14 發光的城市 A R O U N D T O W N FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010 • TAIPEI TIMES BY ALita RICKards MUSIC STOP The boys are back in town COMPILED BY CatHeriNE SHU he crowd watching Japanese math-funk band “When people asked him … he answered ‘No Zazen Boys perform at last year’s Music special idea in it, because it’s boring to care about op Stop readers will know blonde man outside the nightclub, Terminals outdoor concert in Taoyuan gave the this’ — I deeply relate to him in this.” that (吳建豪) has who offered him the baggie of Van Ness Wu Tband and lead vocalist and guitarist Mukai Shutoki He gives the example of a painter using a recently gotten very cozy with marijuana. Zhou said that the bag such a warm response that it more than made certain color on a canvas because it feels right and PGod. The Taiwanese-American cost him NT$2,000 and that all he up for the scorcher of a day: “It was very hot,” touches you, and said that the reason never comes heartthrob called on his new best wanted to do was go home, have said Shutoki. “The heavy sunshine made us feel to one’s mind but allows others to “decide freely.” friend for support last week when something to eat and drink and sunburned. The people surprised us, their passion Zazen Boys’ music is more aggressive and his production company became then “relax.” is as hot as the weather.” physical when they perform live, with heavy embroiled in a drug scandal. Wu TV producer (沈 Chen Yulin The eclectic, eccentric front man said that he beats and what Shutoki calls “illusory lyrics.” In hauled a copy of the Bible to a 玉琳) appeared to be on some- felt a “special passion” from the Taiwanese that has their first attempt to “challenge minimal house press conference where he and thing at his wedding last week, been missing in Tokyo for some time. The band, music” the band adds to it the “original style of Smash and Grab Productions but the only thing he was high which tours extensively, played to a packed crowd Zazen Boys” he said, which is based on math rock, (天地仁和電影公司) co-founder on was life ... or his 25-year-old of local youths who crowded to the stage and filled complex rhythms and extended improvisational (洪天祥) both denied wife (吳曉純), also Jimmy Hung Wu Hsiao-chun the field with dancing bodies. songs, with a newer synth-funk sound. any wrongdoing. known as Yaya (芽芽), who is 17 “We’re very happy that the audience feels free Self-described as a “weird Japanese rock band,” The trouble started when a years Chen’s junior. According to dancing to our beats,” said Shutoki, who returns Shutoki’s Zazen Boys rely on the fact that while police raid of the film company’s reports in the Apple Daily, 700 tomorrow for a show at Legacy. you may not know what their music is, you’ll know office uncovered a baggie of guests attended the lavish 81-table He envisions his avant-garde band, successor if you like it. marijuana in an employee’s banquet. Chen entertained the to his previous group Number Girl, as “Led belongings. Apple Daily described gathering with a failed attempt Zeppelin in kimonos” and labels their albums 29-year-old Chou Ichuan (周毅銓) at hula-hooping, some very moist in a similar fashion — numerically. The first PERFORMANCE noTES: as Wu’s “clingy assistant,” but Wu’s tongue wrestling with Wu and two albums were well-received but the third, manager insisted that her client had touching proclamations of love: which was more ambient, improvisational and only known the alleged pothead “[Wu’s] a good daughter, she takes WHAT: Zazen Boys experimental earned mixed reviews. In addition for one or two weeks. Chou’s three care of me, her bedroom kung-fu WHEN: Tomorrow at 8pm, doors at open to a slew of live albums, the band released a roommates were also arrested on skills [床上功夫] are excellent and, at 7pm fourth studio album in 2008 that features more charges related to drug trafficking. most importantly, she’ll never WHERE: Legacy Taipei, located at Huashan synthesizers and a funk edge. Hung and Wu appeared at a bash me on television!” 