Various Artists / The Sound Of Siam: Leftfield Luk-Thung, Jazz & Molam In Thailand

Various Artists
The Sound Of Siam: Leftfield Luk-Thung, Jazz& Molam In Thailand 1964-1975
(Soundway)

There's an infinite sadness to pre-Khmer Rouge music. As gorilla fighters spilled into Thailand chasing refugees from Cambodia, there marked a drastic end to the liberated and progressive trend of two distinct pop industries. With the arrival of Western pop music in the mid-sixties both nations went under rapid cultural transformations. It's easy to overstate seeming that the Swingin' Sixties rarely reached beyond the socialites of Carnaby Street.
As the wealth of records surfaces on mixtapes, cassettes and compilations in the Occidental world my perception of agricultural nations entertaining a healthy relationship with traditionalism is fast becoming obsolete. The sheer wealth of pop records produced during this period is staggering, making compilations such as these highly appealing.
As with the Electric Cambodia compilaiton by Dengue Fever released last year, the golden years span from 1964-1975. The style is of heavily narrated up-tempo hits exploring broody psychedelia and funk as much as vistuosic vocalists. Unlike other Thai compilations of this era, the spectrum is broad as it is deep. That the persuit here is not to expose a singular aspect of an overlooked culture but more an artifact to remind us that we've not only overlooked a bounty of Khmer pop, but we've deprived ourselves of great sounds.
The Sound Of Siam addresses this imbalance, and in the process mines out some haunting folk tales, up-tempo dance tracks and spaced-out rhythm & blues. One of this year's finest compilations.