Thai Popular Music

[maidu]

Pardon me while I vent a bit, but maybe some solutions will come forth. Thai pop music is everywhere where there is cement and florescent lamps lamps in Thailand. Unless you're deaf or hiding out miles from anyone, you're going to have to listen to it. Transport vehicles particularly, as there is no 'off button' and no place to shield oneself from it. At least in malls and shops and restaurants, a person can walk away. Thai pop music swamps monks, the elderly, everyone in Thailand. At no time in the history of Thailand has any bus driver, any Thai restaurant manager, any Thai shop owner ever asked any client whether the music being played is wanted or whether it's too loud. It's as alien to the Thai character as stopping one's car to allow monks or elderly to cross a road.

There must be an unwritten rule for Thai pop music that dictates no singer can be older than 23, and preferably mid-teens. A singer in mid-twenties, forget it, get out of the way and let the next 16 year old take over. Just like the Japanese with all their toys looking like babies, so too the Thais like their music to be sung by the very young and cute. And here's the best part; the songs have to be achingly simple. No shaded chords or interesting melodies, - not even vocal harmonies. Just plain-Jane major and minor chords with progressions that could be written by 7 year olds. All songs sung by boys, and most sung by girls must be soppy. That's the formula for writing a Thai pop song: it must be as wimpy sounding as humanly possible. The food equivalent would be cotton candy dipped in corn syrup.

If Thai musicians want to improve their abilities, I suggest they listen to and study music from other parts of the world. Many of the best European and American musicians learned much from Africa, South America, European Gypsies, and from Cuba and Hawaii. Perhaps the Thai songwriters/producers are too stuck on the one-trick-pony formula for making a hit song. They might be pleasantly surprised to find that Thais are capable of enjoying various types of interesting music. ......or maybe not. Perhaps they'll find that any music which strays from the simplistic soppy formula, will bomb out with Thai listeners. Let the reverberations begin.

[Semper]

Feeling better now?

[berryranger]

it sounds like you are already 25+?

[Shotime]

Easy answer. They all seem the same because they are.

[kartman]

Like Thai Soaps.

[TheWalkingMan]

I actually asked this same question and all I got was the stink eye as an answer.

[tailspin]

would it be safe tosay the OP is not a big fan of karaoke either?

[DEVATSAR]

would it be safe tosay the OP is not a big fan of karaoke either?

I could go for the" pop stars" out here, preferably with an Axe mmmmmm

[Eff1n2ret]

"...the songs have to be achingly simple. No shaded chords or interesting melodies, - not even vocal harmonies. Just plain-Jane major and minor chords with progressions that could be written by 7 year olds."

You've absolutely nailed it as far as I'm concerned. I admit that I don't have perfect pitch, but to my ear they all seem to be in the same minor key, sung in breathy baby throat-voices, dreary as hell.

[maidu]

I found a URL ( live365.com ) which offers a choice of a slew of online radio stations. I tried some US oldie stations and they were ok, but didn't jangle my bells.  then I found a station with Hawaiian styles. That fricassed my frijoles mighty fine. To each his own, I reckon. Sometimes I tool around on npr.org - to see what exciting/interesting new music is reverberating around. Some great stuff coming out of Colombia and also out of Saharan Africa. stay tuned.

someone asked about Karaoke. It's funny because I used to make background tapes in a studio. I did all the instrumental and some of the back-up vocals for dozens popular songs. Actually, we did each song in two key in order to accommodate different peoples' voice ranges. I don't think that's ever been done since for karaoke. In other words, I did karaoke tapes before the word 'karoake' was known outside of Japan. I had all the master tapes in a truck in Mexico and they were all stolen. The thief probably tossed them away as trash or taped over them, whatever, it's water under the bridge.

I don't get annoyed by Karaoke in Thailand because it's not being force fed to the public. It's done in entertainment venues, and people can choose what they want to do for fun.

Edited September 10, 2011 by maidu

[zzaa09]

Easy answer. They all seem the same because they are.

Indeed. Reflective of the Thai existence - achingly melancholy with a hidden romanticism.

[Atmos]

try getting out more, it's not all girlie pop, a well-established metal scene here, grindcore, thrash, death metal . . .

not saying I like it ll, but it is there

BANG-COCK DEATHFEST 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNw6J5SsD1Q&feature=related

[stardancer]

I feel your pain, everyday!!! my wife is 24 and that music just does not stop..But I love it when I put some good old 80's rock on and our little son starts dancing around.. I think it really upsets her..

