2020 year-end mega-mix round-up

like many of you, most likely, i spent a lot more time at home in 2020 that in years past. this meant i had extra time to put together some sets of music for various radio programs around the world! while i promoted these on social media as they were broadcast, i realized i never linked them here for posterity, so here they are:

 

thai-khmer border music

for radio is a foreign country, originally broadcast on resonance 104.4 fm, london 4.28.2020

RADIO IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY · Thai-Khmer Border Music (RIAFC 028)

"a 60-minute mix of kantruem (modern and traditional), bilingual luk thung/molam, pop/rock and sound-truck music" 

 

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zudranglam radio 010/1

for zudrangma records / studio lam, bangkok, originally broadcast 5.4.2020

ZUDRANGMA RECORDS H.Q. · ZudRangLam Radio 010/1 : MonRakPlengThai With Peter Doolan [04.05.20] part1

"'modern traditional' music from mainland southeast asia, including thai liké/lae-luk thung, nang talung, lao/isan molam, malay joget & dikir hulu, khmer kantruem & mahori, burmese 'mono', and vietnamese cải lương"

 

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discostan x monrakplengthai 

for discostan on nts radio, originally broadcast 8.26.2020

Discostan · Discostan X Monrakplengthai

"an hour of music from bangkok's arab-malay scene. in these songs, we hear thai pop/rock sounds layered among rhythms, melodies and textures from throughout the muslim world. influences from malaysia, indonesia, egypt, lebanon, and india are all discernable in the mix. 

 

thai arab-malay acts had their heyday in the '70s and '80s entertaining cosmopolitan visitors from the ummah on "soi arab" (sukhumvit lane 3/1), and popular nightlife bands of the era have remained a staple at mosque fairs and other cultural events around the central provinces ever since. 

 

the selections in this set are primarily digitized from cassettes that were for sale at phrakhanong's yanavy tape & video or from various second-hand vendors around the capital."

phonsak songsaeng: hak sao ban phoen

artist: พรศักดิ์ ส่องแสง (phonsak songsaeng)
album: ฮักสาวบ้านเพิ่น (hak sao ban phoen)
tracklist:
01. ฮักสาวบ้านเพิ่น (hak sao ban phoen)
02. หนาวใจบ่น้อง (nao chai bo nong)
03. ฮักสาวฝั่งซ้าย (hak sao fang sai)
04. ปลายเดือนมือดำ (plai duean mue dam)
05. มันยังไม่สาย (man yang mai sai)
06. คนคือเฮา (khon khue hao)
07. รักสาวฮอริเดย์ (rak sao holiday)
08. เหมือนเดือนเคียงดาว (muean duean khiang dao)
09. หัวใจหล่น (hua chai lon)
10. ใจซื้อใจ (chai sue chai)
11. นิราศภูกระดึง (nirat phu kradueng)
12. สุขเถิดน้อง (suk thoet nong)

this week: another classic cassette from the amazing phonsak songsaeng! hailing from a farming family in udon thani, phonsak left school after grade 4 to help his parents in the field. after a short gig as a boxer, he formed his first band, champ isan, in 1981 at age 21. from his first album forward he enjoyed a string of huge hits.. this cassette from 1991 on siang siam's kritsanathep imprint features a surprising range of production styles, centering on a slightly more computerized sound than his previous tape featured here, but still quite first-rate luk thung isan (even some carabao-esque guitar leads at parts).. enjoy!

namphueng boribun: tham khwan nak

artist: น้ำผึ้ง บริบูรณ์ (namphueng boribun)
album: ทำขวัญนาค (tham khwan nak)
tracklist:
01. พ่อนาคแก้ว ตอน 1 (pho nak kaeo, pt. 1)
02. พ่อนาคแก้ว ตอน 2 (pho nak kaeo, pt. 2)
03. พ่อนาคแก้ว ตอน 3 (pho nak kaeo, pt. 3)
04. บวชก่อนเบียด (buat kon biat)
05. บวชแทนพระคุณพ่อแม่ (buat thaen phra khun pho mae)
06. นาคกำพร้า (nak kamphra)
07. สอนพ่อนาค ตอน 1 (son pho nak, pt. 1)
08. สอนพ่อนาค ตอน 2 (son pho nak, pt. 2)
09. สอนพ่อนาค ตอน 3 (son pho nak, pt. 3)
10. ทำขวัญนาค ตอน 1 (tham khwan nak, pt. 1)
11. ทำขวัญนาค ตอน 2 (tham khwan nak, pt. 2)
12. ทำขวัญนาค ตอน 3 (tham khwan nak, pt. 3)

