Tokyo party series Gan-Ban Night returns to Taipei tonight with its second installment, this time featuring Japanese electro-pop outfit the Dexpistols.
Maar (real name Kawano Masataka) and Daruma (real name Kitamura Norihisa) make up the Dexpistols. Before they combined forces both were widely known for their street fashion credentials. Daruma once headed the defunct fashion brand Roc Star, and now works as a fashion brand director. Besides deejaying, Maar is the in-store music director for the UK brand Topshop.
The two got together, dabbled in the music scene and before long they were playing Japan’s renowned Fuji Rock Festival.
Photo Ccourtesy of The Wall
“It was memorable to see the audience 100m away from the stage, jumping and screaming as hard as those in the front,” said Daruma.
The Dexpistols, whose name was inspired by the 1970s London punk rock band the Sex Pistols, have released four albums to date and are currently working on a fifth. They have also released a handful of remixes for illustrious international electro artists like Justice and Boys Noize.
“Our biggest accomplishment thus far was [our remix] for Sebastien Tellier called Divine,” said Maar. “The music was produced by Guy-Manuel from Daft Punk and then we collaborated indirectly on it.”
“It was especially memorable because we [later] shared a stage” with Daft Punk, added Daruma. The pair have also played alongside the renowned Parisian Ed Banger crew.
“We also did a remix of Grenade by Bruno Mars,” Maar said. “It’s going to be released at the end of May, but will be available exclusively in Japan.”
Outside of the studio, the Dexpistols are known for bringing a tremendous amount of energy to a gig, and sometimes spin six-hour sets.
“If you ever wanted to organize a DJ duo, you had better come check out the Dexpistols DJ set to see what are the characteristics of good chemistry between two people,” said Taipei native Mykal (林哲儀).
“A Dexpistols DJ set always inspires me because they know how to absorb brand new musical elements and combine them with old but good influences and music they really love to create an awesome party groove,” he said.
The Dexpistols were also the inspiration for a venture by another local favorite, Spykee Fat (金弘杰).
“[The] Dexpistols inspired me in many ways,” said Spykee. “In their early days, they did amazing combinations between rock and dance, and that’s one of the reasons I formed the duo Tomodachi in 2007.”
The Dexpistols play tonight at The Wall, B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Tickets are available in advance for NT$900 at The Wall, but admission at the door will run you NT$1,100. Mykal, FunkStar, Bounce Girlz, Discoattack, Freaky Squeaker and Swing Child are also on the bill.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern