Scientific Sound Asia presents Roots 9

Event Details

After an unforgettable run as a radio series on Scientific Sound Asia and eight successful live editions, Bicycle Corporation and Scientific Sound Asia returned to HAKU Taipei for the ninth edition of Roots. The night continued the established focus on Afrobeat, Nu Disco, Disco and Disco Re-Edits, bringing the warm and groove-led character of the programme back onto a Taipei dancefloor.

By the ninth edition, Roots had become a well-established club concept built around the musical partnership between Marco Mei and Murphy Kin. The format remained consistent from one event to the next while fresh records and different combinations kept each session distinct.

The series originally developed through Scientific Sound Asia Radio, where Bicycle Corporation used Roots to explore the warmer side of dance music. Afrobeat, Disco, Nu Disco, Funk, Soul and re-edits gave the programme a different identity from the harder House and Techno heard elsewhere in the wider Bicycle Corporation catalogue.

Italian DJ and producer Marco Mei returned with more than three decades of international experience behind the decks. Based in Taipei, his career had taken him across clubs and underground music scenes in Europe, Asia and beyond, with sets covering House, Deep House, Disco House, Nu Disco and Tech House.

Marco is also one half of Bicycle Corporation alongside Italian producer Stefano Ugliano, also known as 6884. While their production work has explored House and Techno, Marco’s broader DJ collection allowed Roots to move comfortably through Disco, Funk, Afro-influenced rhythms and modern club edits.

That musical range suited a night built around connections rather than strict genre divisions. An Afrobeat groove could move towards Funk, Disco could lead into House, and contemporary re-edits could bring older material into a modern club setting.

Disco remained one of the main foundations of the event because of its continuing influence on later dance music. Strong basslines, percussion, soulful vocals and extended arrangements gave both selectors a deep catalogue of records capable of working naturally alongside more recent productions.

Nu Disco provided a contemporary link with those older influences. Modern producers could borrow the warmth, rhythm and instrumentation of classic Disco while reshaping those elements for current DJ sets and club sound systems.

Disco Re-Edits added another layer by restructuring older recordings for the dancefloor. Longer introductions, extended instrumental passages and altered breaks gave familiar tracks new uses while preserving the musical character that made the originals effective.

Afrobeat widened the rhythmic direction further and gave Roots another important foundation beyond European and American Disco traditions. Layered percussion and repeated grooves connected naturally with Funk, Disco and House, making the style an essential part of the series.

Murphy Kin returned alongside Marco Mei with his own long history across House, Disco and regional club culture. Originally from Shanghai and later based in Taipei, he had become active through DJing, music curation, record-label work and independent events.

Also known as DJ Lucy, Murphy developed a broad musical approach rather than restricting himself to one electronic genre. His selections have drawn from Disco, House, Soul, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock and other styles depending on the room and occasion.

Within Roots, that wider background could be directed towards the warmer and more groove-focused areas of his collection. Older Disco could sit beside contemporary House, while Afrobeat, Funk and re-edits provided different routes through the night.

The partnership between Marco Mei and Murphy Kin had become one of the defining features of the event by this stage. They shared enough musical territory to keep the night coherent while their different backgrounds and record collections prevented the series from becoming repetitive.

HAKU Taipei remained the physical home of the club editions while Scientific Sound Asia retained the connection with the original radio series. The venue gave both selectors the opportunity to respond directly to the dancefloor while the broadcasts continued reaching listeners elsewhere in Asia and internationally.

That link between radio and events fitted naturally within Scientific Sound Asia’s wider activity. The platform now brings together its events, radio station, DJ agency and music news under the same underground music network.

By the ninth event, there was little need to change a formula that had already developed its own audience and identity. The attraction came from hearing Marco Mei and Murphy Kin continue digging through Afrobeat, Nu Disco, Disco and Re-Edits while finding new ways to connect those styles.

The invitation remained simple: dress cool, dress sassy, dance, feel free and bring a nice smile and attitude. That relaxed message suited a night where deep record collections and decades of experience were ultimately used for one purpose, keeping the dancefloor moving.

Roots 9 continued the format that had carried the series through eight previous editions at HAKU Taipei. Marco Mei and Murphy Kin once again brought together Afrobeat, Nu Disco, Disco and Disco Re-Edits for a night centred on warm rhythms, classic influences and groove.