this week, fantastic lae pop from namphueng boribun! namphueng was initially a luk thung singer in the famed boribun band, and partner to suang santi (a big rock-star of the scene). my understanding is that after his tragic death in a car accident, she turned to more traditional singing. she was famous as a mo tham khwan and would perform ceremonies to fix the soul to the body during major life events. one such event would of be buddhist ordinations, which brings us to this cassette! the recordings feature namphueng's speak-sing lae vocals atop an juncture of traditional piphat-style instrumentation and funk rhythm section. i recently stumbled across a similar collection shared over at the lola vandaag blog, be sure to check that one out as well.. enjoy!

withep kanthima: diao phin pia

artist: วิเทพ กันธิมา (withep kanthima)
album: เดี่ยวพิณเปี๊ยะ (diao phin pia)
tracklist:
01. สาวไหม (sao mai)
02. เงี้ยว (ngiao)
03. ปราสาทไหว (prasat wai)
04. ล่องน่าน (long nan)
05. อื่อ (ue)
06. น้อยใจยา (noi chai ya)
07. พม่า (phama)
08. ล่องแม่ปิง (long mae ping)
09. ฤๅษีหลงถ้ำ (ruesi long tham)
10. สร้อยเวียงพิงค์ (soi wiang phing)

this week's post marks the seventh in a series of cassettes gifted to us by educator cliff sloane, founder of asianclassicalmp3.org, a major influence behind this blog.

today's tape from cliff again features the talents of lanna artist withep kanthima! born in 1954, withep trained from a young age with his father in the local music of northeast thailand, studying a range of folk instruments and performance styles. aside from this paternal instruction, withep was also a student of chao sunthon na chiang mai, our previously featured performer from cliff's collection. like his teacher, withep made his name hand-crafting local instruments and instructing young musicians at the chiang mai college of dramatic arts, marking that institution's first hire of a folk musician, according to cliff. he passed away in 2006 at the age of 54^[1]. this fifth cassette comprises solo performances on the phin pia, a rather unique chest-resonated stick zither. enjoy!

khabuan mukda: march phitak santirat

 

artist: ขบวน มุกดา (khabuan mukda)
album: มาร์ชพิทักษ์สันติราษฎร์ (march phitak santirat)
tracklist:
01. มาร์ชพิทักษ์สันติราษฎร์ (march phitak santirat)
02. วีรชน 14 ตุลา (wirachon 14 tula)
03. มาร์ชลูกเสือ (march luk suea)
04. มาร์ชวชิราลงกรณ์ (march wachiralongkon)
05. มาร์ชประชาธิปไตย (march prachathipatai)
06. มาร์ชอาสารักษาดินแดน (march asa raksa din daen)
07. มาร์ชเฉลิมชาติ (march chaloem chat)
08. มาร์ชเหล่าแพทย์ (march lao phaet)
09. รัฐธรรมนูญ (ratthathammanun)
10. สยามานุสสติ (sayamanutsati)
11. สมเด็จพระราชินี (somdet phra rachini)
12. สารวัตรทหาร (sarawat thahan)
13. มาร์ชเทิดไทย (march thoet thai)
14. มาร์ชราชดำเนิน (march ratchadamnoen)
15. เกียรติลูกเสือ (kiat luk suea)
16. มาร์ชโรงเรียนตำรวจนครบาล (march rong rian tamruat nakhon ban)
17. มาร์ชค่ายสุรนารี (march khai suranari)
18. มาร์ชกองทัพบก (march kong thap bok)

