Thailand: Music Compilations
Before this project, I already listened to a bit of Thai music but not much. I remember listening to an incredible compilation called “Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964-1975” in 2010 when I was a college student and had a radio show. One of the tracks on the comp, “Mae Kha Som Tum” by Onuma Singsiri, quickly became one of my favorite songs to play on the radio alongside garage rock, psych bands and 60s girl groups. That song made its way onto countless playlists for friends and has been a consistent part of my listening for the past 10 years. It has the coolest beat, guitar tone and I love the singer’s voice - especially when she stretches out her vocals at the end of the “som tummmmm” part... it’s just so. cool.
Beyond this, there are a few comps that I’ve listened to here and there, but I’ve never done much of a deep dive on Thai music, especially not as region specific as Northeastern Thailand!
However, I have taken a little bit of time to scour the internet and have had the best time finding dancey funk tracks, gorgeous folk songs and songs with traditional instrumentation from the Northeastern countryside.
I’m so excited to share songs on individual posts but enjoy these compilations in the meantime!