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Is Bangkok becoming the musical New York of Asia? Well, not really but Nak Ling finds the real music scene in the City of Angels...  Like much else in this boom-and-bust town, Bangkok’s music scene is one of those ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ affairs. Just as easily as it can rise and soar with seemingly inexhaustible energy, the scene can sink into inactive oblivion, and then boomerang back into spirited action.
Bangkok’s scene has developed a palpable identity over the last two years. The music savvy in Singapore, Tokyo and London are increasingly aware of electroclash darlings Futon. Also, Moderndog, a pioneering force in Thai alternative rock, are playing their 10th anniversary concert this month. And let’s not forget Sek Loso, who played at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, and is on the bill at the UK’s Glastonbury next month. International awareness alone does not make us a music mecca, but it does make it harder to carry on with the notion that Thai music is only about love ballads and cover bands.
Home-baked, but not half-baked
Homegrown groups are growing increasingly sophisticated, reflecting the rising popularity of musical sub-genres. We all love a bit of same-same pop structures and choruses chiming chan rak tuer, but it’s equally nice for our city to have a soundtrack that’s more Lightning Bolt than Lighthouse Family; more Cibbo Matto than Cheeky Girls. A few current local faves helping to do this include: Red Carpet and the Black Ribbon, rootsy garage rock a la White Stripes; The Darlings, punked-out power pop; Samurai Loud, loose, boozy rock’n’roll; and Goose, dreamy, textured post-rock hinting of Radiohead’s OK Computer.
Exposure to more foreign bands and styles probably has a lot to do with the growing diversity. As Avril Lavigne outsells Jessica Simpson, the corporate suits are eager to cash in, meaning somewhat better concerts and CD imports than four years ago. That Channel V recently released a compilation featuring The Libertines and The Killers suggests we’re in times of more discerning taste. Still, there probably still wouldn’t be much of a market for these tunes without the advance work of the cracking Dude/Sweet parties, the capital’s flagship garage/indie rock DJ rave-up since 2002.
Musical currency exchange
But the sociability of the music scene is unprecedented. Even during the so-called ‘heyday’, circa 1994, the spirit of collaboration and exchange wasn’t as mature. Today, Bangkok-based performers are seeking out counterparts beyond their borders, for gigs in sister cities. Small gig organizers like my group, nostarwhere collective, canvass for bands from all over the world to play at one of our ‘Noise Pop’ or ‘iHear’ nights. Corresponding with these bands, I’m always blown away by how eager they are - be they coming from Melbourne or Montpellier - to play in Bangkok, even if the ‘guarantee’ for the show is no more than food and a couch to crash on.
Rock pigs versus Electro bunnies
Soi Music was also notable for its seamless blending of live bands and electronic acts, which is yet another welcome evolution of the scene. In most cosmopolitan cities, club nights and gigs are often integrated with crossovers among performers as well. Here, we’ve got a select few straddling both scenes (Tul from Apartmenkhunpa, Bee and David from Futon), but, on the whole, rock is rock and boogie is boogie.
That, fortunately, is changing, and much of the credit for this has to go to Bee and David Futon’s banging monthly Rehab nights at Bed Supperclub. Bed, and even Q Bar, have also risked confusing their Hip-hop and House happy clientele by booking the likes of Kid Koala (Q Bar), Kid Loco (Bed), and Gilles Peterson (Bed), DJs more known for thoughtful innovation than ‘’avin’ it’.
Perhaps in recognition of a growing trend, Chivas put 10 million baht into March’s Elektro Wonderland. A mishmash of edgy DJs and bands from Thailand (Futon again), Australia and Japan in a converted warehouse in Klong Toi. It was among the more memorable parties - and definitely the most expensive - of late. It also seems to indicate the direction party throwers - be they independent or corporate - are headed.
New York, New York
“Bangkok is becoming the musical New York of Asia”, trumpets an Austrian inflight magazine that must be eager to sell seats on its Vienna-Bkk flights. Er... no. In New York, London or Tokyo, you can see a live concert or gig, from improvisational noise-core to lesbian folk rock, any night of the week. Here, you’ve got to wait it out a few months at a time. But, when it happens - when you can accidentally walk into a Silom Soi 4 club and see a Singaporean avant-noise jam or an Australian post-hardcore band; catch an instrumental free jazz soundscape on a converted rice barge; or pogo to a Chinese punk band playing a jam-packed practice studio - you know Bangkok’s starting to live it up, out loud.
By Nak Ling
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