Bangkok's underground electronic music scene has been rapidly growing in recent years. There are various events focusing on different music genres which include house, disco, techno as well as the subgenres within, which there weren't as many a few years back. Western influences have changed the music landscape and conversely, Thai acts have begun to take inspiration from their style to apply on their craft. We chat with six Bangkok-based DJs and acts, artists who are putting in the sweat to expand and gain exposure in the underground music scene. These DJs have made a significant impact on the dance music community in recent years and Guru feels the need to give you, especially you who love the underground dance music scene, a proper introduction.
ATMA
Who:
Mark Lipert, better known as ATMA, did not expect to be DJing regularly in Bangkok, after having quit the profession at the age of 23 (he is now 31). From Melbourne, he is one of the organisers of the Kolour parties in Thailand, which has been around since 2011 and has paved the way showcasing local talents of the underground music scene, as well as bringing in international acts. Although not a founder, ATMA has a vital role in Kolour.
Photo courtesy of Kolour
"I've had a large influence on the creative direction of the brand, who we're booking and what sort of image we want to uphold" says ATMA. As managing director of creative agency, Niika, he's responsible for creating Kolour's brand image among other design efforts.
As for the name? While one may make the connection that Lipert's DJ moniker is based on the Hindu philosophy of the principle of life or inner self, Lipert has acknowledged it as "a cool coincidence". So where did he get his name? From one of the bosses of one of his favourite games Final Fantasy VI. "I think DJs take themselves so seriously", laughed ATMA, hence the creation of his name's silly origins.
Why should you care:
Having played at multiple gigs in Australia and Europe, as well as being producer of his own sets and tracks, ATMA is now playing at popular venues such as Glow and Violett, as well as Sunn events. He has been the opening act for famous international DJs such as Seth Troxler, Pan-Pot, John Digweed and Sebastien Leger, among others. His music is not meant to educate, but to deliver a great time dancing. He closed out the Kolour Beachside Party this past weekend.
Thoughts on the scene:
ATMA keeps a close look at Thailand's underground music scene. "The scene seems to be resurging in a big way, I've seen more Thais going to music festivals around the world. In the old days, there was really only a couple of venues that facilitated this expansion and now people have become so motivated and inspired by it, that now there are too many venues and nights taking place. It's spreading the scene too much. Everyone is running a festival!"
Even though he feels the scene may be a bit fragmented, ATMA wishes to see more collaborations among organisers and more new faces since the same artists and DJs keep playing at numerous festivals. He continues to push forth with Kolour to invite curious onlookers looking for a new party experience for something that is considered standard in the West.
"I've kinda always felt that Kolour should be in the direction it's going in now, which is not trying to be too underground, not trying to be too techno, not just about the music but more about the experience and being accessible so that someone can walk into a Kolour party and not feel intimidated like its an exclusive underground club."
http://fb.com/atmapodcast, http://soundcloud.com/atma_podcast
Peking Opera
Who:
Thai-French duo Peking Opera aren't just DJs within the already massive scene. Friends Melvin and JC, through their shared love of the same music and views on Bangkok's nightlife scene, are known for their live sets, which involves improvised playing and mash-ups. Following the footsteps of Thai duo Cut the Crab and electronic producer Marmosets, Peking Opera performs with live instruments with JC playing synths and Melvin drums. Their sets are both visually and sonically appealing, the duo often reading the crowd to see what songs they should play next.
Photo courtesy of Peking Opera
"Because we want high energy in our sets, we want people to interact and feel the music as we do," says Melvin.
Why should you care:
There aren't as many Thai electronic acts that DJ and perform live at the same time (otherwise known as hybrid live sets). It's refreshing to see an act like Peking Opera fill that void. While relatively new, they're already gaining traction thanks to their appearances at Kolour events and smaller performances, and they have debuted original music on their debut EP Road to Peking at last week's Kolour Beachside Party, so big things are on the horizon.
Thoughts on the scene:
"I think it has developed really fast and it's been very positive," says Melvin. He noted that about five to six years ago, there were no live acts, but today, anybody can pretty much find every underground genre in the country. "There's a market for any group of music basically," he says. "We have a lot of influence from overseas and it has brought over a lot of genres we wouldn't have here, but the reception from Thai people have been good."
http://fb.com/PekingOperaBand, http://soundcloud.com/pekingoperaband
Soi Dogs
Who:
Formed in 2013, with a shared taste for underground house and techno music, and the growing niche market, members Rory Spencer Kirkham and Valtteri Alarik Mattson teamed up and formed Soi Dogs.
