A lot has been happening in the life of Bangkok based Kiwi songwriter, John WiIl Sail. Within the span of a few weeks he suddenly left the rock band The Sangsom Massacre, started an indie label with fellow musician Soranut Masayavanich (Beer) and released a new video for the song “Tame” from the album The City Sea.

All the changes called for some explanations. Plus there were questions i never asked but always wanted to have answers. - DC   

D: I hate to bring this up but when I first met you, you were fronting a metal band called The Fallen Versus Fate. Some people might describe the music of John Will Sail as ‘sensitive man music.’ I guess the question is, Is the metal side of you screaming into a microphone still there, or does John Will Sail represent an evolution in you as an artist and person?
 
J: Hahaha good question. I still listen to heavy music, usually metal/hardcore stuff from a few years ago. I probably play American Me's beatdown album Heat once a week when I am angry and old favourites like Parkway Drive when in the gym. But I started writing as a kid, doing things like Cat Stevens and John Will Sail is a return to those roots. I like to think it’s more edgy and intense on stage than most singer/songwriters, that's why I sometimes use the title folkpunk. I think this project has helped me evolve more than any band I have been involved in; it is a real learning curve writing songs all by yourself and engaging the audience as a solo artist. It has taken three years to get to be happy where I am, which is a long time compared to a bands lifespan. I love heavy music and always will, but I felt the need to grow up.
 
D: In the press release I received for “Tame” your new video, you referred to “being a bit of a Dad” – what did you mean by that?

J: I notice that I do tend to be authoritative at times. In relationships, during work, probably even music. Also, I am an older brother to three younger siblings and have this inbuilt consideration for others, like I feel I can always help people for the better. Do good things, in my mind anyway. Sometimes doing the best thing is simply shutting up.  
 
D:As an artist do you necessarily know consciously what your lyrics are about or do they flow as a stream of consciousness and then you realize what the lyrics are about. Is making the music a process of self discovery or is it simply a process of making real what already exists perfectly in your mind?

J: There is a bit of both self and the world in lyrics. I try to speak my heart in songs as this, I found, makes the performance a lot more interesting. You can relive these moments in songs, so if you just write something that sounds nice or rhymes for the hell of it then you’re not doing yourself justice. Even if you're writing for a pop audience and writing on issues that affect everyone, there should be some sense of truth in the lyrics. Otherwise it’s just like building a fancy sports car with a motorbike engine.
 
D: I was asking someone the other day what ‘folk punk’ meant as a genre. I think we may have touched upon this in the podcast we did months back. I think Epitaph has some folk punk on their label now.

J: Good point. The genre is hard to define. I see it as a punk feeling in an acoustic form. Punk itself has changed since day one. Think how commercial acts like Sex Pistols, Blink 182 and Green Day compare to more underground acts like Pennywise, Refused and Strike Anywhere, then to the real, harsh, dirty underground NY scenes. What I think holds true among all punk is the subversion of the mainstream (before that particular generation of punk becomes too popular and becomes what it created to hate.) My music, though softer than punk bands, still has a bit of grit and an intensity that most singer/songwriters I have seen leave out of their performance. Structurally my songs are fairly punk orientated also, usually around 2 to 3 minutes. Of course I have had to tone down parts, learning to adjust the dynamic, voice etc. That's all about the evolution I explained earlier. I guess folk punk is a sort of 'soft music for bad boys' type thing. Most of the time I just refer to myself as folk as it’s easier to digest for the greater public.

D: Getting back to the video: do you do a lot of the conceptualizing of the video yourself or leave it to the editor? It seems you may be doing some of the editing yourself, is that right? How do you find the process of video creation? Musicians often loathe the long hours on a set.

​J: I love making the film clips. My first video It's My Holiday Too was shot with a team and cost quite a bit of money. I have made the video private, even though the content (beers, beaches, parties and Pattaya) made it the most popular video (6500 organic hits) the image/theme associated was too tongue in cheek. Journeyman was really interesting. I received a large pay-out from my old job, bought a camera with a 50mm lens and an air ticket to North America. I sort of just filmed different people as I went and edited it all into each person having their own story. With Tame I had more of an idea of a theme, filmed lots of South African animals and scenery while there in July. I had the musicians I toured with shoot me in lots of locations playing guitar. This last effort I paid a friend, Jesse Maddox, to edit. His skills are far better than mine and he has added that extra professional touch to the video. 
 
