TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Sauna-like weather on Saturday (May 6) sent music fans scurrying underground for the air-conditioned, sonic comfort of Fat Head Music studio.
A one-off event was taking place where aspiring psychedelic bands performed in one of six music studios, while the entrance area hosted a record-listening event, with sofas for lounging.
A growing subset of Taiwan’s underground music scene includes psychedelic rock that subverts the established indie scene with quickly produced fanzines and performances at small venues.
Fanzines and flyers promote events in Taipei's psych music scene. (Taiwan News photo)
Taipei's local psychedelic music scene is gaining international attention, attracting a two-month visit by drummer and vocalist Go Kurosawa, founding member of Tokyo’s premier psychedelic band, Kikagaku Moyo. Kurosawa concluded his residency with a performance at FarEastStoned, playing with a local group of musicians collectively referred to as Concrete Heads.
“It’s a nice scene in Taipei. Everyone is very well connected and supported,” Kurosawa said before his performance. He noted that musical rehearsal spaces are the backbone of the DIY music scene as house parties are generally not allowed in Asia.
Fat Head Studio was filled with band stickers and graffiti on every inch of wall space. Such an environment was fitting for an emerging music scene that is just a few steps away from bigger clubs and greater public acclaim.
He noted a major distinction between Western psychedelic rock and Eastern psychedelic rock. Western psychedelic rock has its roots in the 1960s with acts like the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane, while a 1990's revival was brought about by San Francisco's Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Black Angels.
Eastern psychedelic rock, according to Kurosawa, is inspired by music played at temples and other traditional religious ceremonies. His interest in these sounds led him to Taiwan to collaborate with the Taiwanese brothers Mong Tong.
Mong Tong hosts a record listening party for upcoming LP release. (Taiwan News photo)
Mong Tong's Hom Yu (洪御) is a guitarist for the well-known experimental group, PrairieWWWW, while his brother Jiun Chi (郡崎) is the guitarist for Taiwan’s best-known psychedelic band, Dope Purple.
Their two-person collaboration as Mong Tong explores new sounds which fit Kurosawa’s record label, Guruguru Brain, and led to the upcoming album "Tao Fire” (道火). A special listening party was held in the music studio lobby, where the singers explained each song and answered audience questions.
Flyer for FarEastStoned. (Guruguru Brain Facebook image)
The duo's website says the album contains elements of gamelan music, phin guitar, tabla drums, and Taiwan sisomi. Samples from Taiwanese and Southeast Asian weddings, funerals, and celebrations have also been incorporated.
The songs from “Tao Fire” had the same quirky flow and feel as previous Mong Tong tracks. Hom Yu said he wanted to express local culture through sound.
FarEastStoned on Saturday. (Taiwan News photo)
When Kurosawa played in the largest of the six studio rooms, it was packed and a number of people had to enjoy the music from outside the studio.
The first song was a heavy dub tribute to Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon," while the second song gave off a dark psychedelic vibe similar to The Black Angels. The third track was a reggae riff based on the Taiwanese classic “Gao Shan Ching” (Always Together) and ended with a warm, dubby, downtempo jam.