Photo courtesy of Soi Dogs
"We wanted a name that was tied to Thailand because neither of us are Thai but we wanted some appeal to the Thai population in a way," explains Kirkham.
Although starting out with obscure hip-hop music, after having spent time exploring the underground music scene in Thailand, they gained inspiration to build their sound from the likes of top names such as Sunju Hargun, Mendy Indigo and Dan Buri.
Why you should care:
Kirkham and Mattson are industry veterans on Bangkok's nightlife scene. Apart from playing as Soi Dogs, they also perform under the aliases of Dark White, where their sound is geared towards disco, funk and old-school house. They're also event promoters and are behind the event organisation Late Night Bangkok, which was taken from their earlier DJ name Late Night Brotherhood. The group book local and international artists to play at their events to separate the brand from their work as DJs. Their efforts to bring acts have gained the attention of the Trust music agency, which have given them the opportunity to play alongside high profile acts like Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler and Damian Lazarus, which helped kick-start Soi Dogs' career. Fittingly, they are also planning to work on a "Soi Dogs for Soi Dogs" event where they plan to donate proceeds to the Soi Dog Foundation.
Thoughts on the scene:
Having been in the underground scene for five years, Soi Dogs have seen a lot of growth within it, compared to when they first started where the kind of music they played could only be heard at Glow. "Now people have a lot of choice on where to go for underground house and techno", however, they believe there's a bit of oversaturation. "To move the scene forward musically, you need to be experimenting and trying new things, and challenging the audience," says Kirkham.
While Soi Dogs have noticed numerous agencies promoting local Thai DJs across Asia, the one thing they notice is a lack of promotion outside Asia. "There is a lack of managers in Asia," says Kirkham. "Managers are supposed to have connections to connect artists with the press, with the labels, to get them the right releases, give this information to the agent so that they have ammunition to sell the artist to the venues," says Kirkham. He believes there isn't a manager that properly manages the artists.
http://fb.com/soidogsbkk, http://soundcloud.com/soidogsbkk
Superstar Panda
Who:
Having been around longer than the rest, Akarapon Nateratanakul or Superstar Panda, has come a long way from his beginnings as a DJ at Koh Phangan's infamous full moon parties to performing in Bangkok's popular venues and founding With Love events.
Photo courtesy of Superstar Panda
Superstar Panda plays what he describes as "feel-good happy music", which can range from nu-disco to deep and tech house as well as funk and techno, and is rocking the Bangkok party scene like no other.
In a world dominated by commercial dance music, Superstar Panda brought deep and tech house music which was something not many artists have done at the time, playing music that he loves, not because of a need to bring attention to the Thai crowd but purely out of passion for the music, and over time has gained international recognition for his musical efforts.
Why should you care:
Superstar Panda, who has been around in the scene for a long period of time, has played in notable clubs such as Glow, Cafe Democ, Club Culture, Bed Supperclub and Levels to name a few.
The veteran DJ has also embarked on an international tour and is perhaps one of the, if not the, first Thai DJs to play in certain famous festivals in Berlin, with highlights including "Berlin Beat and Boat" and "East Port Festival", as well as the chilly "Rave on Snow" event in Austria. He has performed alongside big names such as Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Pan-Pot, among others. One could say he's one of the first Thai DJs to have influence outside of Thailand, which is an achievement in itself.
Panda is one of the collaborators behind the yearly Thaibreak Festival, as well as the organiser of his Fly to the Moon New Year's Eve parties on the island of Koh Mak. He is also one of the founders of Day Trip, the picnic-style dance event in Amphawa which was held in June earlier this year. With all the things he's been working on, he is definitely giving growth to the scene.
