team ngan khon thai phu: sound dontri lam sing, vol. 1

artist: ทีมงานคนไทภู (team ngan khon thai phu)
album: ซาวด์ดนตรี ลำซิ่ง ชุด 1 (sound dontri lam sing, vol. 1)
tracklist:
01. ซิ่งเทพธิดาเทวี (sing thepthida thewi)
02. ซิ่งขายหัวเราะ (sing khai hua ro)
03. ผู้ใหญ่ลีขอซิ่ง (phu yai li kho sing)
04. ซิ่งไอ้เซียงหมี (sing ai siang mi)
05. ซิ่งสาระวัน (sing sarawan)
06. ซิ่งสาวหยิกแม่ (sing sao yik mae)

this week, some instrumental wonder from northeast thailand! the "khon thai phu [/phu thai?] work-team" are a little-known group, recording for ubon ratchathani's ratchabut stereo. here they turn in a cassette's worth of phin-khaen workouts, strongly influenced by the lam sing style, the hip, "racing", 1990s technological update to the molam tradition. drum machines, electric bass and synthesizer back up the soloists. needless to say, great stuff.. enjoy!

preview:

sangwannoi daonuea & phatchari kaewsadet

artist: สังวาลย์น้อย ดาวเหนือ + พัชรี แก้วเสด็จ (sangwannoi daonuea & phatchari kaewsadet)

album: ซิ่ง.. มันส์ถึงใจ (sing.. man thueng chai)

tracklist:

01. ซิ่ง.. มันส์ถึงใจ ตอน 1 (sing.. man thueng chai, pt. 1)

02. ซิ่ง.. มันส์ถึงใจ ตอน 2 (sing.. man thueng chai, pt. 2)

this week, some great early lam sing from sangwannoi & phatchari! there's not much info about our singers online, but it seems like they started their partnership around 1993, recording for the fanastic ratchabut stereo label out of ubon ratchathani. the timeline's not exactly clear, but i'm guessing they were in the first wave of lam sing, the quick-moving style which combined local molam's khaen & vocal performance with an international rock-combo backing. this is a great old recording, lots of energy and improvisation. enjoy!

preview:

khana saman hongsa: lam sing sut... sut chut eo khang

artist: คณะ สมาน หงษา (khana saman hongsa)
album: ลำซิ่งสุด... สุด ชุด เอวค้าง (lam sing sut... sut chut eo khang)
tracklist:
01. เอวค้าง ตอน 1 (eo khang, pt. 1)
02. เอวค้าง ตอน 2 (eo khang, pt. 2)

this week, we hear once again from molam saman hongsa & his fantastic group of isan entertainers! mr. saman, from ubon ratchathani, is one of the greats in the world of lam performers. he's known to some degree outside of thailand as the leader of the isan slété group, who recorded & toured through the u.k. in the late 80's. within thailand, however, he's probably best remembered for his string of comedy albums (one of which has been presented here). this tape, from 1992, features he & fellow molam puinoi uraiwong trying out the lam sing style. sing, originally an english loanword (racing) from motorbike culture, means hip or up-to-date.  while integrating elements from modern pop (amps, drum-sets, risqué dance moves) the style preserves much of the overall context of lam tradition; vocal competition and battles of wordplay, male vs. female, performers vs. audience (though as you might predict, comedy and sexual innuendo take precendence over the didactic elements present in traditionalist lam). a dance mega-mix variety show.. enjoy!

preview:
MRPT174 by monrakplengthai

khana phloenphit: molamsing waichap, vol. 7

band: คณะ เพลินพิศ (khana phloenphit)
album: หมอลำซิ่ง วัยจ๊าบ ชุด 7 (molamsing waichap, vol. 7)
tracklist:
01. หมอลำซิ่ง วัยจ๊าบ ชุด 7 ตอน 1 (molamsing waichap, vol. 7, pt. 1)
02. หมอลำซิ่ง วัยจ๊าบ ชุด 7 ตอน 2 (molamsing waichap, vol. 7, pt. 2)

this week we have a great offering of molam sing! the word ซิ่ง ('sing'), from english 'racing' (originally a reference to biker culture), has come to imply something hip or up-to-date.. in other words, this is a sort of modernised molam.. in place of the classic skeletal voice & khaen arrangement, the music is driven by an electrified full band, playing at a high pitch & swift tempo. this cassette is a live recording, aurally capturing an event which typically features all manner of dancers & comic skits on top of the music. the beat here is perpetual, only pausing for some brief interludes of สอย ('soi'), wherein the singers taunt & trash-talk fellow performers & the audience! laid over the beat are melodies both from lam repetoire and borrowed from luk thung. i don't know anything about this particular group 'phloenphit', but they sound great.. i wonder if they have any vcds floating around!