this week, martial synthesizer sounds from "the son of p.m.", khabuan mukda! khabuan is best known for his outstanding organ work in the shadow bands of the '60s (p.m. pocket music, p.m. 7 jupiter, etc.) created by his adoptive father, the incomparable phayong mukda. in the '70s, while the the rest of the pocket music guys settled down as don sonrabiap's backing band (p.m. 5), khabuan apparently went off to do his own thing on the electone. while our previous solo record found khabuan taking on top pop hits of the day, the content of this tape is essentially "switched-on" (à la wendy carlos) versions of marches variously extolling the royal institution, armed services, and (paradoxically?) heroes of popular uprisings against those forces (see track 2: "the heroes of 14 october"). enjoy!

 

nang pathom ai-lukmi: klon sapphali huan 1

artist: หนังปฐม อ้ายลูกหมี (nang pathom ai-lukmi)
album: กลอนสรรพลีหวน ๑ (klon sapphali huan 1)
tracklist:
01. กลอนสรรพลีหวน ๑ ตอน 1 (klon sapphali huan 1, pt. 1)
02. กลอนสรรพลีหวน ๑ ตอน 2 (klon sapphali huan 1, pt. 2)

this week, music from southern thailand's shadow-puppet theatre! our puppet-master today is the great nang pathom ai-lukmi, whom we sadly lost in 2018. his troupe was the first to tour nang talung in a "concert"-style, during his 40-plus years of performing and teaching¹. this tape, recorded in 1991, contains the story "sapphali huan", a rather ribald anonymous poem of the nakhon si thammarat area, dating from the 17 or 1800s. delivered with a speak-singing style in the southern dialect, backed by clappers, cymbals, and boxed-gongs, in between bursts of larger ensemble music led by the pi nok reed oboe. enjoy!

 

saiyon & phaengsi: siang phin sang sao

artist(s): สายยนต์ + แพงศรี (saiyon & phaengsi)
album: เสียงพิณสั่งสาว (siang phin sang sao)
tracklist:
01. เสียงพิณสั่งสาว (siang phin sang sao)
02. ซิ่งคักคัก (sing khak khak)
03. แมมโบ้ลำซิ่ง (mambo lam sing)
04. ซิ่งวาตูซี่ (sing watusi)
05. อยากมีแฟน (yak mi faen)
06. คนสวยอย่าซัง (khon suai ya sang)
07. หนุ่มอุบลฯ สาวอุดรฯ (num ubon, sao udon)
08. หนุ่มลำปางสาวลำชี (num lampang, sao lam chi)
09. หัวใจซิ่ง (hua chai sing)
10. โสดซิงซิง (sot sing sing)
11. เจ้าซิกอดหยัง (chao si kot yang)
12. สาวเมืองหล่ม-หนุ่มเมืองเลย (sao mueang lom, num mueang loei)

this week, early lam sing with saiyon & phaengsi! unfortunately, i haven't been able to find out a great deal about our singers (saiyon chit-tham and phaengsi munkaeo) or the producer listed (rung mueangrat), but i would assume they're from ubon, being signed to warin's seri tape. the music i'd be tempted to place early in the history of lam sing, conspicuously "modernized" as it is, with nods to international dance crazes like the mambo and watusi, as well as the lyrical preoccupation with describing the genre lam sing itself. anyhow, it's great, full-band style molam pop.. enjoy!

butsaya rangsi: nam ta dao

artist: บุษยา รังสี (butsaya rangsi)
album: น้ำตาดาว (nam ta dao)
tracklist:
01. น้ำตาดาว (nam ta dao)
02. ฝากรัก (fak rak)
03. พอกันที (pho kan thi)
04. กระซิบสวาท (krasip sawat)
05. หนองบัว (nong bua)
06. กล่อมวนา (klom wana)
07. ใกล้มือคว้า (klai mue khwa)
08. พรานรัก (phran rak)
09. สุดแท้แต่จะให้ (sut thae tae cha hai)
10. ฝนหยาดสุดท้าย (fon yat sut thai)
11. สั่งไทร (sang sai)
12. มัทรีร้องไห้ (matri rong hai)
13. ถิ่นไทยงาม (thin thai ngam)
14. ฉันไม่ชอบเดือนหงาย (chan mai chop duean ngai)
15. จากรัก (chak rak)
16. ฝากหมอน (fak mon)