Thoughts on the scene:
Panda has noticed a fast rise in the ever-changing scene. "People today are more open to listening to new kinds of music compared to many years ago," he says. He believes Thai people have taken an interest in new genres of music thanks to the boom of Western DJs coming into Thailand. "Everybody wants something new because they are getting bored of listening to the same thing such as hip-hop or EDM." He hopes more Thai DJs are willing to expose themselves on an international scale by performing abroad as well as gaining more recognition worldwide for himself.
http://fb.com/ol.SUPERSTAR.PANDA.lo, http://soundcloud.com/superstar-panda
Hexer
Who:
From Istanbul, Turkey, Öncel Cebeci, or Hexer, grew up with metal and punk music, having played bass guitar in a punk band, before being exposed to the world of electronic music sometime in the mid-2000's, through acid and hard techno as well as trance. It was then where he kick started his path to becoming a DJ, first performing in Turkey in 2008.
Photo courtesy of Hexer
Relocating to Bangkok in 2016, he quickly established himself within the scene, becoming active by performing at small-scale underground venues weekly. In addition to DJing, he decided to produce his own techno tracks as he believes that there aren't many producers in Thailand, only DJs.
"What I realize is that Bangkok only has DJs, even though they have production knowledge and skills, they don't seem to produce much," says Hexer.
His music has been described as 'dark' and 'hard-edged', providing a heavy yet groovy sound. Hexer has been an active producer for two years and his debut EP, The Rave Method, was released on Rebellious Records in April.
Two more EPs were also released in June, Between Spaces and the old-school psy-techno inspired The Great Blue Sky. Hexer's productions show no signs of stopping and his busy schedule shows that.
Why should you care:
Because there is no other person who brings this dark sound, which some have dubbed "Detroit techno", Hexer has been performing, his name gaining traction and support from other like-minded individual artists and DJs.
All of his EPs and latest releases can be streamed through Spotify and Soundcloud. Hexer describes his signature sounds as "kick that must slap your face while basslines are tripping in your body". If that doesn't sound hard, I don't know what will.
Thoughts on the scene:
Hexer definitely believes the Bangkok underground scene is growing. "It's changing, the mentality of the club owners, DJs, artists, the audience too," says Hexer. "The audience seems to be getting bored with the same old music that has been playing in town for many years such as commercialized dance music."
He wishes that there is more collaboration among DJs within the community. "I would like more collaborations among artists so that we are more unified. Everyone is scattered around." He also wishes club hours close much later, as he feels like it ends too early but one can dream in this country.
http://fb.com/HexSound, http://soundcloud.com/hexerbrln
Elaheh
Who:
With an interest in music at a young age, Elaheh "Ellie" Khodayar, who goes by Elaheh, was first exposed to the electronic side of music after attending a trance show by Armin van Buuren in 2008. The Thai-Iranian DJ has played various kinds of music at Glow, Violett, Whiteline and De Commune, to name a few. While her music was initially best described as deep and minimal techno, her style constantly changes and grows, taking inspiration from other artists and playing whatever she likes as long as everyone has fun.
Photo courtesy of Elaheh
"I can't say why, it's just the natural progression, you kinda just go by what you like, what resonates with you. With all these festivals you see, every time you see an act, you take something back with you," she says.
Why should you care:
Elaheh has played alongside more well-known DJs, a personal highlight being local talent Sunju Hargun, the man behind the charity-led collective Karma Klique, who is known for his Karma Kruise boat parties and is responsible for putting her on the map. Plus, it's always refreshing to see more notable female DJs on the scene.
She is also a member and co-creator of music collective UNSTๆ alongside DJs DOTT and Sarayu, as well as Collect/Save, a project that helps up-and-coming DJs learn more about their craft and become knowledgeable in the field by partaking in workshops and masterclasses by industry experts.
Thoughts on the scene:
Although Elaheh feels like the scene is quite niche, as with most underground scenes, she would like to see a more tightly-knit community where there's a melting pot of creativity and collaboration.
"We're kind of one community but separated into subgenres, like with different crews and promoters, but I think what we need is one place where we can all go and hang out, throw ideas at each other," she says.
Having had a chance to play for bigger figures has made her step up in delivering music for the audiences, as well as picking which artists to showcase in upcoming events. She hopes to see Thailand export more local talent in the future, considering that more expats are coming into the scene.
"It's important for me to shed light on the guys that are here that deserve to be seen a little more, there's a lot of Thai DJs that I like to listen to and it would be cool to bring them to the forefront," she says.
http://fb.com/elahehofficial/, http://soundcloud.com/elahehofficial
