Last summer saw a revival of warehouse-style parties in Taiwan and since winter is the new summer in Taipei, warm temperatures mean that outdoor parties are starting early this year. German deep house and techno mogul Move D, real-name David Moufang, helps kick off the season tomorrow night and the shakedown is happening at what has replaced The Wall (這牆) as the ultimate underground venue in Taipei, the Nangang Bottle Cap Factory (南港瓶蓋工廠).
Not a whole lot has changed for Moufang since he began experimenting with music in the late 80s. He is one of the very few who still plays strictly vinyl, and even the gear in his studio is that old, he says. He believes that new products can’t match the quality of their predecessors, and for this reason he’ll continue to play a lot of vintage tunes.
His ideology will reason well with hardcore vinyl fans tomorrow night, especially those who were around for initial blast of rave culture in the 90s. But don’t think Moufang is stuck in the past. He has progressed and evolved, yet managed to hang on to the essence of the 90s, which was to simply have a good time while listening to good music.
Photo courtesy of Marek Petraszek
But there is a forgotten essence too, or perhaps it is just unknown to the new generation of DJs. Nowadays, DJs are more often measured by how many people are losing their minds on the dance floor and less about what they are playing.
Moufang doesn’t care. He doesn’t need to see people freaking out in front of him, because the emphasis in house music is more on emotion. In fact, he says he doesn’t even need to see anything at all to know if the crowd is enjoying themselves. “I would even go further and say that you can even feel the vibes with a blindfold,” Moufang said in an interview.
What Moufang plays brings the tempo down from the clubs a lot, a style that would likely bore your typical club goer. But for those who seek intelligence in music, Moufang’s deep house and ambient techno will fit the bill. He attributes his success to authenticity, and believes that he has more loyal and dedicated fans now than he ever would have had faking a career. “Defying what everybody else does is a principal for me in deejaying, as well as in producing.”
Unlike top artists who go into a studio with a million dollar idea, and probably even a million dollars, what happens in Moufang’s studio is far from premeditated. “Thinking doesn’t play a role really. Whether it happens in the studio, or just with a guitar or piano, it’s a much more meditative state where the music just starts flowing. It’s a very intuitive thing.”
Ambient techno is best described as a form of aural art, as it’s been fused together with sounds inspired by our lives and the world around us. With the revival of techno over the last few years, Moufang’s sounds are fitting right in. In fact, he appeared on the illustrious Internet music show Boiler Room more than once last year. The seminal live stream music show broadcasts from around the world using a simple Web cam, allowing people watch the latest and best in electronica without ever having to buy a ticket. Featured DJs have been anyone from Radiohead front man Thom York to SBTRKT, and Sven Vath to Move D.
“The charm of it is something like the reincarnation of Soul Train, where the dancing crowd was equally as important as the actual artists. It’s just fun to watch beautiful and hip people doing their moves in a pseudo exhibitionist situation — and apparently a lot of people like to watch this.”
Moufang arrives in Taipei tomorrow after a gig in Shanghai, and while playing warehouse-style parties is quite common in Europe, he is especially looking forward to experiencing it in Asia. “I am very curious and looking forward to meeting people there and I hope that we can connect, but I’m sure we will because music is the universal language, apart from kitten pictures on the Internet, I’ve learned.”
Move D performs alongside Yoshi, Soundsquash, and MiniJay tomorrow from 10pm until 5am at the Nangang Bottle Cap Factory (南港瓶蓋工廠), 3-1 Nangang Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市南港路二段13-1號). Admission is NT$750. Tickets available at the door.
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