D: You are often performing with your friend Beer, Soranut Masayavanich. Recently you performed at Noise Market 5 – sorry I missed the performance – and it looks like you guys have started up a little label for yourselves. I saw a comp CD on Beer’s Facebook page. What are the plans for the label?

J: Beer Soranut is an awesome performer and real fun to play with. He and I talked about Summer Sun Records a while back, but I didn't know it would actually happen. I love Beer’s enthusiasm and he called me up and said ‘hey man I want to make a label, for local indie artists like us, and I don’t want contracts, just good music and working together with good people’. I said great! But I only started taking it seriously when I left Sangsom (next question) and Beer and I have worked together on some shows, music promotion and future projects. It’s started really well, got some buzz and by running all our shows/merch through the label we have something solid. We have created a brand to strengthen the scene.
 
D: Recently you left The Sangsom Massacre where you have played bass and guitar for a few years. Are you all still friends? Do you still feel the brotherhood? Was it time to simply work on your solo music? And I have to ask the question: Were you trying to ‘tame’ The Sangsom Massacre?

J: Hahhaha I don’t think I ever tried to ‘tame’ The Sangsom Massacre, she's one mighty beast. But I was doing a lot of work for the band to make it great; I could see a bright future and we were a pretty big deal in the Bangkok scene. But keeping it up there takes a professional attitude and someone with knowledge of the industry. The other guys’ passion were in the right place, but they didn’t fully understand the expectations of a band in that position. I have nothing against those guys and was drinking with them last weekend actually, but I guess I will miss the fun, rock band brotherhood we shared for those years. 
 
D: Some bands or artists stay the same for their entire career. Take a band like Slayer. Times change and the technology advances, but Slayer is still Slayer. Other artists evolve over time – Madonna comes to mind- changing their sound, style, image, etc yet somehow they retain fans. What is John Will Sail’s opinion on that?

J: Change is indeed a double edge sword. As humans, we all change and grow, so if music is an honest expression of yourself it will change too.  I have changed since touring South Africa even, just being exposed to new artists, playing larger audiences, seeing the world. Some of my new tracks I have written recently are less punk, less gun-ho; I realise the importance of slower tracks and the need to change dynamic to make the live experience more of a journey.
 
D: If you met a music industry dude who said, “John, I like your music but you’re going to have to change the arrangements on some of the songs; we’re going to bring in ghostwriters;  session musicians and producers. But you will also get a contract and some money up front to quit the day job for a few years.” What would you do? Not even getting into the publishing rights and royalties which is what record companies typically want to control… but how would you feel losing control over your music? Would it be worth the sacrifice?
 
J: Wow yeah that’s a difficult question. I would be tempted. Of course every musician wants some form of fame or recognition, though I don’t think the satisfaction would last if you had to play other people’s tracks over and over, every day. Honestly, I would rather write my own songs for me the way I like. Maybe I would ask this producer if they have a pop artist they need me to write songs for, then launch my career that way like Lady Gaga and Pharrel Williams.
 
D: Is there anything you have learned as an artist over all the years you have been doing it that you would share with anyone – some passionate little kid with an old guitar in bedroom and some songs – what would you tell a young musician?     
 
Make the most of all opportunities. Fight for them, but don’t die for them. 

See John Will Sail performing at the following events:
 
27th @ Jam Galleries Night (Summer Sun Records)

28th Betty Folks Bangkok II @ Bangkok Betty (Movember Special) + Craft beer from Golden Coins (Summer Sun Records)

4th of December @ Hide Hide w/ Beer Soranut (Summer Sun Records)

6th of December - YMo Fo @ Whiteline (Rhubarb and Custard)​
​

​Noise Market 5 has come and gone. It’s one of the highlights of Bangkok with so many bands to see perform live. You know you won’t see them all, but you’ll see quite a few. One of the challenges for me at a big festival with multiple stages like Noise Market is giving new bands a listen while my attention is being drawn to a sounds and stimuli coming from all directions, the need for another beer run, friends appearing in the crowd as well as the desire to go and see your friends' bands. 

Saturday afternoon I briefly caught a band called Phy featuring Yusuke the guitarist from Lowfat. Now that they are on the radar will make a point to see them again during the regular shows during the year.

