Category: Mental Notes

TAIPEI–Sheesh, it’s July! The following is a story penned by David about the Huashan incident, bunch of blown-up media sensationalism baloney that it was. Me? Well, back into int’l site development, this time with Germany for PaceBlade. Workin’ workin’ workin’. Shake that money maker. Yadda yadda yadda :)

A-Liang & friends,

Hi gang! Here is the story I wrote. It printed on Taiwan International Community Page (page 8) in Taiwan News on Saturday, June 29 “‘Slanderous’ accusations anger artists, expatriates” and in Macroview Weekly on Thursday July 4 “‘Ludicras’ ‘fiasco’ angers Huashan artists, expatriates”. Macroview Weekly is a weekly newspaper for “overseas Chinese youth” and it is distributed as part of a Chinese-language publication in Chinatowns across the U.S.

Viva La Huashan!

By David Schnell

Staff Reporter

Last week sudden and unexpected announcement at a press conference by DPP councilors Wang Shih-chien and Yan Sheng-guan that foreigners had “invaded” Huashan Arts District had members of both the international community and arts circles reeling in anger and disbelief.

At a small, but very vocal gathering of persons from the international community and local artists circles, the issue was discussed and it was concluded that statements made at the press conference and subsequent reports on Power News television and the “China Times Evening Post” were gushing with falsehoods, exaggerated claims and outrageous implications.

One person at the gathering, Tim Chang, who was at the “Huashan On Fire: Drum Party” said of the council member’s claims that “nothing could be further from the truth.” When asked to compare the Power News report of the party with his recollection, he related that the event was not a “drug paradise” as the report had claimed.

To the contrary, the activity was focused on communal music-making and dancing. He stated with certainty that the number of participants was less than 200, rather than the reported 300 to 400 people. There were no more than 50 foreigners present at the event, he added.

“When I got home, I thought to myself ‘that was exactly the kind of scene I had been looking since coming to Taiwan.’ It wasn’t at all how (the council members) described,” Chang said.

“This is just horrible!” exclaimed one of artists at the gathering. Asked why, he explained that some male participants had removed their shirts, not to be indecent as reported, but to gain some relief from the bonfire on a particularly hot night. He went on to say that the report intentionally did not mention the gender of the “topless” foreigners involved to imply overt sexual expression, rather than personal artistic expression.

The group later viewed the Power News report recorded from televisions and pointed out the editorial intent of Power News. One experienced reporter of a well-known international news magazine, Adam Connors, found no coincidence in Power News following the report with a police raid on a local pub.

“They are trying to further reinforce the association of Huashan with drugs with this line-up,” Connors said.

On a popular Web site for “Taiwan’s global community,” over 50 internet postings described the event as “tame” and decried the claims made by Wan and Yan as a “disturbing,” “ludicrous” “fiasco.”

The general consensus at the meeting and on the Internet was that there were no more than half of the number of people at the event that the council members claimed and that the proportion of foreigners was vastly exaggerated.

Now the foreign community and organizers at Huashan Arts District are not just asking for second opinion articles in the English-language press, they are demanding a retraction — in Chinese — by their detractors.

TAIPEI–Friday Peso come and gone, playlist follows. I’m going to stop taking the laptop to the bar as I’m frightened that it’s internals may be getting damaged by the smoke there. So, only Friday lists will be published here-on in. Also on watch: I’ve been quoted for a Taiwan News article by David about the hubbub over the Huahsin Arts District affair last weekend. More on that soon.

