The sophomore effort by the molam ensemble offers an exhilarating musical experimentation that transcends borders and genres.
The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band/ Planet Lam
It's been a hectic few years for Thailand's molam collective The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band. Since its The Sound of Siam days, followed by the release of their much-lauded 2014's debut album 21st Century Molam, the band, while still relatively (and criminally) unknown in their home country, has gone on to gain a firm foothold on the European music festival circuit, having performed at some of the most well-known events, including Poland's OFF, Netherlands' Festival Mundial, as well as the UK's Field Day and Glastonbury.
Titled Planet Lam, their second studio outing is a sort of homage to the ad-hoc jamming sessions that took place at Studio Lam, a live music venue in downtown Bangkok that showcases left-field talents from around the globe. Led by phin (Thai lute) and khaen (a bamboo harmonica) masters Kammao Perdtanon and Sawai Kaewsombat, the group continues with the globalisation of diverse sonic influences, fusing the traditional grassroots style of Isan with solid sprinklings of psychedelia and whatever moves their souls.
Underpinned by a driving phin groove, upbeat opener Chasing the Cow is an irresistible floor-filler. Like a good techno track, it thrives on repetition and the lack of resolution and just keeps on giving. Indian Thai Boxing (Re-Fix) picks up the pace, weaving psyched-out khaen with roaring drums and a limber bassline to dazzling heights. This is then followed by funk-leaning Dr Rhythm, Dr Khaen and plus-eleven-minute-long Studio Lam Suite which offers a well-measured blend of mo lam, psychedelia, jazz and hip hop.
Marking the album's midway point, The Adventures of Sinsai arrives fully loaded.The track's propulsive rhythm section meshes with unyielding post-punk sensibilities -- almost like Antidotes-era Foals. Waterfall provides a much-needed relief with the serene sounds of ching and khong mong. There's a Zen-like quality here that has the power to transport us to a quiet temple in the middle of nowhere. Sudsanan and Lam San Ra (2016 Version), a rework of Lam San Disco off 21st Century Molam, pick up where Chasing the Cow left off whereas a pair of intriguing offerings Exit Planet Lam and Exit Dub further push the envelope, venturing deep into a dub-based trip-hop territory.
With Planet Lam, the Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band continue to work within the framework of modernising the traditional genre. On the surface, this record may seem like a mere extension to 21st Century Molam, but deep down, it's so much more than that. After listening to all of these ten tracks, it's obvious that the sextet have been inspired by different ideas that came out of Studio Lam's cross-cultural jam sessions. Unlike their debut, which at times felt like a novelty collection of rehash of molam classics, Planet Lam is impressively more diverse and daring -- a fascinating exploration of domestic and global sounds that come together beautifully.
THE PLAYLIST
Room Service/ Noo Mai Yom
PLOT's frontman Jitivi "Pai" Banthaisong and Summer Dress' Siwanut "Tent" Boonsripornchai come together as Room Service to provide a soundtrack for Prabda Yoon's directorial debut Motel Mist. Built on an analogue synthesizer and spacey chord progressions, the song contains an interpolation of Haruethai Hiranya's eponymous classic whose tongue-in-cheek lyrics tells the story of a woman who's being sexually harassed by a burglar in the middle of the night. The result here is both twisted and unnerving -- not unlike the film it accompanies.
Ryan Adams/ Do You Still Love Me?
After treating us to an opinion-dividing folk rock cover album of Taylor Swift's 1989 last year, long-standing singer-songwriter Ryan Adams is back with an original new song off his February-due 16th studio record, Prisoner. Inspired by his divorce from former pop star Mandy Moore, Do You Still Love Me? is an anthemic hard-rock number sprinkled with solid helpings of '80s hair metal power chords and heartbreak-themed lyrics ("Another sun goes down/And I'll never see the rays/What can I say? I didn't want it to change/ Is my heart blind and our love so strange?").
Formation/ Powerful People
Led by brothers Will and Matt Ritson, South London newcomers Formation concoct a baggy-influenced, groove-laden jam imbued with a poignant social commentary called Powerful People. "Look at the powerful people/Stuck in their wonderful world/Who is going to help them, give them what they deserve," goes the opening verse. As the song develops, the beats get funkier and synth flourishes get stickier -- like a chance encounter between the Stone Roses and Wild Beasts.
Sevdaliza (feat A$AP Ferg)/ That Damaged Girl
Tehran-born, Rotterdam-based Sevdaliza teams up with rapper A$AP Ferg for a gritty, bass-driven treatment of her bewitching 2015 single, That Other Girl. Taking the haunting, majestic atmospherics of the original to dizzying new heights, the rework features a guest verse from A$AP Ferg as well as a sample of Andy Stott's Damage, a cymbal-punctuated distortion galore from his excellent LP, Faith in Strangers. When she coos "Operating from another world/I want to be that other girl," her words suddenly take on a new layer of sinister nuance, making the whole thing sound extra eerie.
Electric Guest/ Dear To Me
Following a four-year hiatus, indie-pop quartet Electric Guest finally return with a new cut, Dear To Me. Lifted from their forthcoming sophomore record, the track rides on a soulful synthgroove which makes it a welcome change from the frenetic retro-funk of their 2012's breakout hit, This Head I Hold. "When it's bad/Feels like I don't know which way I should go," vocalist Asa Taccone sings."But over time I come back and remember/The one thing that I know/You're dear to me and I know." A fellow LA outfit, Haim, also make a guest appearance here, supplying their signature lush backup vocals to the laid-back number.