[zzaa09]

try getting out more, it's not all girlie pop, a well-established metal scene here, grindcore, thrash, death metal . . .

not saying I like it ll, but it is there

BANG-COCK DEATHFEST 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNw6J5SsD1Q&feature=related

Unfortunately Atmos, most are terribly unaware and distant to the wide variety of alternative sounds that are available.

Even the old traditional musical genre has an ever-changing value about it....

The modern fusion music is incredible diverse, as well.

[Atmos]

we're lucky maybe, in having a tertiary music/performing arts centre in the city, young folk aiming at making a living as professional musicians, we've seen them performing for trad Thai dance groups, big band/swing music (including a show performing music of that era composed by the King), through to more modern jazz, rock/jazz and I suppose funk/rock . . . seem to make an appearance at every local festival, last night saw two distinct groups at a riverside carnival - one featuring vocals and four acoustiic guitars, the other a six-piece brass section plus guitar/bass backing a series of vocalists.

No popular cover versions - when we were in Chiang Mai we saw some decent pub bands, but had an agreement we'd leave whenever one played an Eagles cover. It happened often.

Best at that time (2009) was Chai House of Blues which I believe has since closed up shop.

[easethesqueeze]

There was a great compilation released last year called 'The Sound of Siam' which is from one guys collection of old Mor Lam and Luk Thung Vinyl with some amazing tracks on. This is all stuff from the 60's and 70's though. You're right new Thai pop is extraordinarily bad, but having said that most pop music is rubbish back home in the UK as well now - I guess they just work out what's going to make them a load of money regardless of what it sounds like. Just look at Xfactor, what a load of nonsense that is.

[wintermute]

Thai pop is just always a watered down variant of the successful Thai pop stars who are in turn watered down versions of whatever asian pop fad is sweeping this part of the world at the moment. Right now the fad is to have spiky haired gender bending man children in goofy looking tight shirts, skinny legged tight jeans, and pointy dress shoes singing soppy songs. Otherwise they are trying to mimic Korean "hip hop" dance.

Every female Thai singer is more or less trying to clone Tata Young who managed to carve a name out of being a wannabe Britney Spears.

The music here is derivative if you listen to some isaan musicians they even rip off Santana and Rolling Stones.

[wintermute]

try getting out more, it's not all girlie pop, a well-established metal scene here, grindcore, thrash, death metal . . .

It's still poser'ish. Thai metal bands are remarkably conformist and so are the fans. They wear uniform like band shirts to gigs and dress in neatly coifed "metal" styles. They aren't much different from the Thai hip hop fans who get all dressed up and don't have a clue as to what they are mimicking.

[endure]

There was a great compilation released last year called 'The Sound of Siam' which is from one guys collection of old Mor Lam and Luk Thung Vinyl with some amazing tracks on. This is all stuff from the 60's and 70's though. You're right new Thai pop is extraordinarily bad, but having said that most pop music is rubbish back home in the UK as well now - I guess they just work out what's going to make them a load of money regardless of what it sounds like. Just look at Xfactor, what a load of nonsense that is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/rqj9

[maidu]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are alternative music styles getting played in Bkk, and perhaps a bit in other Thai locales. So be it, but they're likely in sequestered venues, and not blasted out and forced upon everyone in who is out in public.

The OP is about music that people in Thailand are forced to listen to, and often it's loud. Because the music is blasted in public places, restaurants, shops and transportation venues, there's no getting away from it, unless a person chooses to hide away somewhere far from other people.

Three of our basic senses are sight, smell and hearing. There's visual pollution (trash, black wires everywhere, etc) but we can close our eyelids or tune much of it out (as a person tunes out the sight of the nose on the face). There are smells which are offensive. We can't turn off sense of smell, but we can acclimate/adjust to most smells. Plus, (for the most part) heavy smells aren't laid upon shoppers in malls or transport travelers. Sounds are different. They are laid upon people in public places, and they're loud. Never is a choice given to anyone or any group of people, to assuage what sounds, or how loud they want to hear from it. It can be seen as an assault on nearly everyone's hearing (except teenyboppers, perhaps). Does everyone in Thailand, including monks and elderly, want to hear loud pop music whenever they're in a public place?

[maidu]

sorry to post so often, but this is a sore subject for me.

Imagine if my house was Thailand. I invited a bunch of people to visit. Inside the house and all over the walled property, I continuously blasted loud Thai pop music. Some of the youngsters and perhaps some others might cope with it. However, can you perceive how there would be some (probably the majority) who might not want to hear loud pop music. Ok, in this analogy, the visitors could open the gate and leave. However, in Thailand, with loud pop music nearly everywhere, it's not so easy to up and leave - particularly if you're stuck for hours in a bus. I could go on, but that's it in a nutshell.

