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The Source 1 - 2 Roosevelt Road, Section 1

--By Mark Payne Translated by Charlie Shen

The Source has been well-known amongst Taipei's gay community for some time, but recently this place has been steadily building a solid reputation as a great place to party for people of all persuasions.

Located on Roosevelt Road, near Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, The Source is a three-floor venue that largely plays house, electronic and hip-hop music. The first floor is the main bar area, the second floor is where the party really happens and the third is a comfy chill-out area in case it's all getting a bit much for you.

Drinks are extremely competitively priced -- bottled beers run at NT$150, draughts NT$100 and cocktails will set you back NT$200. However, at weekends, when they hold their special parties, a cover charge of between NT$350-500 will usually allow you to drink all night for free!

But it's the parties that are really beginning to create a buzz around town. Rather than put a resident DJ in place and stick to a formula, The Source really mixes it up. Top local DJ's such as Marcus Aurelius, ScottyBaller, Adora, JRo and Fratzuki have all played sets at The Source. These guys are some of the more well-known foreign DJs who play the circuit around the city. They host their own parties and use The Source as a venue.

The club has also been running parties with a group called UltraCapacity. They are local DJs and VJs who play a selection of very funky house music and some dope hip hop.

In addition to this, they have also started a concept party at The Source called "Open Deck" as a way of finding and promoting fresh talent. Basically anyone that has some skills as a DJ, but hasn't had a lot of experience playing to crowds, can submit their name and demo to Species record store. They will then choose a selection of DJs from that list to play at the monthly parties. Now that's what I call going to the 'source.'

For a great venue with great drink offers and a funky and experimental approach to partying, I give you a mission: Seek out The Source!