Saturday, October 30, 2010

Thai Shadow Music (Golden TS-2051)/ Modified Thai Shadow Music (Golden TS-2052)




Some folks checking out this blog may already be familiar with Thai Shadow music from the "Shadow Music of Thailand" LP released a few years ago by the indefatigable Sublime Frequencies label. The press release for that particular record gives a nicely succinct description of what the "Thai Shadow Music" genre is all about:

SHADOW MUSIC was a broad term given to the Thai guitar pop movement of the 1960s and the groups that came out of it, all under the profound influence of early Western rock and roll. British instrumental wonders The Shadows (as in Cliff Richards & the Shadows) were the origin of the genre's title, also coined 'Wong Shadow' or early Thai 'String' music. Shadow records were often marketed as 'Thai Modernized Music' which it was in the truest sense. Traditional Thai melodies were given the Shadow treatment; incorporating rock, surf, a-go-go, exotica, soul, blues, Latin and other worldly styles of the times. Inventive compositions and instrumental genius meet the occasional odd vocal arrangement and the results range from plaintive guitar and organ-driven lullabies to full-blown electric garage folk-psychedelia!

I'm not sure how much redundancy/overlap there may be with the collection of instrumental tunes contained on these deeply great tapes and the Sublime Frequencies record (I don't own it) but I can't imagine that there's a whole lot. The only thing I know for sure is that the music here is like a warm super-satisfying infusion for the soul.



Update.. New Info from the comments. Thanks Peter!

the first album is a compilation of songs by johnny guitar & p.m. pocket music, and the second is entirely by the son of p.m.
here are the tracklists:

thai shadow music
01. p.m. pocket music - กระแต
02. p.m. pocket music - กลองยาว
03. p.m. pocket music - สร้อยแสงแดง
04. johnny guitar - ลาวดวงเดือน
05. p.m. pocket music - ไทรโยค
06. johnny guitar - สุพรรณหงษ์
07. johnny guitar - ลาวเจริญศรี
08. johnny guitar - สีนวล
09. johnny guitar - นางนาค
10. johnny guitar - มอญกละ
11. p.m. pocket music - พม่ารำขวาน
12. p.m. pocket music - ต้นบรเทศ
13. p.m. pocket music - ยะวา
14. p.m. pocket music - โสมส่องแสง
15. p.m. pocket music - แขกต่อยหม้อ
16. johnny guitar - ลาวกระทบไม้
17. johnny guitar - ลาวเสี่ยงเทียน
18. johnny guitar - ลาวคำหอม
19. p.m. pocket music - ซัดชาดรี
20. p.m. pocket music - มโนราห์บูชายันต์

and

modified thai shadow music
1. son of p.m. - เพลงอวยพร
2. son of p.m. - กราวกีฬา
3. son of p.m. - พม่าเห่
4. son of p.m. - คลื่นกระทบฝั่ง
5. son of p.m. - เส่เหล่เมา
6. son of p.m. - แขกหนัง
7. son of p.m. - อิเหนา
8. son of p.m. - ลาวดำเนินทราย
9. son of p.m. - บุหงากาก๊ะ
10. son of p.m. - เพลงอาหรับ
11. son of p.m. - นกขมิ้น
12. son of p.m. - ลาวแพน
13. son of p.m. - เขมรโพธิสัตว์
14. son of p.m. - ม้าย่อง
15. son of p.m. - ลาวครวญ
16. son of p.m. - เห่เรือ
17. son of p.m. - คาวหัวใจ
18. son of p.m. - จันทร์โลม
19. son of p.m. - ฝั่งหัวใจ
20. son of p.m. - ลุ่มเจ้าพระยา

one the second tape, there are about 4 tracks extra on each side.. no idea what these are, so i left them off the tracklist


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Klenengan Gobjog BRD-037






Originally released in 1971 on the venerable Lokananta label, this LP of Javanese gamelan contains some truly beautiful music. The fidelity is often scratchy but the music is always present. Very much a classic record.

(Better link soon.. )

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Indonesia - Java | Music of the Theatre


this post is dedicated to the victims of gunung merapi. rip.










Lovely recordings of Javanese gamalen with vocal accompaniment. Vividly captured in Yogyakarta, in 1970 and 1968 respectively.