various / thai funk - Luk Thung! The Roots of Thai Funk
*Another killer comp of obscure Thai funk, Housed in a fine bamboo weave from Phanat Nikhom!!!* Zudrangma Records return with a collection scrolling back to the roots of the Thai Funk styles covered on their previous two discs, housed in super-special hand-woven bamboo casing with an A3 poster to boot! Those earlier comps contain some of the most mindblowingly alien and exotic funk that we've had the pleasure of clapping lugs upon so you can probably gauge our excitement over this installation. 'The Roots Of Thai Funk' looks at 'Luk Thung' music, which literally translates as "Song of the child of the fields", or in others words the music of the people. Funk folk. Luk Thung music is symptomatic of the Thai people's character, a heavily defined personality that's still no stranger to incorporating Western culture into it's own heart and soul, making for an infectious juxtaposition of modes. If it wasn't for the vocals, at times we feel like we could be listening to a treasure trove of undiscovered deep funk and soul, but each time after the 8/16 bar intro those vocals shatter any illusions to shock the senses into disbelief. These songs largely deal with matter of the heart and everyday life, just like any other pop/folk music really, but arranged with a unique palette of instrumentation, from the xylophones, strings and flutes of Rungpetch Lamsing's 'Ban Nork Dee Nae (Country Side Is Sure Good) to the wickedly tuned strings and horns of Thepporn Petch-Ubon's 'Jon Thae Nor (So Poor)'. But at the centre of each joint is a deadly rhythmic core that gives this stuff universal appeal, from the percussive overload of Rungfah Puping's 'Puyai Lee Santana' to the surf guitars of Noppadol Duangporn's 'Yaak (Want)' ensuring satisfaction for anyone with a ounce of funk in their trunk. It's a proper object of desire, and as limited as you like. Aces.
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