this week, the bangkok big-band sound with butsaya rangsi! butsaya, of songkhla province in southern thailand, came to the capital to study at thammasat university, and joined a number of singing groups at schools and radio stations around the old city. she eventually joined the government public relations department band (later suntharaphon) and had a number of luk krung hits through the '60s, all while working her day job as a civil servant for various government agencies¹. she lived for several years in myanmar (burma) with her husband who was the navy attaché to the royal thai embassy in yangon². upon returning to thailand, she continued performing occasionally, until her health began to prevent her in the mid-90s, and she passed away in 2010. this cassette features some of her most memorable songs, in re-performances which seem to date from the 1970s. enjoy!

tik shiro: cho chaiyo

artist: ติ๊ก ชิโร่ (tik shiro)

album: โชะ ไชโย (cho chaiyo)
tracklist:
01. ไชโย (chaiyo)
02. อย่าทำเป็นเห็นใจ (ya tham pen hen chai)
03. ออกมาเต้น (ok ma ten)
04. มนุษย์ค้างคาว (manut khang khao)
05. ปล่อยเขาไป (ploi khao pai)
06. ทุนน้อย (thun noi)
07. หัวใจดีเด่น (hua chai di den)
08. อย่าไปคิด (ya pai khit)
09. มีเล็กน้อย (mi lek noi)
10. ยอมรับคนเดียว (yom rap khon diao)

this week, a classic '90s throwback! tik shiro (born manatsawin nanthasen) of khorat, got his start in high school as a drummer, moving between string-style groups in his hometown and khon kaen, until one (celebration) got picked up to back chanthana kitiyaphan, who brought them to bangkok. he then joined ploy, who performed behind the early grammy stars like chae danuphon and rewat phutthinan, before finally breaking out as a solo act. this cassette was his first album, released 1990, for n.t. promotion. besides spawning a number of hits that still get radio play today, tik also made a big splash for writing/arranging most of his own material (and performing vocals, 12-string, synth bass, drums and keyboards, as well!), which was apparently a bit novel for stars of the time. enjoy!

rock salaeng: king kue tok sang

artist: ร็อคแสลง (rock salaeng)

album: กิ้งกือตกส่าง (king kue tok sang)
tracklist:
01. กิ้งกือตกส่าง (king kue tok sang)
02. หัวใจหมาวัด (hua chai ma wat)
03. อยากมีเมีย (yak mi mia)
04. คอยพี่ที่งานกาชาด (khoi phi thi ngan kachat)
05. มอเตอร์ไซค์ฮ่าง (motorcy' hang)
06. นักร้องคาเฟ่ (nak rong café)
07. น้ำตาคาราโอเกะ (nam ta karaoke)
08. มนุษย์เงินเดือน (manut ngoen duean)
09. สาวอุบลบ่สะออน (sao ubon bo sa-on)
10. งานบุญ (ngan bun)

this week, classic rock isan-style northeastern pop! rock salaeng was a project of teacher(/songwriter/producer) sanyalak donsi of ban salaeng thon school in buriram¹. the group was assembled from his former students and pitched to topline-diamond records as one of many rock isan groups formed in the late '90s, following the runaway success of thai-khmer band rock khong khoi (see also: rock ah-yah, rock sadaeo, rock sadoet, etc.). this cassette from 2000 features their surprise smash "motorcy' hang" (sung by choet, who we sadly lost last year) alongside a mix of lesser-known numbers, and also happens to feature future star-producer sawat sarakham on guitar, phin and bass. enjoy!