I ran into Teerwat Ukris “Art” (Jinta) while walking from Sanam Luang where the 511 dropped me off to Museum Siam – didn’t recognize him with the short hair until he performed solo in the Music Shop performance area. I would have offered to help him with his gear had I recognized him. Apologies Art! 

Govinda Bhasya, the sitarist, AKA Noparuj Satjawan performed with a live band. It’s great hearing the classical Indian musical instrument with the modern sounds of guitar, drums and bass. Normally, he would perform with a backing track. The performance spanned genres of world music (I hate the term but I don’t know what else to say); rock fusion, funk, electronica and it was quite exciting to hear the drummer counting off (“One... two... three… four!”) after a sitar solo so the entire band could resume the verse or what-have-you all together. Moments like that I realize a lot of the music may be improvised and it’s a real test of the musicians’ skill. Definitely a pleasure to experience live. You can sometimes see Govinda playing with Yong from psychedelic rock band, Chladni Chandi as well as The Sticky Rice. His CD is on my Christmas list. 

​Jinta – the folk rock band  has made a bit of a splash in recent months with an unforgettable performance at Sofar Sounds BKK in August. Noise Market was at least the fourth time I’ve seen Tea and his band perform live – it’s unforgettable every time. I hear he is playing regularly at Parking Toys Watt in Ekkamai now. Quite surprised to hear him performing “Reverse” by Assajan Jakgawan but his cover of that song may be what he is especially known for now. Put Jinta on your watch list. 

​Count the Thief – It’s tough to write about your friends’ bands but I will try to explain the music and forget everything else. Count the Thief is power trio of guitar, drums and bass. It’s not easy to categorize the music as each instrument holds its own as a force of musical expression. Bassist Danny Duncombe does the vocals although calling him a vocalist doesn’t quite seem accurate and to this day I have no idea what he is singing – his voice is like another layer of sound in a prog rock soufflé of sorts. Dave LeFor’s guitar seems to mimic human voices at times and you may be seduced into imagining the influence of natural elements of nature in sounds. The drums by Toby Willems are played with wild abandon, punchy, precise and not content just to keep the beat. The complexity of the arrangements keeps you engaged. They report selling much merchandise after their performance.

Toby is a contributor to this blog - check out his page here. 

​Strange Brew – As night fell on the grounds of Museum Siam, I could feel my energy level lowering – it was either time for more beer or just go home and sleep. Luckily the sounds of 60s surf rock pulled me back into the moment. Sleep could wait. I had read Pok’s endorsement of the band in a recent BK Magazine article and was delighted to see them for the first time. While they aren’t necessarily reinventing the wheel, revisiting music that emanated from southern California when young people were first experimenting with electric guitars and basses, reverb to approximate the sound of waves, is cool as hell.  It should not come as a surprises these guys are from Bangsaen. They have a 3 song EP which my friend bought but I might steal. Definitely, go and check this band out. Click here for their page. 

Wednesday – It is not an easy feat to describe the solo project of Put ‘Wednesday” Suksriwan because rather than experience the free form stream of consciousness of a writer I often fall into a hallucinogenic semi-state where words simply evaporate and you are pinned to the grass starig at the clouds. The music is outer-worldly painting emotions with guitar noise… ambient, brooding soundscapes that you might listen to while hiding a closet with candles and absinthe. There’s a new album out on Colorcode Records appropriately titled Lazarus. At the end of his set he tossed Wednesday guitar picks into the crowd - I was reclining on the ground still in a far off distant land while this was happening. Put that CD on your Christmas list. 

​Also Noise Market 5 was the debut of Lil Fatso Food Truck from Matthew and Kae the team that brought you Fatty’s Bar & Diner. It’s a menu of sliders: mini burgers, pulled pork, chicken and an exceptionally tasty blue cheese with mushroom as well as fries, cheese fries, mozarella sticks, cheese curds. And then there’s the poppers. The jalapeno poppers have always been a winner – two days in a row eating them – I am not sure how they fried a ball of cream cheese and jalapeno – maybe it was a miracle – but the result is quite nice – the added ranch dressing just makes it the most decadent delicacy! Click here for more on Lil Fatso.

Regrets – I wasn’t able to see everything and on Saturday night a last minute decision to go to Studio Lam for Japanese folk songwriter Ichiko Aoba and LALA meant I missed Beer Soranut and John Will Sail although I should note I did catch Cyndi Seui and Gramaphone Children featuring Beer on the big stage on Sunday night – that definitely got the crowd moving. And the crowd was erupting for The White Shoes and Couples Company from Indonesia. 

