your body of work speaks for itself. Robert Hood, on the first stop of the Asian leg of his Omega World Tour, headlines The Wall (這牆) tonight.
DJ BB (Benoit Bouquin), an integral part of the Earworm (耳朵蟲) minimal techno parties in Taipei for the past two years, jumped at the chance to book Hood. In an e-mail interview Bouquin said: “I thought time had come to go back to our roots and do a proper techno party. Something dark, powerful and intense. Hood just fit perfectly into that frame. His music is, in my opinion, pretty much the definition of what techno is — a strong, stripped down and repetitive music that uses non-musical elements like blips, industrial sounds, and unidentifiable samples to create a powerful groove and deep emotions.”
In the last nine months, Diplo and Steve Aoki have been here twice, while other electro-ravers like Jack Beats and Atomic Hooligan have made the sojourn as well.
“This might be something of an unconscious reaction to the current electronic scene in Taiwan, which is dominated by a very banging and aggressive electro-rock sound. With all due respect to the artists playing this kind of music, I think there is now an escalation in this style of music leading to always more distortion, always more beat-mashing, always more intensity, which in my opinion comes at the expense of the music itself,” said Bouquin.
Hood and his machine gun music will be accompanied by a visual installation that includes lights and a transparent screen the size of the stage so the audience will feel visually and sonically immersed.
Robert Hood Omega World Tour with JJ, Blackbells and DataBass tonight from 11:30pm until 5am at The Wall (這牆), B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Tel: (02) 2930-0162. On the Net: www.the-wall.com.tw. Admission is NT$1,000 at the door.
On the other end of the rainbow, the Oasis and Havana pool parties at the Taipei Country Club (台北鄉村俱樂部) have been making bikinis wiggle with their well-attended parties on alternating weekends. Tomorrow, Speedos, banana hammocks and sausage smugglers will be out in full force and grooving around in the water at the Wonderland Foam Party (泳池泡沫) to the sounds of Jimmy Chen, T.T, Tiger, and Stone. Chen says it’s the annual gay party weekend in Taiwan so expect the pool to be crammed with visitors from Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Wonderland Foam Party tomorrow from 2pm until 10pm at the TK Farm Natural Springs Pool (淡江休閒農場礦泉游泳池), 96 Beitouzih Rd, Tamsui, Taipei County (台北縣淡水鎮北投子路96號), tel: (02) 2621-2450. Presale tickets are NT$600 and are available at Outlet, 181, Ln 20, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段20巷181號) or Cafe Dalida, 151 Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路151號). Admission is NT$800 at the door. A bus will be running every half hour to the venue from the Hongshulin MRT Station (紅樹林捷運站) on the Red Line.
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