khana so sai thara chiang mai: dontri so

artist: คณะ ซอสายธารา เชียงใหม่ (khana so sai thara chiang mai)
album: บรรเลงพื้นเมืองของชาวลานนา ชุด ดนตรีซอ (dontri so, banleng phuen mueang khong chao lanna)
tracklist:
01. ทำนองปั่นฝ้าย (thamnong pan fai)
02. ทำนองล่องน่าน (thamnong long nan)
03. ทำนองเพลงอื่อ (thamnong phleng ue)
04. ทำนองพระลอ (thamnong phra lo)
05. แหย่งลานนา (yaeng lanna)
06. ทำนองตั้งเชียงใหม่ (thamnong tang chiang mai)
07. ทำนองเชียงแสนเงี้ยว (thamnong chiang saen ngiao)
08. ทำนองพม่า (thamnong phama)
09. จ้อย (choi)

this cassette was a generous gift from our pal sam of the (now sadly defunct) archive of southeast asian music.

today, our second from the sai thara ensemble of chiang mai! as with the previous entry, they're playing a music called so, but while the last album featured just the namesake fiddle along with sueng (plucked, fretted lute) and a team of pi (free-reed bamboo pipes), here they're joined by some drums and cymbals, plus what sounds to be a khlui flute and perhaps even a strummed acoustic guitar? recently, this group showed up in korean magpie tapes' mix for discostan on nts radio and there they're the "khana sai thara combo", boasting a mostly electronic line-up and backing male and female vocalists, so clearly they've employed a wide range of configurations throughout their recording career. enjoy!

khana sai thara chiang mai: pi so

artist(s): คณะ สายธาราเชียงใหม่ (khana sai thara chiang mai)
album: ปี่ซอ ดนตรีพื้นเมืองเชียงใหม่ (pi so, dontri phuen mueang chiang mai)
tracklist:
01. ตั้งเจียงใหม่ ; จะปุ ; ละม้าย (tang chiang mai ; cha pu ; la mai)
02. เงี้ยว (ngiao)
03. พม่า (phama)
04. อื่อ (uea)

this week's cassette is part of a generous bequest gifted to us by educator cliff sloane, a former professor of ethnomusicology and founder of asianclassicalmp3.org, a major influence behind this blog.

this week, fantastic music from northern thailand! the sai thara ensemble of chiang mai play a music called so, which though originally named for the lead fiddle, has become metonymic for the vocal style which it most frequently accompanies. there are no vocals on this particular album, though, because as the cover states, this "minus-one"-style recording is entitled for your practice in the so vocal art! along with the namesake fiddle, our ensemble also features sueng (plucked, fretted lute) and a team of pi (free-reed bamboo pipes). enjoy!

sayan sanya: la rak chak suan taeng

artist: สายัณห์ สัญญา (sayan sanya)
album: ลารักจากสวนแตง (la rak chak suan taeng)
tracklist:
01. ลารักจากสวนแตง (la rak chak suan taeng)
02. สาวครวญจากสวนแตง (sao khruan chak suan taeng)
sung by น้ำอ้อย พรวิเชียร (nam-oi phonwichian)
03. สัญญาห้าปี (sanya ha pi)
04. ห้าปีที่เธอลืม (ha pi thi thoe luem)
sung by น้ำอ้อย พรวิเชียร (nam-oi phonwichian)
05. อยากไปให้พ้น (yak pai hai phon)
06. เพราะฉันโง่ซิ (phro chan ngo si)
07. สาวยโสธร (sao yasothon)
08. สายัณห์คอยคู่ (sayan khoi khu)
09. ภูธรที่รัก (phuthon thi rak)
10. รักเธอเท่าฟ้า (rak thoe thao fa)
11. ลูกสาวผู้การ (luk sao phu kan)
12. แหม่มปลาร้า (ma'am pla ra)
13. คุณนายชั่วโมง (khun nai chua mong)
14. พลัดคู้ (phlat khu)
15. บอกแล้วน้องรวง (bok laeo nong ruang)
16. คนใต้ไม่หวาน (khon tai mai wan)
17. ฉันรักลูกกรุง (chan rak luk krung)
18. รักทรมาน (rak thoraman)
19. รักตกกระป๋อง (rak tok krapong)

this week, classic luk thung balladry from "phi pao", sayan sanya! born and raised in central thailand's suphan buri province, sayan grew up farming rice with his family. he started his musical career as a dancer in phongsi woranut's group, gradually moving up to back-up singer, and eventually forming his own band in 1973. through the '80s and early '90s he paired up with phumphuang duangchan and reigned as the biggest of luk thung stars. this cassette collects a number of his early hits from the mid-70s; largely consisting of slow, syrupy ballads with flute and string arrangements carrying, and a few latin-tinged dance numbers (and even a talung or two) to round out the set. nam-oi phonwichian also joins for a few answer-songs.. enjoy!

