kantruem mohai

artist: กันตรึมสุรินทร์ (kantruem surin)

album: กันตรึมโมฮาย (kantruem mohai)

tracklist:

01. กันตรึมโมฮาย (kantruem mohai)

02. สัตว์เซ้ (sat se)

03. เจิงปีร์ (choeng pi)

04. เปลญวน (ple yuan)

05. กระเชาะผมโปง (kracho phom pong)

06. อังแก๊บ (angkaep)

07. เชี๊บ ๆ (chiep chiep)

08. ซาระยัง (sarayang)

this week, some excellent old-style kantruem music from surin! while the dominant image of kantruem is the modern brand of produced pop-style material, there's a older living form (tang doem) that's often overlooked. the melody is carried by the fiddle here, too, but the rhythm section is all drums & cymbals, with male & female singers trading khmer-language vocals. the extremely generic name apparently given for this ensemble makes me think it's more likely that the folks at ligo just couldn't be bothered with discographical details. whoever these folks are, though, they've got their stuff together.. enjoy!

preview:

rock khong khoi: sieow woi

artist: ร็อกคงคย (rock khong khoi)

album: เสียวโว๊ย (sieow woi)

tracklist:

01. เจิ๊ตเอ๋ยเจิ๊ต (choet oei choet)

02. เสียวโว๊ย (sieow woi)

03. ไอ้หนุ่มก่อสร้าง (ai num ko sang)

04. ตอบร็อกคงคย (top rock khong khoi)

05. ทานอเนียงนอ (ta no niang no)

06. เขมรอกหัก (khmer ok hok)

07. กลองยาวคงคย (klong yao khong khoi)

08. วอนวัยรุ่น (won wai run)

09. รักมีพิษ (rak mi phit)

10. เขมรพลิกคลวน (khmer phlik khluan)

11. ลำซิ่ง พอกันที (lam sing pho kan thi)

this week a classic from south isan.. sgt. khong michai & rock khong khoi! recording for pairot sound out of surin, the group was second only to the legendary darkie in the kantruem rock scene, selling over a million tapes along the thai-cambodia border. this cassette, their 1993 debut, introduced a blend of khmer lyrics, local pop rhythms & international rock sounds that set a precedent for a string of famous isan rock combos (rock ah yah, rock sadoet, etc.)¹. while any number of members have come & gone, khong still performs as rock khong khoi solo, with e.v.s. music & their lam sing rock isan band. enjoy!

rock thero #1

artists: various

album: ร็อคเทอโร เบอร์ 1 (rock thero #1)

tracklist:

01. โล้บมือพอง..เด๊อ (lop mue phong.. doe)

sung by ชูศักดิ์ ตะวันหะ (chusak tawanha)

02. เด๊อ..เนียงเด๊อ (doe.. niang doe)

sung by บุญรอด คิดชอบ (bunrot khitchop)

03. เนียงโนวอีนา (niang no ina)

sung by ต้นอ้อย ประดิษฐ์ดาว (tonoi praditdao)

04. อีลกี (ilaki)

sung by ต้นอ้อย ประดิษฐ์ดาว (tonoi praditdao)

05. กำปูเจีย (kampuchia)

sung by เทพารัตน์ ลำภู (thepharat lamphu)

06. กะมมอาลาย (kamom alai)

sung by ต้นอ้อย ประดิษฐ์ดาว (tonoi praditdao)

07. ซ็อมมะนอง..เมื้อะ (sommanong.. muea)

sung by บุญรอด คิดชอบ (bunrot khitchop)

08. กะฮัง (kahang)

sung by ชวนฝัน ศรีบูรพา (chuanfan siburapha)

09. แปลขะแมร์ (plae khmer)

sung by ลำปาง อยู่พ่วง (lampang yuphuang)

10. วันโดนตา (wan don ta)

sung by นกน้อย เพชรสารภี (noknoi phetsaraphi)

it's about time, i'd say, for some more khmer surin rock!  following in the wake of other ethnically khmer stars from south isan like darkie, rock khong khoi, etc. this group gives local rhythms & melodies an international rock treatment.  the tape is from 1998, and sure the production sounds a bit dated (thanks to the liners, we know that the technics kn 2000 is partly to blame) but i think there are some memorable moments on here.  "songs for life, songs for peace, khmer style", as the cover reads.  certainly plenty of cowbell, anyway.. enjoy!

preview:

MRPT169 by monrakplengthai

namphueng mueangsurin: rueam anre

artist: น้ำผึ้ง เมืองสุรินทร์ (namphueng mueangsurin)

album: เรือมอันเร (rueam anre)

tracklist:

01. อันเร (anre)

02. กัจปะกา (katchpaka)

03. จะอังกรอง (cha ang krong)

04. ตำเร็ยยูลได (tamre yuldai)

05. ซันตูจ (santuch)

