Various Artists – The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk-Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975 Soundway

While Japanese and Chinese takes on Western musical styles are well documented, Thailand has always remained something of an unexplored frontier which makes this collection even more of a treasure.

It portrays a period where funk and soul ruled the airwaves, and these Siamese reinterpretations rank easily amongst some of Harlem’s originals. The strong, rhythmic bass-lines and minimalistic percussion remain, but the Thai language adds a new rhythmic construct all of its own, predominately a higher and more energetic counterpoint to the late 60s focus on slow, bass-driven grooves.

While there is obviously a focus on Thailand’s instrumentation and indigenous styles, there are hints of flavours from all across Asia and Europe, primarily due to Thailand’s location as a crossroad of cultures. It’s merely a glimpse of an exciting yet globally neglected music scene, filled with beauty, experimentation and soul and deserving of much more attention. [David Bowes]