While I was aware of the film festival, I missed it. Hopefully those films will be available to view somewhere else. 

​I missed Panic Station, Casiotone and Naked Astronaught. Next time! I missed Third Person as well, the band formed by Ten from Philosopher Brothers. Damn! Will have to wait til next year. 

I'd love to hear your favorite performances at Noise Market and what you bought if anything from the many musicians and artists and selling their merchandise. I bought a Plastic Section CD as a gift and received a Basement Tape button as a gift. Not a bad score. Looking forward to Noise Market 6. 

OK, I am going to go listen to some Strange Brew now. ;)

​- DC   

Fans of the Underground Retro Blogger, Andrew Wright, we have something for you. I have been trying to trace the roots of Bangkok independent music for some time now and one fateful night back in a time previous that I can only recollect through my journal entries, I met Andy. Andy is your quintessential music fan and connoisseur with the memory of a dolphin or elephant (whichever has the better memory). In our in depth exclusive Q and A conducted via internet, the Underground Retro czar answers my questions on the 'early days' of Bangkok underground, the most influential bands and how bands can make a living in the digital age. And a whole lot more!  

This is an interview with diehard Bangkok music fan.
 
 What years did you live here?
 
1997-2012.
 
Describe the environment for original music when you found it. Make note of names, dates, venues. Use descriptive language to add the ambience.
 
In the old days of the late 90s, there didn’t really appear to be a scene, at least for a newcomer farang like myself. The economy had tanked and expats were leaving the city in droves. There were a few expat bands that played around the bars of Sukhumvit and beyond, the best of which was a three-piece called Jawa who played a mix of originals, covers, and covers re-skinned as originals (so “Farmer John” became “Farmer Somchai” and “Copacabana” became “Nana Plaza”). I even played bass for them for six months which was a lot of fun.
 
Starting around the new millennium, there was a lot of energy coming out of the print media at the time: Stirling Silliphant at Bangkok Metro and Manond Apanich at The Nation, and the two of them plus Dino and Top Tarasin kicked off the Eastbound Downers and began ROLLCALL which was a weekly email-only gig listing of events around town. This dove-tailed with a growing Thai scene of indie musicians and bedroom bands, of which Panda Records and their bands were a part, plus Bank Red Twenty and his Bangkok Alien Music Alliance label. Things started moving more quickly. It was a good time. You could almost guarantee a good gig every weekend, and I’d come home with a pocket full of beer-stained CDs, raving to my wife about some amazing and then-obscure band I’d seen at About Café, Code Bar or Asok Bar. Cool bands from overseas were touring here: buddhistson, Astreal, Muon, Factor 2 Grace, Furniture, Force Vomit, From Whence He Came. There were some incredible gigs!
 
What bands do you recall from your time here?
 
Too many to list here! Bands I saw:
 
Early days (expat bands): Jawa, The Bastards, John Michel and the Winners (I played bass in two of those!)
 
Early underground scene: Lucy Suicide, The Eastbound Downers, Futon, The Darlings, Goose, Desktop Error, Assajan Jakawan, Red Twenty, From The Makers Of Casablanca, Brand New Sunset, Death of a Salesman, Adulterer, Samurai Loud, Meaw er+, Stylish Nonsense, Bear Garden, Saliva Bastards, Kid Insane
 
Now: Basement Tape, Plastic Section, Deadtown Trash, Degaruda, Sangsom Massacre, Chladni Chandi, Hariguem Zaboy, Monomania, Yellow Fang, aire, W.Map, Gardener Twins (and a whole bunch more I haven’t managed to see but have bought their CDs)
 
How has the music scene grown since your time here?
 
Now there’s multiple shows every week, there’s festivals and events dedicated purely to indie and underground, there’s subsidiary businesses catering to these events – it’s becoming a community. In the old days it was like attending secret shows hopefully once a week, whose location always felt like a closely guarded secret. The cool factor was high, but the quality and diversity of bands was a littler lower, and a weekend without gigs was a disaster.
 
Also, back in 1997 when I first came to Bangkok I was told by a Thammasat student on Khao San Road (who shall remain nameless) that I couldn’t play in any band because I wasn’t handsome enough. That attitude is gone!
 
