Well, New Year has come and gone and I think we’ve all had enough time to sober up. New Year’s Eve was quite a bit of fun and we got to stay out past our 12 o’clock bedtime so thanks police, we really appreciate it. Getting back in the swing of things after the holiday season is always tough for me. Turns our that Citylife gets a bunch of singles and promo releases on a regular basis so I’ve got a nice, easy review of a song I picked up.
All too often I am, and I hate to say it, underwhelmed by local music. I will say that Thailand has some amazing musicians. Bands here are loaded with talent, but far too often, especially here in Chiang Mai, they relegate themselves to playing other people’s music in cover bands, putting a tiny bit of their own “style” into a song, yet still never making the step to create original music. And when bands do make original music, there is no venue to nurture a following. Club owners would rather have something they know will keep people in the seats rather than take a risk and allow a band to play original music.
That being said, one promo I received this month caught my ear. The Kidnappers hail from Bangkok and are a three-piece electronic pop group. Their single, Yud (หยุด) or “Pause”, was released late last year and has some good original elements that I don’t hear enough from a Thai band. Within the band you have a guitar, a couple of synths, and female vocals. The track begins with a soft electronic intro then builds into a heavier, electro-pop wave, building the melody that will carry the rest of the song. The verses combine a lightweight electronic sound with the beautiful voice of Disaya Koragotchamas or “Tiew”. Within the first minute I noticed too that this song was mastered well. Production-wise, everything is tight. As the song progresses, more elements are added giving the song a nice building crescendo all the way until the end. Comparing the track to other bands, it immediately reminded me of the trippy, electronic brother-sister duo The Fiery Furnaces, which is also worth checking out if you haven’t listened to them.
In a world of cover bands, it is very refreshing to hear Thai bands take the next step into original production. The sound isn’t all that groundbreaking as far as world pop music is concerned but for Thailand it’s a great step in the right direction. The single is out now on Spicydisc Records out of Bangkok and can be purchased on the iTunes Music Store. If you’d just like to listen, check out the official music video on YouTube (Search: Kidnappers Pause). Enjoy!