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall “A few years ago we started to make songs joint press conference after the The last part was a jab at (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City using a laptop,” said Shutoki, who likes to compose arrests. Despite being clad in Chen’s ex-girlfriend, television (台北市八德路一段1號) while touring. “The atmosphere in the hotel room black leather and sporting a tough- host (佩真), who he dated ADMISSION: NT$900 in advance (today) Peajen outside Tokyo is very lonely, so I could make some looking buzz cut, Wu appeared for eight years. The two climbed through Family Mart FamiPort kiosks, lonely sounds.” very pious — and, indeed, demure to the top ranks of show business NT$1,200 at the door He is evasive when asked to analyze or explain — as he clutched the Good Book. (or at least the top ranks of the DETAILS: For more information, e-mail what inspires him, referring instead to a response He dismissed rumors that he’d B-list) together before splitting that Japanese artist Ohtake Shinro made when [email protected] shaved his head to avoid a drugs up. Peajean has referred to Chen asked about his point of view on his art works: ON THE NET: www.legacy.com.tw test, saying that his new coif was on her talk show as a heartless for an independent film he shot two-timer. Nonetheless, she put in last month in the US. Both men an appearance at the banquet with Zazen Boys are all shades of funk. PHOTO COURTESY OF ZAZEN BOYS distanced themselves from Chou a NT$8,000 hongbao in hand, tell- and his alleged herbal remedy. ing reporters that she and Chen “I told him not to bring that kind remained good friends. BY ELVis ANBER of stuff to work and he said he Before the wedding, wouldn’t touch it again,” said Wu’s friends ribbed Chen CLUBBING Hung. “One of our employees by forcing him to enter made a mistake, it doesn’t mean the hotel in a pair of it has anything to do with the high heels and sing rest of the company.” while hula hooping One jump ahead Hung went on to (the toy fell kvetch about the police almost instantly, officers who’d searched crashing into a omorrow night’s edition of Club Cowed by routine police raids (Hong Smash and Grab, coffee table). Jump’s monthly Follow Me bash will Kong actor and singer William So (蘇永康) complaining that he’d At the banquet, revive some of the best tech house of was busted at the club in 2002 for taking been ordered to leave Chen praised Tthe past decade. Ecstasy, unleashing a torrent of moral the premises. “They Wu for her skill Fresh from parties in Kaohsiung and outrage in the vernacular press), the acted like we were at preparing Taichung over the Lunar New Year, venue closed in 2004, and then reopened all drug traffickers,” instant noodles. DJ Jimmy Chen (陳怡成) says he’ll play at a different location in the form of AXD. Hung wailed to The 700 guests, underground tunes, despite the mostly When AXD shut up shop in 2007, a new reporters, before adding who caused gay crowd’s penchant for the vocal management team renamed the venue that if urine samples a traffic jam prowess of mainstream artists. Club Jump and promoted it exclusively as could prove Hung and in front of the “Gay people are not into a gay club. Wu’s innocence, both reception venue, underground,” Chen said. “They prefer Follow Me is six years old and attracts men would be more than included semi- vocal divas. I don’t mind playing pop, but an international crowd. Promoted on happy to step up to celebs, such as I’m careful in what I choose. It has to be Fridae.com, Asia’s leading gay social the cup. actors Ma Kuo-hsien a good remix.” networking Web site, partygoers from According to Apple (馬國賢), Jonathan Chen says he longs for the days when Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Daily, Chou admitted to Chang (張克帆),Ding members of the gay community exhibited Singapore regularly attend the night. possessing marijuana but Guolin (丁國琳) and Riva a more nuanced and discriminating taste “I like that people come from all over insisted he didn’t sell it Zhang (張芳奕). TV host in music. to Jump, making it a more international (his roommates also say Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) was “Follow Me in the beginning played crowd,” says Chen. “No one wants to be they are innocent of the Chen’s best man and underground, progressive house. But the just local.” drug trafficking charges). joked during his speech gay scene has changed over the past two Joining Chen tomorrow night are DJs Jimmy Chen plays at Follow Me, one of Taiwan’s longest running club nights. PHOTO COURTESY OF JIMMY CHEN While being questioned that the groom’s father years,” Chen said. Tiger, Eric Chang and Stone. by police, Chou claimed was only interested in In the early noughties, TeXound, one Follow Me takes place the last he’d gotten drunk in the Ding’s cleavage. of Taipei’s more notorious underground Saturday of each month.