Last year brought music fans a wealth of great songs in the form of new releases and reissues, as well as some excellent live shows and DJ nights. Here's a quick review of some of the highlights.
There were some interesting new releases over the past 12 months. The "world music" segment of the global music industry has never been busier, with lots of small labels competing to provide the latest hit compilation or introduce a new band. In conversation with Soundway label boss Miles Claret, he told me that the label would focus on vinyl releases that include a download link for a digital version of the music as well as the analogue version on vinyl.
Indeed, industry statistics showed that more vinyl was produced in 2015 than in any year since the mid-1970s. And it's not only niche market world music labels that are producing shiny black discs. Veteran groups of all kinds, especially giant rock bands like Pink Floyd, are repackaging their back catalogues and re-releasing on vinyl that'll cost you more than US$40 (1,440 baht). Given the ubiquitous nature of downloading, it's no surprise that record companies have tried other, as financiers say, potential income streams. So, if you bought the original vinyl of your favourite band, then the cassette version and after that the CD version, now you can buy the vinyl again.
But the upside is that vinyl offers a much better sound than any of the other formats. My father, still a vinyl man in his 80s, told me many years ago that CDs and cassettes could never compete with the fuller sound of vinyl. He was right -- always listen to your old Dad.
A number of sublime albums have been stuck on my turntable this year, led by the most startling debut by a band from the Congo region, From Kinshasa by Mbongwana Star. The band has taken the electro-Congolese/R&B street sound of Staff Benda Bilili and bands like Kasai Allstars and pushed it to the limits, breaking new territory. The music is so original and full of surprising twists and turns. I've been playing some of their tracks at my DJ nights and many people ask me who they are. This is a must-buy for fans.
Also worth checking out is the locally-produced Out Of Addis, which is a stunning set of field recordings of a range of funky Ethiopian bands, and is a collaboration between Eastern Connection, a sub-label of the local Paradise Bangkok label, and Sheba Sound. Available at Zudrangma Records Store on Sukhumvit 51.
For compilations of golden era African music, two double CD compilations stand out: one on the irresistible music of one of West Africa's great dance bands, Les Ambassadeurs Du Motel Bamako on Stern's; and Highlife On The Move – Selected Nigerian & Ghanaian Recordings From London & Lagos 1954-66 on Soundway (there's another good one in the King Of Highlife Anthology by E.T. Mensah in the EBU chart below). I would also recommend Ba Power from Mali's ngoni (Malian lute) maestro Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba.
My own favourite reissue compilation is from Soul Jazz Records of the UK, which has produced a series of wonderful New Orleans funk and R&B. I recently bought New Orleans Funk: New Orleans: The Original Sound Of Funk, Vol.3, which includes dance floor fillers from The Meters, Lee Dorsey, Eddie Bo and my favourite Professor Longhair. I've road tested several tracks from this fine compilation and can report a revelation that I had in 2015 -- young folk like anything from New Orleans. Play a Professor Longhair track and, allez up, everyone gets on the dance floor.
Music from Thailand was featured in a fascinating film documentary Y/Our Music which premiered at ICA in London in December.
The film, directed by Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every and David Reeve, features nine Thai musicians from different walks of life, including phin master Thongsai Thabthanon (of Petch Phin Thong band fame), National Artist and molam musician Chawewan Damnoen and khaen maestro Sombat Simlar. Well worth checking out. Sombat Simlar was also at the show I enjoyed most in 2015, when he gave a seminar and performance at the Jim Thompson Art Center's "Joyful Khaen, Joyful Dance" exhibition on molam music. It was a blast.
Sombat performed at the Wonderfruit festival as the molam exhibition was fitted onto a bus, which was parked at the festival site with an attached small stage. I was fortunate to be part of the team there and played a couple of DJ sets, which was a lot of fun, and I hope created some interest in molam music -- the molam bus certainly generated a lot of curiosity and some crazy dancing. Look out for the molam bus popping up throughout the coming year -- it may be coming to your town!
All the very best to all of you for 2016 from the World beat desk.
This columnist can be contacted at clewley.john@gmail.com.