zu zu: su khwam wang mai

artist: ซูซู (zu zu)
album: สู่ความหวังใหม่ (su khwam wang mai)
tracklist:
01. อับดุลเลาะห์ (abdullah)
02. ใครสักคน (khrai sak khon)
03. ม้งลงแดง (hmong long daeng)
04. อ้อล้อ (o lo)
05. แม่นบ่ (maen bo)
06. บ่อสร้างกางจ้อง (bo sang kang chong)
07. นกเขา (nok khao)
08. ยับเยิน (yap yoen)
09. ไส้เดือน (sai duean)
10. สุวรรณภูมิ (suwannaphum)
11. โฆษณา โค้ก (coke advertisement)

this week, a look back at the late '80s/early '90s songs for life scene, with zu zu! the band consists of zu raphin phutthichat (guitar/vocals), sek saksit (guitar/keyboard/vocals), and ut yannawa (drums/vocals), all formerly of the group kathon, along with suthep pan-amphan (bass) and phantiwa phumiprathet a.k.a. tom dundee (vocals). this cassette is their debut album, produced by aed carabao for his d-day entertainment label. while initially united in their socially conscious messaging, the group's members drifted apart politically over time, with the core group appearing on anti-thaksin yellow shirt protest stages, while tom dundee appeared with the anti-coup red shirts, and eventually served time in prison on a lèse-majesté charge (he was finally released in july of last year). regardless of politics, though, i think anyone could get behind their hard rock sam-cha sound.. enjoy!

khana mae kaet luang: hae phuen mueang prayuk chut klong sabat chai

artist: คณะ แม่แก้ดหลวง (khana mae kaet luang)
album: แห่พื้นเมืองประยุกต์ ชุด กลองสะบัดชัย (hae phuen mueang prayuk chut klong sabat chai)
tracklist:
01. กลองสะบัดชัย ตอน 1 (klong sabat chai, pt. 1)
02. กลองสะบัดชัย ตอน 2 (klong sabat chai, pt. 2)

this cassette was a generous gift from our pal sam of the (now sadly defunct) archive of southeast asian music

this week, we have another entry of northern thai marathon percussion! like our klong tueng nong cassette of earlier, this tape features 2 whole sides (or 1 half-hour's worth) of drum, cymbal and gong. the style on display here is klong sabat chai, or "victory drum", as performances were said to traditionally mark the end of military campaigns. the events typically feature an acrobatic performance from the lead drummer, who often employ their hands, elbows, knees and head as beaters. our title describes the content as prayuk, or "modernized", but unfortunately i don't know quite enough about the history of the art-form to tell you precisely what's been modernized. the performers here are the mae kaet luang ensemble, recording for chiang mai's thipphanet enterprise record store (still in business!), with recommendations for use in parades.. enjoy!

mon rak luk thung (lakhon o.s.t.)