06. เบริญ (broen)

alexandra was out in surin recently and, of course, brought back a bag full of great old khmer tapes from the city!  while my natural inclination would have been to save this one, really why not just start with the best of the lot?  namphueng mueangsurin is at the head of surin's kantruem traditionalist revival movement, electing to minimize the thai & international influences in her music as compared to the genre's more popular, modern practitioners.  while this is certainly a bold move, namphueng has won a devoted audience for it, and her recordings will almost invariably be found  wherever kantruem music is sold.  the music on this cassette is simply beautiful, a carefully-paced interplay between drum & fiddle supporting namphueng's soulful voice.  it's a real treasure... enjoy!

preview:

samanchai + phimpha: kantruem mongkhon chong dai

artist: สมานชัย + พิมพา (samanchai + phimpha)
album: กันตรึม มงคลจองได (kantruem mongkhon chong dai)
tracklist:
01. เพลงแห่ (pleng hae)
02. เฮาปรึง (hao phrueng)
03. เพลงมงคล (pleng mongkhon)
04. กะแบยจ๊วลเจก (ka baei chual chek)
05. กันจันเจก (kan chan chek)
06. กัจปะกา (katchpaka)
07. ซอมบายซี (som bai si)

so!  my apologies for the low post rate as of late, but i am happy to say, the reason behind it is that i have been gearing up for a return to thailand!  alexandra and i are headed back to the kingdom for another year at least, with no small likelihood of finding loads of musical treasures to share here, as always.  but anyway, lately i've been listening to alot of khmer music, and so i wanted to share another cassette of isan's magnificent kantruem music, the style played by khmer surin people of south isan.  this particular tape features traditional wedding music, upbeat and joyful, with drum machine & fiddle making their way through shouted background vocals.  i can't say with absolute certainty whether samanchai + phimpha are the performers or the betrothed (or both)... but regardless, this is immensely enjoyable music, hope you feel the same!  see you in bangkok!

sunday productions, vol. 103: hol pha moung khmer

artists: various
album: sunday productions, vol. 103; hol pha moung khmer
tracklist:
01. hol pha moung khmer
sung by keammorak sayraymoun
02. shdie sreay kor min phor
sung by keammorak sayraymoun
03. chnam thmie sreay min phor
sung by keammorak sayraymoun
04. chorng touv na noun lorng
sung by meas saly
05. srear khrong chit khnear
sung by molika
06. mom phrie chor
sung by keammorak sayraymoun & keammorak sreaypovkhor
07. songsha khgnom eruy
sung by meas saly & molikaour
08. ouk dog long sneh kom phog cham
sung by keammorak sayraymoun
09. chom reang chun por kashi kor khmer
sung by meas saly
10. chagn neang luk prohok
sung by molika
11. bong khmer phun khmer
sung by meas saly

every now and then, i get requests for certain artists or styles that people are interested in hearing more from. over anything else, i'd say music in the kantruem style is the most requested, so when i came across this album recently (despite it being released across the border in cambodia) i couldn't resist sharing.  kantruem is a music associated with the khmer people in the southern edge of thailand's northeast, and much like contemporary molam, modern kantruem is characterized by elements of the minority's folksong superimposed upon thai popular song structure.  this album, featuring various singers from phnom penh's "sunday productions" group, is quite good.  if you can look past the slick production, there are some very interesting instrumental flourishes (whether from the classic fiddle or the synths), and the whole thing has a great energy that's tough to deny.  enjoy!

rock khong khoy: sieow woi

band: ร็อคคงคย (rock khong khoy)
album: เสียวโว้ย (sieow woi)
tracklist:
01. เจิ๊ตเอ๋ยเจิ๊ต (choet oei choet)
02. เสียวโว้ย (sieow woi)
03. ร็อกคงคย (rock khong khoy)
04. ตอบร็อกคงคย (top rock khong khoy)
05. ไอ้หนุ่มก่อสร้าง (ai num ko sang)
06. ทานอเนียงนอ (tha no niang no)
07. เขมรอกหัก (khmer ok hak)
08. กลองยาวคงคย (klong yao khong khoy)
09. วอนวัยรุ่น (won wairun)
10. รักมีพิษ (rak mi phit)
11. เขมรพลิกคลวน (khmer phlik khluan)
12. ลำซิ่ง พอกันที (lam sing pho kan thi)

this week something quite different.. kantruem rock from isaan! kantruem (กันตรึม) is the music of the khmer people in the southern edge of thailand's northeast, on the border with cambodia. much like contemporary molam, modern kantruem is characterized by elements of the minority's folksong superimposed upon local thai pop song structure. rock khong khoy from surin were one of the first hit bands of the genre, and i believe still perform, albeit with a rotating roster.. i'm not sure whether this was their debut, but i know it features their original line-up, some of whom have since died. the sound is very rough, synth-violin over drum machine, with rhythmic vocals sung in khmer surin dialect. enjoy!