Putting the Fun in Funk

Putting the Fun in Funk

The veteran musician revisits his love for funk on his star-studded EP

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Putting the Fun in Funk

Mention the name Notapol "Kor" Srichomkwan and most people would still have no idea who he is. To the local music industry, however, Kor is a bit of a legend. Having had started out as a bassist for alt-rock mainstay Moderndog, he went on to do some great things -- the most notable being co-founding pop-rock outfit POP alongside Nop Ponchamni and Montien Keawgamnoed, spearheading beloved disco-funk quartet Groove Riders as well as supergroup The Ghost Cat.

Ever a versatile, multi-talented artist, Kor finally struck out on his own and released a soul-leaning solo debut, 2006's The Workings of the Soul, which was followed six years later by its sequel The Workings of the Soul Part 2. Still, Kor's lingering love for funk persists and manifests itself through his latest offering FUNK EP.

Running just shy of half an hour, the five-track EP pulls in an impressive range of collaborators from Tul Apartment Khunpa to Gene Kasidit. Co-written by 4 Tao Tur's Kongdej Jaturanrasamee and Buddha Bless' Natee "Oui" Ekwijit (who also provides a rap verse), lead single Roon Yai opens the set with a sticky foot-tapping bass slap and funky guitars à la Daft Punk's modern classic Get Lucky. "Vintage like us/The older, the better," Kor sings. "The seniors are here/Time to come back/The young 'uns had better get outta way."

Funkified guitars continue on the title track as Nui Wiriyapa of The Peach Band fame joins in on the vocals duties. There's also a rap verse, but unlike the previous track, here it feels somewhat out of place and gratuitous. The English-language Evil offers a slice of new wave, albeit with a spring in its step (think New Order on a particularly cheery day). Synth-pop queen Gene Kasidit takes the vocal reins here, giving it plenty of attitude ("Go, wherever you wanna go … Be, whoever you wanna be/Live your life/Only you can see").

The Diary features Polycat's frontman Na and naturally ends up sounding like it could be right at home on the band's debut 80 Kisses. Elsewhere, Two Popetorn and Mild's vocalist Badin "Pae" Jareonrat gives us a rousing ode to opposite-sex friendship (Puan See) while The Parkinson's Nipat "Karn" Kamjornpreecha concludes the EP with a lovelorn ballad (Sak Wan). The production here may be less than memorable, but Karn's pleading voice more than makes up for it.

With this EP, Kor succeeds in paying homage to the genre he's always had a deep affinity with. The collaborators too are well chosen, and each one of them has contributed to the project with their own style and artistry. Far from being a filler in the artist's discography, the EP is a love letter to FUNK in all of its all-caps glory. A final word of warning: if you're a Groove Riders fan, prepare to get seriously nostalgic.

THE PLAYLIST

Bird Thongchai (feat Urboy TJ)/ OK

Thailand's reigning king of pop Bird Thongchai has just announced Mini Marathon, his forthcoming new album featuring collaborations from eight eclectic (and younger) artists from Polycat to Boom Boom Cash. The record's first taste arrives in the form of OK, a mid-tempo R&B jam which finds P'Bird getting his street on alongside homeboy Urboy TJ. "Baby OK/Mai pen rai/I'm good," he repeats in the hook with the help of on-trend vocal pitching. Though nothing really earth-shattering, it's still a fun little ditty that goes to show how he's always down with the kids.

Django Django/ In Your Beat

UK art-rock outfit Django Django's upcoming third LP Marble Skies is set to drop next month, but until then, we have new track In Your Beat to tide us over. A follow-up to lead cut Tic Tac Toe, the song gives us some serious old-school Pet Shop Boys vibe -- lots of blooming synths underpinned by the tribal percussion sampled from Finn Vine and Zeben Jameson's Buffalo Plane. "Stepping out, away from a burning heat/The water we drink has never tasted this sweet," sings frontman Vincent Neff. "Fevered devotion, deep as the ocean/Saved us from what should have been … In your beat/Dancing with me."

The Fratellis/ Stand Up Tragedy

As evidenced from their 2006's debut Costello Music all to way to 2015's Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied, we can pretty much leave it to Glaswegian trio The Fratellis to serve up a rock tune worthy of a dance floor. Their latest Stand up Tragedy is no exception. Taken from their upcoming record In Your Own Sweet Time, the song chirps along merrily as vocalist Jon Fratelli offsets it with his brand of dark lyricism ("If I was the melody, you were the symphony/Honey loving you took the very best of me/I don't need your red wine covered sympathy/Just another punchline in your stand up tragedy").

Demob Happy/ Be Your Man

Back from a period of silence following 2015's debut Dream Soda, the Brighton four-piece is now gearing up for the release of their sophomore record Holy Doom. New single Be Your Man sees the garage band cranking up their grungy/psych-rock riffs and grimy hooks not too dissimilar to American rock legends Queens of the Stone Age. "Meet me on the corner/I'll always be your man," croons lead singer/bassist Matthew Marcantonio, channelling his inner Beatles.

Day Wave, Hazel English/ PDA

Surf-pop upstarts Day Wave (Jackson Phillips) and Hazel English team up for a cover of Interpol's beloved Turn on the Bright Lights single, PDA. Here, they keep the original's post-punk production largely intact through propulsive guitars and drums while bringing their own indie-rock flair to the table. "Yo

urs is the only version of my desertion that I could ever subscribe to/That is all that I can do/You are a past sinner, the last winner," the pair sing in an endearing duet. "You're so cute when you're frustrated, dear/You're so cute when you're sedated, dear."

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