artist(s): various
album: มนต์รักลูกทุ่ง [เพลงประกอบละคร] (mon rak luk thung [lakhon o.s.t.])
tracklist:
01. มนต์รักลูกทุ่ง (mon rak luk thung)
sung by ยอดรัก สลักใจ (yotrak salakchai)
02. สัญญาก่อนลา (sanya kon la)
sung by ศรัณยู วงษ์กระจ่าง + ณัฐริกา ธรรมปรีดานันท์ (saranyu wongkrachang & nattharika thampridanan)
03. น้ำลงนกร้อง (nam long nok rong)
sung by อนันต์ บุนนาค (anan bunnak)
04. สิบหมื่น (sip muen)
sung by ศรัณยู วงษ์กระจ่าง (saranyu wongkrachang)
05. น้อยใจรัก (noi chai rak)
sung by รุ่งรัตน์ ดวงขวัญ (rungrat duangkhwan)
06. รูปหล่อถมไป (rup lo thom pai)
sung by รุ่งรัตน์ ดวงขวัญ (rungrat duangkhwan)
07. เปิดหัวใจ (poet hua chai)
sung by ศรัณยู วงษ์กระจ่าง + ณัฐริกา ธรรมปรีดานันท์ (saranyu wongkrachang & nattharika thampridanan)
08. แม่ร้อยใจ (mae roi chai)
sung by ศรัณยู วงษ์กระจ่าง (saranyu wongkrachang)
09. นกร้องน้องช้ำ (nok rong nong cham)
sung by รชนีกร พันธุ์มณี (rotchanikon phanmani)
10. คอยก่อนนะพี่ (khoi kon na phi)
sung by อนันต์ บุนนาค + รชนีกร พันธุ์มณี (anan bunnak & rotchanikon phanmani)
11. ลาก่อนเพื่อนยาก (la kon phuean yak)
sung by ศรัณยู วงษ์กระจ่าง (saranyu wongkrachang)
12. ใจดำเหลือเกิน (chai dam luea koen)
sung by ณัฐริกา ธรรมปรีดานันท์ (nattharika thampridanan)

this week: thai country classics revisited, via the small screen! long ago, we featured the unforgettable soundtrack to 1970's cinematic landmark, "mon rak luk thung". the 1995 lakhon (soap opera) adaptation of the film was likewise a blockbuster, with an estimated one-third of the population tuning in^[1]. a mixture of numbers from the original film and a few new songs mixed in, most of the soundtrack is performed by stars of the show, though we do have a special appearance by yotrak salakchai, singing the theme. enjoy!

suthep wongkamhaeng: nang chai

artist: สุเทพ วงศ์กำแหง (suthep wongkamhaeng)
album: นางใจ (nang chai)
tracklist:
01. นางใจ (nang chai)
02. ใจพี่ (chai phi)
03. เทพเจ้าแห่งความระทม (thepphachao haeng khwam rathom)
04. วิญญานในภาพถ่าย (winyan nai phap kao)
05. ลาทีความระทม (la thi khwam rathom)
06. เย้ยฟ้าท้าดิน (yoei fa tha din)
07. คนพิการรัก (khon phikan rak)
08. โลกลวง (lok luang)
09. น้ำตาคลอ (nam ta khlo)
10. จะคอยขวัญใจ (cha khoi khwanchai)
11. อาลัยโตเกียว (alai tokyo)
12. ลืมผมเสียเถิด (luem phom sia thoet)

yesterday i got the sad news that a luk krung luminary had passed away, so today let's remember the late suthep wongkamhaeng! mr. suthep of khorat (nakhon ratchasima) left his career in visual arts to join the royal thai air force band, after being spotted gigging as an intermission performer on bangkok's movie theatre circuit. following his tour of duty, suthep became a staple in the most popular of bangkok nightclubs and appeared frequently in mid-century silver screen musicals. writer 'rong wongsawan famously wrote that he possessed "a voice like the rubbing of satin in beer foam", soft and effervescent. rest in peace, suthep.

monruedi phromchak: khoi ai khuen na

artist: มลฤดี พรหมจักร (monruedi phromchak)
album: คอยอ้ายคืนนา (khoi ai khuen na)
tracklist:
01. คอยอ้ายคืนนา (khoi ai khuen na)
02. ฮักอ้ายแท้เด (hak ai thae de)
03. น้องย้าน (nong yan)
04. เสียใจเสียดาย (sia chai sia dai)
05. อยากเห็นอ้ายเด (yak hen ai de)
06. โรคแพ้ความหล่อ (rok phae khwam lo)
07. อยู่อย่างไทย (yu yang thai)
08. ลืมน้องแล้วบ่ (luem nong laeo bo)
09. ย่านถูกหลอก (yan thuk lok)
10. ฮัก 6 ประโยค (hak 6 prayok)
11. นิทานพิมพาสุรวงค์ ตอน 1 (nithan phimpha surawong, pt. 1)
12. นิทานพิมพาสุรวงค์ ตอน 2 (nithan phimpha surawong, pt. 2)