I have respect for people, particularly monks and elderly, and would not compel them to listen to any loud music. Instead, I would endeavor to make their visit comfortable. The opposite is the case in Thailand.

[gkinbkk]

"...the songs have to be achingly simple. No shaded chords or interesting melodies, - not even vocal harmonies. Just plain-Jane major and minor chords with progressions that could be written by 7 year olds."

So pretty much like modern day western pop music then?

I am a huge Steely Dan fan and I get the intelligence in the not only the lyrics but especially the music....many don't.

Previous poster is right, its just a derivative of other Asian pop music. Listen to a Chinese pop song and Thai pop song one after the other and you'll be hard pressed to find a difference other than language.

Unfortunately there are only 12 notes in western music, limited numbers of chord structures that can be used around those 12 notes and also a limited number of rhythms so the possibilities aren't infinite. Original pop music is almost an impossibility in this day and age......

[DP25]

Thai music is great, some of the bands here are amazing and I love going to see them. Bubble gum pop here is bad but no better or worse than back home. I don't find it blaring everywhere and impossible to avoid either. 99% of the time pop music being blasted isn't an issue

[katana]

These are quite catchy:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ebg2iLYakQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce4BhweglAY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehxbvf5ChpY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO6oGqzhDVg

Edited September 11, 2011 by katana

[mataus101]

thank god my wife likes farang music

[sms747]

Thai pop is just always a watered down variant of the successful Thai pop stars who are in turn watered down versions of whatever asian pop fad is sweeping this part of the world at the moment. Right now the fad is to have spiky haired gender bending man children in goofy looking tight shirts, skinny legged tight jeans, and pointy dress shoes singing soppy songs. Otherwise they are trying to mimic Korean "hip hop" dance.

Every female Thai singer is more or less trying to clone Tata Young who managed to carve a name out of being a wannabe Britney Spears.

The music here is derivative if you listen to some isaan musicians they even rip off Santana and Rolling Stones.

You must have heard very few female Thai singers then, examples of Issan music 'ripping off Santana' and the 'Stones' please. The stones of course blatantly ripped off black american musicians such as Muddy waters and Robert Johnson Howling Wolf and others. The average falangs exposure to Thai music is pathetically small leading to posts like the original. Thai 'pop' is in fact rarely played on buses or in taxis, you are far more likely to hear luktung or morlam. I agree that Thai pop (st-ring) is awful, but it's not to be confused with other, more subtle and older styles. To describe Thai music as derivative is in part correct, but then much popular western music has also taken influences from Africa, the Caribbean and the black Americans, to name just a small part. For those who take the time to look into it Thai music is treasure trove of talent, originality and beauty. I guess you could even call Shakespeare 'soppy' it's all in the eye, or rather the ear of the beholder.

Edited September 12, 2011 by sms747

[zzaa09]

The average falangs exposure to Thai music is pathetically small.

Yep. Exposure in general.

And it ain't just the average Farang, either.

[Berkshire]

You must have heard very few female Thai singers then, examples of Issan music 'ripping off Santana' and the 'Stones' please. The stones of course blatantly ripped off black american musicians such as Muddy waters and Robert Johnson Howling Wolf and others. The average falangs exposure to Thai music is pathetically small leading to posts like the original. Thai 'pop' is in fact rarely played on buses or in taxis, you are far more likely to hear luktung or morlam. I agree that Thai pop (st-ring) is awful, but it's not to be confused with other, more subtle and older styles. To describe Thai music as derivative is in part correct, but then much popular western music has also taken influences from Africa, the Caribbean and the black Americans, to name just a small part. For those who take the time to look into it Thai music is treasure trove of talent, originality and beauty. I guess you could even call Shakespeare 'soppy' it's all in the eye, or rather the ear of the beholder.

Very good summation. It's pretty clear that the OP knows absolutely zero about Thai music and the industry in general. And you're right--some of the most popular pop artists in history blatantly ripped off those that came before them. The Stones and Elvis ripped off early blues artists, Guns N Roses ripped off Zeppelin, Oasis ripped off the Beatles (proudly, I must add), and so on. I tend to think that the old geezer expats in Thailand would feel the same way about Thai music as they would with, say, rap music. They don't understand it, so it must suck.

[Berkshire]

thank god my wife likes farang music

You mean like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. Is that what you mean?

[zzaa09]

thank god my wife likes farang music

You mean like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. Is that what you mean?

Yes.....thanking God.:jap: