Scientific Sound Asia Presents Roots Saigon 2

Event Details

Scientific Sound Asia returned to Evita Bar in Thảo Điền for the next Saigon edition of Roots, continuing the concept after its successful introduction in Vietnam. The night again focused on Afrocentric, rhythmic and groove-led music, keeping the atmosphere warm, relaxed and centred on good records rather than a rigid club format.

The Saigon version had developed from the wider Roots concept already established through Scientific Sound Asia Radio and the Bicycle Corporation events in Taipei. Bringing it back to Evita allowed the idea to continue locally while giving it a distinctly Ho Chi Minh City identity.

Rather than restricting the programme to one genre, Roots explored the musical connections between Afrocentric rhythms, Funk, Disco, House and other groove-heavy sounds. The focus remained on percussion, basslines and records with enough warmth and swing to work equally well for attentive listening and dancing.

Evita Bar provided a suitable home for that approach with surroundings that encouraged a more intimate and easy-going night. The setting allowed the music to remain central without the pressure of a large-scale club production or a strict late-night dancefloor formula.

DJ Psycho-UK, also known as Bearhead, returned behind the decks for the Saigon edition. His set drew from a wide collection of Afrocentric and rhythm-focused music while connecting Roots with several decades of experience across underground DJ culture.

He began DJing at the age of fourteen in East London with a pair of Soundlab DLP1 turntables and a four-track mixer. Hip Hop formed one of the earliest foundations of his musical background before House, Acid House, Hardcore, Jungle and Drum and Bass expanded the range of styles entering his collection.

Those influences later became part of his wider work across radio, clubs, warehouse parties and underground events. Roots gave him an opportunity to step away from the heavier bass music often associated with his other sets and concentrate instead on warmer, groove-led selections.

The event was again played on the legendary Technics SL-1200 turntables, often described as the wheels of steel. Their use reinforced the connection with traditional DJ culture and kept the emphasis on manual mixing, physical records and the relationship between selector and dancefloor.

The Technics decks also fitted the musical direction because Roots was never intended to depend on elaborate performance technology. Strong selections, reliable turntables and a good sound system provided everything needed to let the records speak for themselves.

Afrocentric music remained central to the concept without becoming a narrowly defined category. Percussion-heavy records, Funk-influenced grooves, Disco rhythms and warmer forms of House Music could all appear within the same set when the connections between them felt natural.

That freedom gave DJ Psycho-UK room to explore parts of his collection that might not normally appear within a dedicated Hip Hop or Drum and Bass event. The result was a set built around rhythm first, allowing tempo and genre to shift without losing the identity of the night.

The second Saigon edition also continued Scientific Sound Asia’s wider history of presenting events across several underground styles. Previous nights in Ho Chi Minh City had covered Hip Hop, House, Drum and Bass, Jungle and other forms of club music, while Roots created space for the warmer musical foundations behind many of those genres.

That broader context helped distinguish the Saigon events from simply copying the Taipei format. The philosophy remained similar, but the local edition could develop according to Scientific Sound Asia’s own artists, venues and audience in Vietnam.

Evita’s relaxed environment also encouraged guests to listen closely rather than treating every record purely as a cue for peak-time dancing. Audiophile goodness, warm grooves and an unhurried atmosphere gave the evening a more social character while still leaving plenty of room for movement.

There was no dress code, keeping the event deliberately informal. Guests were invited simply to bring a good attitude, a smile and an interest in the music rather than worry about fitting a particular club image.

That attitude had become an important part of the Roots identity in both Taipei and Saigon. The concept relied on experienced selectors and strong music, but it remained welcoming rather than presenting underground knowledge as something exclusive.

Scientific Sound Asia’s wider platform continues to connect these events through its events programme, radio broadcasts, DJ agency and music news. The Saigon editions form part of that history by showing how a radio concept could move between different Asian cities while adapting to local venues and audiences.

Returning to Evita Bar allowed Roots Saigon to build on the first edition without overcomplicating the formula. DJ Psycho-UK once again took to the Technics SL-1200s with a broad selection of Afrocentric and rhythm-led music in surroundings designed for both listening and dancing.

The next Roots event in Saigon therefore continued exactly where the first had left off. Warm grooves, wheels of steel, a relaxed Thảo Điền setting and the simple request to bring a smile and a good attitude remained all that was needed.