In your opinion what are the most influential bands in Thai independent music in last two decades? Explain all your answers.
 
There’s a few! Modern Dog and Crub for getting everything started. Futon and Apartment Khunpa for starting small and going big. Dino and Top Tarasin and every band they’ve ever been in for the last 15 years, because they’re like the Henry Rollins and Ian Mackaye of Bangkok music. Goose for bringing post-rock to Bangkok, along with an uncompromising aesthetic for noise. Assajan Jakgawan for flaming out all too quickly. Basement Tape and Plastic Section for switching it up, and Talkless and Slow Reverse for kicking off the dream-pop electro scene. Anyone at all playing in the last few years: there’s some amazing stuff out there!
 
With rise of digital age, what do bands need to do to see cash flow?
 
I have no idea. If I could solve this problem I’d be living and working in Bangkok as a musician, as opposed to working as a teacher out in the deserts of the Middle East!
 
What do Bangkok bands need to do to make it on international stage?
 
Be themselves. At some stage they have to make a decision on what they’re in it for. If they want to “go inter” they need to avoid signing to a big Thai label, which invariably compromises their ‘sound’. They need to put out consistent releases that demonstrate the development of their own unique musical aesthetic and they need to get out there and start touring, first with nearby countries, and then farther afield, such as Japan and China. Unfortunately the pursuit of this vision costs both money and time, and given most indie Thai musicians have at least one, two or even three other jobs, it’s extremely challenging.
 
Some bands you have witnessed became quite popular. What are some of them and to what do they owe success?
 
Desktop Error on the So:On Dry Flower label come immediately to mind, because they’ve put some consistently good albums (‘Keep Looking At The Window’, ‘Ticket to Home’, the ‘Songs From Home’ DVD), refused to compromise their shoegazer/post-rock roots, and toured to places like Japan.
 
Other successful acts that stick in my head are Gene Kasidit, for the amount of hard work they put into their career from the early days in Futon to now; T-Bone, who have been playing ska across the world for nearly 20 years now; and Yellow Fang, who have recently toured overseas as well.
 
Venues come and go in Bangkok. Which ones do you recall?
 
In the old days we played at a venue in Times Square called Half Moon Street, Warblers over on Soi Nana, as well as the Witches Tavern on Thonglor, the Living Room at Clinton Plaza, and King’s Garden down in Patpong.
 
For the early indie gigs I went to, they seemed to be split between Code Bar on RCA, Asok Bar on Asok, Noriega’s on Silon Soi 4, and a few other places around town. There was a nameless pub on Sukhumvit Soi 24 that had a few gigs, and also Peer Share on Ekamai. Plus About Café over in Chinatown had a whole bunch of different shows on, but unfortunately the cops would turn up fairly regularly there and close things down.
 
Nowadays, when in town, I seem to wander between Fattys (my favorite bar in Bangkok), Whiteline, Skytrain Jazz Bar, 1979 vinyl and unknown pleasures, Moose, Overground, Overstay, Play Yard, The Beer Cap and a few others.
 
Where do you buy music in Bkk?
 
I buy all my 1979 vinyl and unknown pleasures, 8 Musique, DJ Siam, happening shop, Nong Taprachan, at shows, and from bands. Also Archive Project on Facebook do an excellent mail delivery service.
 
What are your fave bands now and why?
 
Live, I always like seeing Degaruda, Plastic Section, aire, and Deadtown Trash if they’re playing. These bands always have great live presence and energy, plus good songs! There’s an awesome band called W.Map, which I’ve caught a few times (and when they finally release a CD I’m gonna be first to buy it!), and Monomania are always good (as are Hope the Flowers). Jinta and Yellow Fang blew me away at their Sofar Sounds gig. Bands and musicians I like to listen to and want to see live (but haven’t yet) are Inspirative, PC0832676, Sugar Analog, Free Typewriter, Celebities Owls.
 
How did you become involved in the music community?
 
I came back to Bangkok on a holiday and started looking for places to play at and bands to play with for our Saudi-Arabian punk band Wolves Versus Fairies. Then I discovered your blog, and this huge sprawling Facebook scene of bands, events and venues, and realized the scene had kept going all these years and was even more diverse and varied than before.
 
A lot is said and misunderstood about Panda Records. As a fan of the label how would you describe it, its ethos and guiding principles and organizational structure the way you understand it?
 
