Thai Classic Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

These two endearing cassettes were among the first tapes that I bought in Thailand way back when. Both volumes contain a number of excellent classical and traditional tunes, but note that the music does cut in suddenly at the beginning on several sides. I have very fond memories of playing these on my cheap walkman while walking around in southern Thailand, and, having had very little listening experience with any Thai music up until that point, really digging the new and strange sounds. Beautiful music.

(Thai Classic Vol. 1.rar - 124MB)

(Thai Classic Vol. 2.rar - 124MB)

Thai Classical Music for Monastic Rituals (T.20)

A very cool cassette of instrumental piphat music. Well recorded, spacious, and trance inducing. Enjoy!

Thai Classical Music for Monastic Rituals (T.20)

Thai Classical Music (TS-2027)

Fantastic tape of classical Thai music. Dig the cool court dancer profile, font mix, and glowing sunset artwork. Lovely.

Thai Classical Music (TS-2027)

Pilihan Khusus: Tabuh Lelambatan Vol. 9 (B.962)

In Bali there's a ceremonial repertoire for gamelan called Lelambatan (literally: slow music), the primary purpose of which is for entertaining visiting deities at the temple. Intensifying with an uncanny grace, the super-refined complex structure of a lelambatan composition reveals itself in an almost organic way; articulating a sense of harmony between the human world and the greater celestial dimension. This exquisitely balanced sentiment also works to guide the mortal listener's mind towards the idea of a cosmos beyond while, simultaneously, defining their place relative to it. Yes, it's music for the Gods - but people get something too!

Pilihan Khusus: Tabuh Lelambatan Vol. 9 (B. 962)

Tabuh Lelambatan Klasik Gong Gede STSI Vol. 2 (B. 932)

Awesome followup volume to this mighty tape. Beatific, imposing gamelan compositions for exalted contemplation.

Tabuh Lelambatan Klasik Gong Gede STSI Vol. 2 (B. 932)

Tabuh Lelambatan Klasik Gong Gede STSI Vol. 1 (B 931)

More gamelan gong gede, this time from STSI - Bali's premier college of the arts. Truly sublime compositions that unfold like stratified mandalas, and effect time for reverence of the deities sacred dimension. There's a second volume to this which is just as good - I'll post that later. 

Tabuh Lelambatan Klasik Gong Gede STSI Vol. (B 931)

Thai Classical Music (URT 2004)

More cool classical Thai music, and a good follow up to this post.  Really beautiful unraveling instrumental compositions with tumbling harmonic orbits and cosmic form cycles. 

Thai Classical Music (URT 2004)

Angklung Kebyar: Gambang Suling (Aneka 261)

Nice tape of the seldomheardofftheisland Balinese gamelan angklung kebyar. For some info on angklung in Bali http://www.asianclassicalmp3.org/ has a brief but very nice description here, with some cool songs to check out as well. This tape is just one example of many showing how the kebyar style has inspired all kinds of ensembles outside of the gamelan gong family to shake things up over the years. Cool little obsessive doodle as part the cassette artwork.

Angklung Kebyar: Gambang Suling (Aneka 261)

Thai Classical Music (Golden TS-2038)

Beautiful cassette of classical Thai music. There's Hanuman on the cover, the magical monkey! The B side of this tape is very cool - hypnotic and time distorting cyclic forms. Great stuff.    

 

Thai Classical Music (Golden TS-2038)

Thai Classical Music - Funeral Music (Golden TS-2026)

This intense Thai cassette is a dear favorite, and still leaves me with the same somber feeling that I had when I first heard it - but like my other Thai tapes, I'm pretty much in the dark when it comes to a substantial explanation for the music. It's obviously mastered from vinyl, like many of the Thai classical music tapes out there. Also I was told that it's funeral music, which makes perfect sense. The saturated lament that opens side A sets the vibe with a weeping man's cries of sorrow over the loss of his friend, all accompanied by the piphat emsemble. What follows is a heavy spiral of blown out instrumental music and haunting pi solos - powerful stuff.  Cool open shutter photo for the cover art as well.  I would love to know more about this cassette - if anyone reading this can provide some insight into the story here, please leave a comment - I would be much obliged. 

  

Thai Classical Music - Funeral Music (Golden TS-2026)

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Update....

Peter, the man behind the incredibly cool 

monrakplengthai blog, posted this info in the comments:

"i think i can help you out with some context for this tape. you're right about it being funeral music; the style is "piphat mon", derived from the mon people, though now part of the thai repertoire, played (by thais) at funerals.. i'm not sure about historically how it acquired this position, other than through the clearly plaintive nature of the tunes.. this would be interesting to look into! there are no artists listed, only the description of the ensemble as a ปี่พาทย์มอญเครื่องใหญ่ (piphat mon khrueang yai), which indicates the size and instrumentation of the orchestra. this is a really excellent recording, i've never heard vocals like this! thanks so much for sharing."

here is the tracklist:
01. มอญร้องไห้ (mon ronghai)
02. มอญยกศพ (mon yok sop)
03. เชิญศพ (choen sop)
04. มอญประจำบ้าน (mon pracham ban)
05. มอญประจำวัด (mon pracham wat)
06. ธรณีกรรแสง (thorani kansaeng)
07. ธรณีกรรแสง (thorani kansaeng)
08. ดาวทอง (dao thong)
09. ย่าเล (ya le)
10. มอญโพกผ้า (mon phok pha)
11. เพลงแน (phleng nae)
12. พญาแบแล (phaya bae lae)
13. ดาวทอง (dao thong)
14. ย่าเล (ya le)

Thank You Peter!!!