Crack

Soundway is a record label dedicated to promoting some of the more forgotten chapters of some of the world’s richest musical cultures. From the disco and rock sounds of 70’s Nigeria to the golden age of Panamanian music and from Benin’s Afro-latin grooves to a myriad of tropical and Afro sounds, Soundway aims to present the greatest obscure A-sides, B-sides and album cuts that have, until now, remained unavailable.

Chris Menist is a musician, journalist and DJ who has lived and worked in Bangkok since 2008. Alongside DJ partner Maft Sai, he co-runs the bi-monthly 'Paradise Bangkok' in Thailand which showcases the vintage sounds of molam and luk thung music.

Menist is a serious collector; he has scoured the shops and markets of Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar in search of obscure vinyl. Menist has recently finished putting together his new album The Sound of Siam, a compilation of some amazing yet forgotten gems from Thailand’s musical history that is clearly steeped in their rich culture. Crack got the opportunity to talk to Menist and discus his inspiration and how it feels to be a Brit working in the music industry in Thailand.



So how did you first become involved in Thai music? ‬

After moving to Bangkok in 2008 – I was pretty sure their would be records to find here. Within a week of arriving I’d already started checking the second-hand markets and shops, and after a couple of trips it was obvious there was some really special music to be discovered.

‪Thailand is such a big place and means something completely different from one person to the next, what does it mean to you?

Thailand is a very complex country, but at its best is the great food, great music, friendly people and beautiful countryside

How does it feel to be an ex-pat working in the music industry?

It feels good. When I left the UK back in 2006, I wasn’t sure I’d continue to be involved with music but from the UK to Pakistan and now Thailand, music seems to be have followed me around! The fact that these various projects with labels like Soundway and Finders Keepers have evolved so naturally is really gratifying.

‪How did you get involved in working with Soundway records?‬

I’d known Miles for a while, mostly through record buying and trading. Plus, when I worked as a music journalist in the UK I was a fan of the label and always liked the attention to detail they gave to all their releases. The Sound of Siam came about after I burnt a CD of some of the tracks I’d found and gave it to Miles just for home listening. He then called me up saying how much he liked what he’d heard and the compilation kind of evolved from there.

‪And how did you go about compiling the Sound of Siam record?‬

A mixture of picking the broadest selection possible out of the records I’d found, and then having discussions with Miles so as to strike a balance between accessibility, and making sure an accurate range of Thai music was represented on the compilation. I also co-run a club night, called ‘Paradise Bangkok’ (no allusion to Larry Levan – it was just the name of an album we used for the first party poster, and the name just stuck), with DJ Maft Sai, who runs ZudRangMa Records. The aim of the night was to showcase vintage Thai music, alongside African, reggae and funk music, mixing between the different genres. Anyway, some of the tracks on ‘Sound of Siam’ were also ones which proved dancefloor friendly as well, such as Ding Ding Dong by Waipod Petsuphan.

What’s your favourite track on the compilation and why?‬

I think Sao Lam Plearn by Chaweewan Dumnern. Just a phenomenal vocal, underpinned by that nagging analogue synth and Rolling Stones riff! It’s pure magic that always lights up the dance floor wherever I’ve played it.

‪How long did it take you to put together?

A couple of years on and off. This was due to travelling, tracking down the licensors, and also the track list changing, as I’d find different tracks during buying trips that we felt were worthy of inclusion.

Any interesting stories whilst putting together the album?‬

I think just the strange collection of characters that man the record stores where I’ve found so many of the tracks that are featured on the comp. Most of them have run these shops for the last 30 – 40 years. Sometimes I was treated with huge suspicion, and one guy in particular went through a phase of refusing to sell me certain records. The street in China Town that houses most of these shops is like a strange vinyl version of Ramsay Street!

How do you think The Sound of Siam translates to a UK audience?‬

Difficult to say, though good music is basically good music, and I really hope the quality of the playing, arrangements and vocal performances of the tracks we’ve picked will win over new converts.

‪Do you plan to follow the album up, perhaps a second volume?‬

It’s not impossible, but as this is a new musical area for the label, we’ll see how this volume is received first.

What are your plans for the future?‬

Hopefully taking Paradise Bangkok to some more countries. There are some possible gigs in Singapore and Japan on the cards, so that’s exciting. I’m just starting work on a Vietnamese compilation and a recent trip to Yemen has yielded some interesting music also, so watch this space.

‪You are well travelled, is there any place other than Thailand that has been particularly inspirational?‬

Afghanistan - possibly one of the most naturally beautiful countries on earth. I went to Bamyan in the central highlands, the same place where the Taliban destroyed the giant Buddhas. The remains of the Buddhas had been put into storage, but what was still there was the ancient city that was cut into the rock, which had framed the Buddha statues. Basically the old city consisted of around 2,000 interconnecting caves, some of which contained old temples, although much of it had been looted or destroyed. Still, the view from the highest layer of caves, looking out over the Bamyan valley was literally breathtaking. I sincerely hope the country finds a peaceful future out of its troubled present.



Words: Lucinda Bounsall

Photo: David Procter

http://www.soundwayrecords.com/

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