Panda Records are amazing. They were here virtually at the start, they’re still here now, and the diversity and quality of music and artists they release is unparalleled in Thai indie music history. I still have my copy of the ‘meaw er’ CD autographed by Pok and June from their Fat Festival gig! ;)

Thanks Andy!
​
Andy lives in Saudi Arabia but on sojourns back to Bangkok, he can be found haunting music shops and underground music events. His reviews and commentary on the Bangkok music community have been indispensable to my understanding of the community and it's an honor to have him as a contributing blogger.    
        
You can read more of Andy's thoughts on Bangkok/ Thai local bands here.

- DC

My musical odyssey into the Bangkok underground has led me to the underworld... or the UNDA world. With a sound that mixes hip hop, electronica, soul and R&B, UNDA delivers yet another portrait in sound of the city's dark underbelly. UNDA was kind enough to come up from the dark, murky depths from where he dwells and answer some questions vial email. - DC    

Can you introduce yourself briefly with relation to your music, achievements, goals and basic biographical info?
What up world. My name is UNDA, I’m a sound designer/engineer for film and a music producer. I’m from Atlanta (ho) but I was raised in Bangkok as a child. Moved back to Atlanta in 2006, graduated from uni and was working in different sound studios and film studios around the US until I was flown back to Thailand in 2013 for a Sound Design job. I’ve been releasing my own music full time since 2015. I love long walks on the beach and whiskey.

At what age did you discover music? What was it?
My Dad would play Stevie Wonder, Parliament, Curtis Mayfield, Tupac, Earth Wind & Fire, The Ohio Players, Ice Cube, Dr Dre, and the likes around me since I can remember, so about 4 or 5 years old. It’s always been there. But my first record that I had myself (I stole it from Tower Records) was JayZ’s Vol 2, I was in the 3rd grade. Around that time I started to play violin just because I wanted to emulate those melodies. You ever heard Money Cash Hoes on a violin bruh?! Shit goes hard. I went from violin to saxophone, and in middle school I discovered DAWs such as FL Studio, Reason, & Pro Tools. I was hooked on recording & audio technology from then on. I was so focused on engineering & writing that I almost failed out of high school because I wasn’t going to class. But I received a scholarship for Sound Design for university so I think my time wasn’t wasted.

How do you describe your musical style and influences?
My producer holy trinity is DJ Quik, J Dilla, & Madlib. I think you can hear them a little in each song I make. I’ve been fortunate enough to live a wild life, so lyrically that’s what I write about. My life’s experiences and women. Women run it all.

How do you write a song? What's the process?
There is no process. Every song is written differently. Sometimes I’ll start with a melody, sometimes a rhyme, or sometimes just some drums. Who knows? When it comes, it comes.

What do you want people to know about Unda?
I make music very selfishly. I don’t make music for world peace or for the greater good of anything. I make it for myself and for the well being of my soul. If I didn’t have this outlet...I’d be dead by now. I’m 100% independent. I record, mix, produce, and write. I barely sleep. There is no huge label backing, there are no deals on the table (for now). Everything I do is out of my own pocket. I don’t say that to boast, its just that growing up in Bangkok there was no one to learn this stuff from. YouTube was not popping like that in 2001. I had to lock myself in my room and teach myself. So this is why it takes me a while to release material since I’m basically a one man studio.

Are you a proponent of digital streaming platforms?
I have mixed feelings with this. I am, because you must. Streaming platforms aren’t going away, that cat is out of the bag so it’s best to accept the technology. I’m not because artists are getting fucked with these .0007 of a cent payout per stream, while the streaming companies are making millions. To me, what’s the difference between this and getting fucked by a major label? Obviously I’m not going into specifics, but what happened to getting more power to the artists? Wasn’t this supposed to happen with this digital music revolution? Majors/Tech companies still seem to be winning. So, if you’re an independent struggling artist and want your music on streaming/digital platforms you have to pay a service to upload it. Let’s say its $20. You sell your single for $1. Out of that $1, iTunes or Amazon will take, lets say 30 cents. Not only do you have to pay them, but they also take a cut of your sale. Streaming wise, do you know how many hundreds of thousands of plays it will take for you to make that $20 back? Especially when each play is .007 of a cent?! It’s my product! Why is it making them rich but not me? How does this make any sense?