Peso playlist Friday June 28, 2002

Thermos Cardy – Motorhome

Teenage Fanclub – I Can’t Find My Way Home

Ween – Falling Out

Built to Spill – Alarmed

Yo La Tengo – Tears are in Your Eyes

Grandaddy – Go Progress Chrome

Underground Lovers – On and On and On

Baaba Maal – I Will Follow You

Red Snapper – Snapper

Rob D – Clubbed

Smoke City – Underwater Love

Turn On – Ru Tenone

T-Rex – Hot Love

Clinic – Second Foot Stomp

Stereolab – Analogue Rock

Nuyorican Soul – I’m The Back Gold Of The Sun

Squarepusher – 1

Nicolette – No Government

Kruder and Dorfmeister – Track 3

Fatboy Slim – Everybody Loves a Filter

The Herbaliser – It’s Just For You

Beastie Boys – Root Down

Propellorheads and Shirley Bassey – History Repeating

Super Furry Animals – Ymaelodi A’r Ymylon

Blur – People in Europe

Ride – Magical Spring

The Charlatans – I Never Want an Easy Life If Me and He Were Ever to Get There

My Bloody Valentine – When You Wake You’re Still in a Dream

Swervedriver – For Seeking Heat

Silver Sun – Julia

Drop City – Setting Sun

Jebediah – Spoil the Show

Fugazi – Do You Like Like Me

Adam Said Galore – Hiawatha

Sisters and Mary Chain – Tumbledown

Yo La Tengo – Little Honda

Deus – The Ideal Crash

Ladytron – Discotraxx

Kylie – Can’t Get You Out of My Head

The Breeders – No Aloha

Compulsion – Mail Monarchy

The Pixies – Tame

Primal Scream – Swastika Eyes

Leftfield – Phat Planet

[Next 3 by request, Nanji and Oah]

The Breeders – Grunggae

The Pixies – Subculture

Jebediah – Leaving Home (Live at the Wireless)

Q-Burns Abstract Message – Mess of Afros

Stereolab- Parsec

Lamb – Cotton Wool

Sounds of the Underground – Track 1

Groove Armada – Superstylin’

Squarepusher – 6 mixed with Sigor Ros – Avalon

St Germain – Rose Rouge (Spiller mix)

St Etienne – Pale Movie

Blondie – Call Me

Lush – Single Girl

That Dog – Never Say Never

Stone Roses – I Am the Resurrection

Blur – There’s No Other Way

The Charlatans – Jesus Hairdo

Sticky Rice – A Lu Ba

Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood (blah blah mix from album)

Kid Koala and Money Mark – Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Primal Scream and Dust Bros – Jailbird

Faye Wong – Track 1 from Ai comp.

Curve – Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus

Sheena Ringo – Track 3

Morcheeba – Trigger Hippy

Air – Sexy Boy

Radiohead- Idioteque

Spiderbait – When Fusion Ruled the Earth

Lamb – Sweet

Friendly- It’s There in Your Eyes

Blur – Coffee and Cigarettes

Pulp – Do You Remember the First Time?

Beauty 4 – Bang Bang Boom

Pizzicato 5 – It’s a Beautiful Day

Chen Ming-chang – The Last Train to SuAo

[Home, through frustration with the bar staff more than anything else]

TAIPEI–Ah yes, back in the sane house. Spent a lovely w’end in HK on Lamma with freakishly-good sunrises and sunsets. Got back to Taipei in time for DJ action – Peso playlist Sunday follows. Just sealed work with PaceBlade, alongside housemate Martinique and casual co-conspirator Bronwyn. Currently doing creative project work for Nu United for 3 days. More on this soon in MC&A channel.

Peso playlist Sunday June 23, 2002

Funki Porcini – Burge

Squarepusher – Tundra

Pulp – This is Hardcore

The Boo Radleys – Barney and Me

Teenage Fanclub – Star Sign

United Futures Organization – Good Luck Shore

Smoke City – Mr Gorgeous

Super Furry Animals – Ymaelodi A’r Ymylon

Kings of Convenience – Toxic Girl

Nina Gordon – Got Me Down

Smashing Pumpkins – Spaceboy

Coldplay – Yellow

Swervedriver – Son of Jaguar E

My Bloody Valentine – Lose My Breath

Medicine – Time Baby 3

The Charlatans – My Beautiful Friend

Kruder and Dorfmeister – Track 3

Duji – Be Careful What You Say

Basco – The Beat is Over

Cirrus – Break In

Psychodeliasmith – Give Me My Anger Back

Cut La Roc – Post Rock Progression

Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank

Kid Koala and Money Mark – Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Clinic – Second Foot Stomp

Stereolab – Analogue Rock

Uilab – St Elmo’s Fire (Spatio-dynamic)

Sounds of the Underground – Track 14

St Germain – Sure Thing (Todd Edwards mix)

Lamb – Sweet

Tricky – Excess

Bjork – Violently Happy (Massey mix)

Hooverphonic – Strange Effect

Belle and Sebastian – Slow Graffiti

Beta Band – Dry the Rain

Built to Spill – The Host

Dinosaur Jr – Never Bought It

[Homeward bound. Yay. Tired after HK flight.]

