A vinyl revival

Organised by the King Rama IX Music Library and the Princess Sirindhorn Music Library, under the Fine Arts Department of Thailand, the exhibition "Record Discs In Siam" takes visitors back to the times when shellac and vinyl records were still popular. At the exhibition, visitors will see wax cylinders -- the recording medium that preceded vinyl records -- cassette tapes and compact discs. Other items include rare shellac record discs, vinyl discs and vintage record players.

Khwanrutai Khaosaard, head of the King Rama IX Music Library and the Princess Sirindhorn Music Library, said the idea for this exhibition was initiated because the library staff wanted to use the many record discs, record players and other library resources to benefit the public.

"Exhibitions at the music library were created based on the library's resources. The music library collected over 10,000 shellac discs and over 4,000 vinyl discs. The vintage recordings are considered a national intellectual heritage. Thus, we want to convey stories through these materials, so visitors will learn from them," said Khwanrutai.

On the 1st floor of the Princess Sirindhorn Music Library, "Record Discs In Siam" will be showcased for two years. The exhibition is divided into four sections -- First Appearance Of Record Discs In Siam; From Shellac To Vinyl Records; Important Record Discs In Siam; and Vinyl Revival – Aesthetic And Sentimental Value.

The first zone, First Appearance Of Record Discs In Siam, tells the history of recording and of the first female singer in Siam. In 1877, Thomas Alva Edison invented the wax cylinder and phonograph that could record and playback sound. In 1887, Emile Berliner, a German-American inventor, invented the flat disc that was more convenient than the wax cylinder. In 1891, Berliner improved the quality of flat discs by mixing nickel with copper and covering the discs with shellac, which improved the clarity of the recorded sounds.

Khwanrutai Khaosaard, head of the King Rama IX Music Library and Princess Sirindhorn Music Library. Pornprom Satrabhaya

An 1894 entry in the memoir of music producer Tor Ngek Chuan noted that he listened to music from a wax cylinder that was played at a monk ordination ceremony in Chachoengsao. A 1900 entry says that a Thai traditional music band led by Bud Mahin went to Germany to record their music on a wax cylinder.

"Tor Ngek Chuan was a music enthusiast who later became the owner of Kratai Recording Company. During King Rama VI's era, there were four recording companies founded by Thais -- Kratai, Krob Pak See Thong, Saeranee and Seekrung. While Seekrung Recording Company was well known for its movie soundtracks, people were more familiar with records produced by Kratai Recording Company. There are QR Codes at the exhibition that allows visitors to listen to songs from these record companies," said librarian Pisana Tunchaiporn.

"In Thailand, Mom Somjeen was the first singer who recorded on shellac discs. Mom Somjeen, one of the wives of Phraya Rachanupraphan, was a famous singer during King Rama V's reign. She was praised from her clear enunciation and crooning while singing. Visitors can also listen to her singing by scanning a QR code," Khwanrutai said.

In order to create QR codes of songs, library engineers went through a painstaking process of eliminating "noise" and other interferences from the aged and delicate shellac discs. Despite their best efforts, the recordings still are not as clear as digital, Khwanrutai added.

The next zone, From Shellac To Vinyl Records, says that in 1930, the stereo system was introduced, providing better sound quality than shellac discs. Flat discs in this era were made of polymer and called vinyl.

'Record Discs In Siam' displays several kinds of record players.

In 1949, RCA Victor, the American recording company, developed 7-inch vinyl discs that recorded one or two songs. The exhibition displays several discs in different designs and sizes from the glory days of vinyl. One of the vinyl discs was a New Year corporate gift from Lufthansa Airline that was ordered especially by the airline. It is a recording of the Christmas classic Silent Night.

"Shellac discs come in sizes of 10 to 12 inches; they are thick, heavy, but fragile. When shellac discs drop, they break. Vinyl discs give off clearer sound and are more lightweight than shellac discs. Shellac discs also tend to give off a higher pitch," said Khwanrutai.

At the Important Record Discs In Siam zone, visitors learn that in 1900 in Germany, the Thai royal anthem performed by a Thai traditional band led by Bud Mahin was recorded onto a wax cylinder. In 1907, Mae Pom and Mae Pan recorded their singing of the royal anthem on shellac discs. Later, Thailand's national anthem was officially recorded in a studio in 1934 after the Siamese Revolution of 1932. One interesting disc is a popular children's song, Chang, composed by Khunying Chin Silpabanleng.

The final section, Vinyl Revival – Aesthetic And Sentimental Value, notes that a vinyl revival began in 2007 and 2020, when vinyl discs were produced more than CDs.

"People want to turn back time to have an aesthetic experience as in the past," said Pisana.

"Some people want to hear songs in an analogue sound system because they feel it is different from digital. I believe the vinyl revival started with collectors and musicians, so the revival is limited to certain groups of people," Khwanrutai added.

Wax cylinders were invented by Thomas Alva Edison in 1877.

At the King Rama IX Music Library, there are materials available to the public such as books, audio and visual media that are related to music activities and songs composed by King Rama IX. As for the Princess Sirindhorn Music Library, printed, audio and visual media about Thai songs and songwriters are available.

"People often ask for musical notes of songs composed by King Rama IX. Since they want to play as a band, they need to have musical notes for different instruments, which are available in our library," Khwanrutai explained.

The head of the music library hopes that visitors will come to learn history at the exhibition.

"We have the learning resources, but we are not specialists in recording discs. Therefore, we consulted with Assadawut Sakrik, lecturer at the College of Music, Mahidol University, and Pluethipol Prachumphol, founder of the Thai National Flag Museum, who graciously gave us Edison shellac discs and a shellac record player that still works. We hope that visitors will learn about the history of Thai music which is part of our cultural heritage," said Khwanrutai.

"Records In Siam" runs at Princess Sirindhorn Music Library in the National Library, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm. Admission is free. For more information, call 02 280 9828 or visit facebook.com/NationalLibraryThailand.