.Where do you see your musical career in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?
I’ve got the next 20 years planned out but people be scheming and shit so I’ll keep it to myself. I just need to stay alive.

What do you think the key to success is in a musical career?
Defining your own success and paying attention to the musical landscape. Always grow and adapt, time waits for no one so don’t get caught up. Also, beer.

You've made some pretty cool videos! Really cool - how can you do that without spending thousands of dollars?
All you need is creativity man. You don’t need money to make dope shit. That’s what the essence of hip hop is. We don’t have thousands of dollars to blow, but I have 200. Let’s stretch it out and make it work with what we have. Also, as I stated earlier I’m a sound designer for film, so I know my way around the film side of things. I write the script treatments and work with directors side by side. We work together as a team. I also try to make the shoots as fun as possible, and I have my friends in every video. Without them the videos would be pretty boring.

You are based in Bangkok. Do you feel part of the Bangkok music community? Is Unda music a reflection of the city you reside or something else?
Oh most definitely. It’s a small circle so everyone knows each other. When I first moved back I contacted everyone in the city who was doing cool shit. The only ones who replied to me were Comet Records, and they welcomed me with open arms and exposed me to different musical scenes that I didn’t even know existed in the city. UNDA is a reflection of myself, my experiences, and thoughts. Bangkok is definitely my favourite place in the world to create. I need chaos.

Are you satisfied with the options for live music in Bangkok and what suggestions would you have?
Hip hop right now in Bangkok is exciting. There’s a lot going on from labels, crews, parties, DJs, fashion, & producers. The underground scene here is only getting stronger and everyone knows each other. But I would love to see more original content. That’s where the value lies. Originality. That’s how you build a strong foundation. But I don’t want people to get it twisted and think folks aren’t working. Heads are definitely releasing fire. Shout out to everyone in the city putting in work! Y’all know who you are.

Use 3 adjectives to describe Unda
I’m really bad at describing myself. Can I just give a shout out to all the women out there? Can you imagine music without women? Thank you for the inspiration. I love y’all.

Check out the UNDA: 747 EP002 release party - for more information click here.

Finally released yesterday was the new Sofar Sounds Bangkok video of Yellow Fang performing “ห่มผ้า" which means ‘blanket’ in Thai. The tender sonic dreamscape starts in a slow meandering pace with the trademark harmonizing of guitarist Pang and drummer Praewa. Your mind wanders, awake but dreaming or dreaming that you are awake. Then a guttural guitar growl and cymbal wash signify a time change. The tempo hastens as the drummer bangs out an anthemic rock beat that immediately orders listeners to dance. Pymmy’s solemn, languid bass line breaks into a sprint and the soothing melodies welcome you aboard the intoxicating “Oooos” Cruise, surfing the crest of shoe gaze wave.... and just when you thought it couldn’t soar any higher, they go even higher with a series of cascading crescendos and then vanishing in a sea of applause.  

Great job with video Sofar Sounds BKK!

- DC

There are ongoing opportunities for advertisers or sponsors for this the rock philosophy blog. If you read every post, you are probably obsessed with music and the music community, like I am. If you are a business or organization like a bar, restaurant, music venue or retailer, you should know this blog comes up #1 for organic google searches for "bangkok underground music" - this may vary depending on your own searches and changes in the Google algorithm but we like being #1.

Who is going to benefit most from advertising? Anything related to independent music in Bangkok. That means bands, venues, record labels and communities. This brings up the question, Does an ad guarantee a good review? I have no editorial control over anyone who writes but as we are a small yet growing community we tend to look on the bright side.    

Button Ads for the side bar and banners can be bought as stand-alone monthly or in bundles of 3, 6 and 12 months. In the event Rock Philosophy spins off into other media formats including a fanzine, news site, you will be on the VIP list of sponsors and reap benefits of a discount off ads for new advertisers. We want to keep advertisers and sponsors on the ground floor of this operation happy forever. If you believed in  me, thank you. It's been challenging.

• 1 month - 
• 3 months - 
• 6 months - 
• 12 months -  
• CONTACT ME

Not ready to place an ad? That's OK, there are other ways you can help the Rock Philosophy blog.

Hire me as photographer - you will be listed in the thank yous with a link to your business or brand.

Thank you. The only way I can move forward is with support.. 

Check out the THANK YOUS.