TAIPEI–Peso playlist Wedn follows. WABS: In Hong Kong Thurs Jun 20-Sun Jun 23. Phone +852.2982.4727, or on mobile +852.9174.4096.

Peso playlist Wednesday June 19, 2002

Sonic Youth – The Diamond Sea

Mogwai – Take Me Somewhere Nice

Built to Spill – You Are

Pale Saints – One Blue Hill

Luna – Fuzzy Wuzzy

Turn On (Stereolab and High Lamas) – Ru Tenone

Uilab (Ui and Stereolab) – St Elmo’s Fire

Boards of Canada – Aquarius

Moby – Natural Blues (Mike D mix)

Slide Five – KC Doppler

St Germain – La Groutte D’Or

Yellowgold – Track 3

PJ Harvey – C’mon Billy

Sigor Ros – Svefn-g-englar

Les Rhythmes Digitales – Kontact

Elliott Smith – Happiness

The Lemonheads – Buddy

Swervedriver – Duel

Swervedriver – Behind the Scenes of the Sounds and the Times

My Bloody Valentine – Slow

Lemon Jelly – In the Bath

[Reproduce again, some stage in the future, the following, and FUCKING RECORD IT. Remember to screw with SP]

Squarepusher – North Circular

Morcheeba – Dead Calm

Lamb – What Sound

Bjork – Track 2 Homogenic

DJ Krush – Four Elements/Yes to Life/Just Be Good to Me

Kinobe – Slip Into Something

Rae and Christian With Tezas – The Hush

Squarepusher – 6 mixed with Sigor Ros – Avalon

Outside – To Forgive But Not Forget

Red Snapper – Hot Flush (Sabres of Paradise mix)

Stereolab – Parsec

Stereolab – Come and Play in the Milky Night

The Pixies – Bird Dream of Olympus Mons

Ride – Crown of Creation

[Ends]

The Smiths – Girl Afraid

Pulp – Babies

Salt – So

That Dog – He’s Kissing Christian

Gorillaz – Re-hash

Beastie Boys – Sabrosa

Vampiros Lesbos Sexadelic Dance Party – The Lion and the Cobra

The Beta Band – Dry the Rain

Morcheeba – Tape Loop (Diabolical Bros mix)

TAIPEI–Back in Hong Kong for 3 days on the 20th-23rd to clean up various messes and hang on the Lamma pad. WABS: Lamma phone +852 2982 4727. Available for weddings, parties, anything. You may even see me down the Kowloon docks selling my butt re: financial strain. Gee, hope I have air miles on Star Alliance left to get home to TPE!

Peso playlist Sunday June 16, 2002

[A little miffed that Ireland lost in penalties. Instead powered by Bobby Fletcher’s inspired airing of the Dr Who theme on Saturday’s Out to Lunch that I heard on the Web @ RTRFM.]

Mogwai – New Paths to Helicon Pt 1

Inspiral Carpets – Plutoman

Sugarchild – Safe and Sound

Curve – Turkey Crossing

Massive Attack – Protection

Lush – Last Night

Swervedriver – Son of Jaguar E

The Charlatans – Come in Number 21

Humbug – Ignition

Sticky Rice – Paris Strawberry

Air – Remember

Jebediah – I Ran

The Stranglers – Skin Deep

Ween – Flutes of the Chi

Radiohead – Knives Out

Underground Lovers – On and On and On

Boss Hog – I Need You

David Holmes – 69 Police

United Futures Organization – Good Luck Shore

Handsome Boy Modeling School and Sensational – Torch Song Trilogy

Kid Kola and Money Mark – Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Jill Scott – Slowly, Surely

Sammy – Possibly Peking

Polvo – In This Life

Yo La Tengo – Moby Octopad

Nirvana – About a Girl

Primal Scream – Trip Inside This House

Boards of Canada – Aquarius

Ride – Crown of Creation

Teenage Fanclub – Can’t Feel My Soul

Built to Spill – Trimmed and Burning

Luna – I Hop

The Smiths – Shakespeare’s Sister

The Pixies – Nimrod’s Son

Super Furry Animals – Ymaelodi A’r Ymylon

The Lightening Seeds – Lucky You

Beta Band – Dry the Rain

Blur – People in Europe

Sheena Ringo – Track 3

Stereolab – Come and Play in the Milky Night

Radiohead – Paranoid Android

[Mac action latenitepeso3]