this week: electronic lam from monruedi phromchak on ratchabut stereo! hailing from ubon ratchathani, monruedi grew up idolizing stars like angkhanang khunchai and chawiwan damnoen. she began performing with her own local troupe at age 16, and was introduced to the siang siam label by molam thongkham phaengdi¹. monruedi helped to bring more locally-based styles of molam to prominence, becoming particularly known for her lam phu thai and lam tang wai. on this cassette, however, she explores two styles closely associated with neighbouring laos, namely lam klom thung (a.k.a. khap thum) on side a, and lam siphandon on the b-side. enjoy!

chaloemphon malakham: on nong klap na

artist: เฉลิมพล มาลาคำ (chaloemphon malakham)
album: อ้อนน้องกลับนา (on nong klap na)
tracklist:
01. อ้อนน้องกลับนา (on nong klap na)
02. กลับสะเด้อหล่า (klap sa doe la)
03. พยานรัก (phayan rak)
04. อยากกลั้นใจตาย (yak klan chai tai)
05. พี่ดีใจด้วย (phi di chai duai)
06. เสร็จเขาย่านเจ้ามุ่น (set khao yan chao mun)
07. ลืมใจไว้เมืองเลย (luem chai wai mueang loei)
08. น้ำตาทหารเกณฑ์ (nam ta thahan ken)
09. อวยชัยจดหมายก้อม (uai chai chotmai kom)
10. เดนใครไม่สน (den khrai mai son)
11. ซื่อซื่อแน่เป็นหยัง (sue sue na pen yang)
12. จำลาอาวรณ์ (cham la awon)

this week, we'll hear from mr. chaloemphon malakham, bringing us the sound of the 80s northeast! chaloemphon, from surin province in south isan, made his way to the stage through local singing contests. he recorded his first album in 1985 and quickly became a top singer of the molam-influenced luk thung that still dominates radio today. in addition to his solo work and string of duet albums with phimpha phonsiri, chaloemphon is also a noted songwriter for the likes of poifai malaiphon and other stars from the siang isan band. this excellent early cassette features his own songwriting as well as that of banthit phonmongkhon, with music by a. num phuthai. enjoy!

ekkachai siwichai: sut sueng 4 chalong wan parachai

artist: เอกชัย ศรีวิชัย (ekkachai siwichai)
album: สุดซึ้ง 4 ฉลองวันปราชัย (sut sueng 4 chalong wan parachai)
tracklist:
01. ฉลองวันปราชัย (chalong wan parachai)
02. ทำไมต้องมาเจอ (thammai tong ma choe)
03. แหวนหมั้นวันตาย (waen man wan tai)
04. ยังจำวันนั้นได้ไหม (yang cham wan nan dai mai)
05. มีแต่ช้ำใจ (mi tae cham chai)
06. ช้ำหนุ่มกรรมกร (cham num kammakon)
07. อ้อมจ๋า (om cha)
08. ได้แต่คิดถึง (dai tae khit thueng)
09. ไปให้ไกลๆ (pai hai klai klai)
10. กล้าๆ แล้วจะรุ่ง (kla kla laeo cha rung)
11. เชื่อพี่แล้วดีเอง (chuea phi laeo di eng)
12. คิดถึงจึงโทรมาหา (khit thueng chueng to ma ha)

this week, a look into the early career of a multi-media star. ekkachai siwichai, a native of nakhon si thammarat, is one of the bigger names in the luk thung circle to hail from thailand's south. while ekkachai is famous now for his film and television career as much as his music, today we'll look back at some of his 90s output on sansoen rungserichai's boxing sound label. the fare here is mostly melancholic ballads (as the cover art suggests), a few uptempo numbers for good measure, all in front of a synthesizer-heavy backing band. enjoy!