Early last Friday morning, it was announced that Prince had passed away. Sadness shot through my body recalling all the reasons why Prince was a performer in a league of his own. Purple Rain remains one of my favorite albums, and I still remember the scene where Apollonia purifies herself in Lake Minnetonka. Prince was the epitome of keeping it real. He always did what he wanted and lived his life in his own way. Rest in peace.
It only seems fitting that a legend died last week and this week brings the death of The Vinyl Word. Over these 17 years I’ve been in Taiwan, nearly 10 of them have been writing The Vinyl Word and being involved in the nightlife industry. I have learned many lessons, but one of the most important things is this: Always leave the dance floor better than when you started. When I compare Taiwan’s music scene from 17 years ago, I’d have to say it’s in a much better place than it was.
There is truly something for everyone in Taiwan. For many years, there wasn’t a weekend night where people were wondering over their limited options. Today, there are always two, three or four interesting events and the main problem is how to squeeze all the fun out of one night. The three parties that I will cover in this final Vinyl Word column are all part of Taiwan’s maturity into a mecca for nightlife. Special thanks to Jules Quartly, Steve Price, Ron Brownlow, Olivia Wycech, Noah Buchan, Joe Henley, Dana Ter and David Frazier for all the support, influence, passion, constructive criticism and advice over the years.
Photo courtesy of Jamie Mactography
ORGANIK
Most of the time, techno music is enjoyed in dank basement clubs without windows or much natural light. This weekend, Taiwan’s premier techno destination party, Organik festival, which happens tomorrow to Sunday, is the exact opposite. Techno in its various forms will be played all weekend in a lush garden on a cliff next to the ocean in Hualien. For techno fans, this is nirvana.
■ Smoke Machine presents Organik 2016, tomorrow from 10am to Sunday at 4pm at Huting (牛山呼庭), Hualien County, Shoufeng Hsiang, Shueilian Tsuen, Niushan, 39-5 (花蓮縣壽豐鄉水璉村牛山39-5號) . Tickets are NT$3,500.
TRAP WEEKEND IN TAIPEI
The opening sequence on TroyBoi’s biggest hit, Afterhours, has VJ Nina Sky singing hauntingly beautiful lyrics about her love for the parties that happen after the parties. Then, the break kicks in and the sound of 10,000 people rioting explodes into the song. It’s one of the hottest songs on the planet right now and it makes bodies tremble. This weekend, TroyBoi will be putting on a masterclass in trap tomorrow at the new Chess.
■ TroyBoi performs tomorrow from 10:30pm to 4:30am at Chess, 9F, 12, Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路12號9F). Admission is NT$1,000 and comes with two drinks.
DANCING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT
DJs Resident Soul (real name Paul Duffy) and Hi-Five (Michael Wald) are taking on a gargantuan challenge. By combining their promoting and deejaying skills and knowledge, they are opening The Beat.
“Musically, we’re not aiming to be either commercial or underground because both of those approaches are as limiting as each other,” Duffy said. “No going through the motions. Each night will have its own energy, its own special moments.”
■ The Grand Opening featuring Chamber, Puzzleman, Monoply, Resident Soul and Hi-Five is tomorrow from 10pm to 4am at The Beat, B2 27 Fuxing S Rd, Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市復興南路二段27號B2). Admission is NT$200 before 11pm and NT$300 after and comes with a drink.
On April 26, The Lancet published a letter from two doctors at Taichung-based China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) warning that “Taiwan’s Health Care System is on the Brink of Collapse.” The authors said that “Years of policy inaction and mismanagement of resources have led to the National Health Insurance system operating under unsustainable conditions.” The pushback was immediate. Errors in the paper were quickly identified and publicized, to discredit the authors (the hospital apologized). CNA reported that CMUH said the letter described Taiwan in 2021 as having 62 nurses per 10,000 people, when the correct number was 78 nurses per 10,000
As Donald Trump’s executive order in March led to the shuttering of Voice of America (VOA) — the global broadcaster whose roots date back to the fight against Nazi propaganda — he quickly attracted support from figures not used to aligning themselves with any US administration. Trump had ordered the US Agency for Global Media, the federal agency that funds VOA and other groups promoting independent journalism overseas, to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” The decision suddenly halted programming in 49 languages to more than 425 million people. In Moscow, Margarita Simonyan, the hardline editor-in-chief of the
Six weeks before I embarked on a research mission in Kyoto, I was sitting alone at a bar counter in Melbourne. Next to me, a woman was bragging loudly to a friend: She, too, was heading to Kyoto, I quickly discerned. Except her trip was in four months. And she’d just pulled an all-nighter booking restaurant reservations. As I snooped on the conversation, I broke out in a sweat, panicking because I’d yet to secure a single table. Then I remembered: Eating well in Japan is absolutely not something to lose sleep over. It’s true that the best-known institutions book up faster
Though the total area of Penghu isn’t that large, exploring all of it — including its numerous outlying islands — could easily take a couple of weeks. The most remote township accessible by road from Magong City (馬公市) is Siyu (西嶼鄉), and this place alone deserves at least two days to fully appreciate. Whether it’s beaches, architecture, museums, snacks, sunrises or sunsets that attract you, Siyu has something for everyone. Though only 5km from Magong by sea, no ferry service currently exists and it must be reached by a long circuitous route around the main island of Penghu, with the
RSS