I love the music, musicology, and the research. It's beautiful. I grew up in Laos and Thailand. Thanks so much.

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From the <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/se-asia/">Longing for the Past: The 78 rpm Era in Southeast Asia</a> box set:

Pleng Sen Lao, Na 1
Offering of Alcohol to the Gods, Part 1
Performed by the Thewaprasit Ensemble
Recorded ca. 1950

“Phleng Sen Lao, Na 1” (“Offering Alcohol to the Gods, Part 1”) is a phleng naphat (action tune) from the highest class of repertory played by the piphat ensemble. Normally played during a wai khru (teacher greeting) ritual, the composition is here played in the context of “reading” or “preaching” the epic story of Prince Wetsandawn, the penultimate life of the Buddha just before enlightenment. As such the story is a Jataka (Chadok in Thai). The reading of the story once a year throughout much of Thailand is an important marker during the Buddhist calendar, but in central Thailand, where it is called thet mahachat (preaching the great Jataka), it occurs during the middle of the year. In the northeast, where it is called Boun Prawet and remains very popular, it occurs early in the year, around February. In Laos such chanting is also prominent, enough so to have been among the early recordings from Laos featured elsewhere in this collection (see track B9).

The “reading” requires either a Buddhist monk, or a former monk, to recite the story from traditional palm leaf manuscripts, though in the northeast it is more usual now for monks or laymen to “preach” in a form of heightened speech called thet lae that resembles singing (Buddhist monks are not permitted to sing, they “preach,” however much it sounds like singing to laymen). Northeastern Boun Prawet involves no music but central Thai performance, at least in the past, required a piphat ensemble to play naphat compositions between sections of the story. In this case, the story comes from Part 5, “Chuchok.” It refers to an old man encountered by Prince Wetsandawn who requests the prince give his children to the beggar. This he does to show his utter generosity and obedience. Consequently, this is also considered the saddest section of the story, and the chants are sometimes given added emotional weight with elaborate melismas. The track included here, however, includes only the piphat ensemble, this being a “hard mallet” ensemble with both taphon horizontal drum and a pair of klawng that barrel drums. 

(Part 2 of this record can be heard on Dust-to-Digital’s <a href="http://www.dust-digital.com/black-mirror/">Black Mirror: Reflections in Global Musics</a>.)

"Pleng Sen Lao, Na 1" by the Thewaprasit Ensemble

Podcast #5 with Klaus features new and upcoming Autumn releases. 

Tracklist:

Noveller- "The Fright"
Stefan Wesolowski- "HAND IM HAAR"
Steve Gunn & Mike Gangloff- "Worry past worry"
Alessandro Cortini- "Luna"
Pitreleh- "Vibration: Sine Pools (excerpt)"
Emily Jane White- "The Wolves"
Duane Pitre- "Feel Free Live at Cafe OTO (excerpt)"

IMPREC Podcast#5: "Autumn Releases 2013"

PITRELEH is the collaboration of Duane Pitre & ELEH.

"Enclosure: Wave Ramp" is side B of their debut LP, available on Important Records. Buy here: http://importantrecords.com/imprec/imprec384

Pitreleh use high resolution analog and digital tools to create music utilizing natural vibrations and harmonics as rhythm and melody. Inspiration is drawn directly from vibrational waves (sound, gravity, water).

The electronics, of which both pieces are constructed, are tuned using pure intonation which utilizes the prime numbers: 1-3-5-7.


PITRELEH - ENCLOSURE: WAVE RAMP (excerpt)

Taken from the new album from Josephine Foster & The Victor Herrero Band, 'Perlas'. The follow up to 2010's critically acclaimed 'Anda Jaleo', this second collection of Spanish folk songs is as magical and enchanting as the first.

Available on CD / LP / Digital Download from May 2012 on Fire Records.

Josephine Foster & The Victor Herrero Band - Sangre Colorada

Song leader and Mississippi State Penitentiary inmate Heuston Earms discusses work-songs, his time in the penitentiary, his childhood and parents' fights, and the murder that landed him in prison. Recorded by Alan Lomax at Parchman's Camp B, Lambert, Miss., September 19-20, 1959. Earms told Lomax he was eligible for parole in 1962; when and if he got out of Parchman is unknown. He died July 4, 1989. His place of death was listed as Tutwiler, Miss., 16 miles southwest of the Lambert camp. 

Interview with Parchman Farm inmate Heuston Earms (1959)

Jonathan Ward runs the Blog Excavated Shellac, where he uploads rare 78 rpm records. Plus he compiled the 4-CD Box «Opika Pende – Africa At 78 RPM», Grammy nominee for best historical album of 2012. In this Norient.com podcast Ward tells me about his fascination with shellac, about how bloggers and ethnomusicologists don’t meet, and about a typical phenomena: «Blogger fatigue». Keep checking out his work! By Thomas Burkhalter, norient.com. More Info: http://norient.com/podcasts/the-world-at-78-rpm/

Read Interview

THE WORLD AT 78 RPM - NORIENT.COM PODCAST ON «EXCAVATED SHELLAC»

IMPREC Podcast Number 2 features new, fresh, and upcoming releases from the Important Records catalog. Most of the artists featured have upcoming releases this spring and/or early summer. Enjoy!

Artists featured include:

Sal Mineo (Xiu Xiu & Eugene S Robinson), Gaspar Claus, Holy Sons, Gunter Schickert, Duane Pitre, Total Life, Lawrence English, Deceh, James Blackshaw & Lubomyr Melnyk, and Overhang Party.  
  

IMPREC Podcast Number 2

Podcast #4 with Klaus features new and upcoming Summer releases. This podcast also debuts the "Three Questions..." segment, providing artists a space to discuss their work in further detail. This weeks guest is Duane Pitre and he will be discussing his new album 'Bridges'.  

Tracklist:

Jozef Van Wissem- "Where You Lived And What You Lived For"
Alessandro Cortini- "Resta"
Master Musicians Of Bukkake- "Circular Ruins"

Three Questions with Duane Pitre

Duane Pitre- "Bridges: Earth/Ember/Serpent (excerpt)"
Else Marie Pade & Jakob Kirkegaard- "Cirrocumulus Cirrostratus Stratus (excerpt)"
TOTAL LIFE- "Radiator I (excerpt)"
Nadja & Vampillia- "Aurora"
Acid Mothers Temple- "Babe, I'm Gonna Reave You"
PITRELEH- (excerpt from side A)

*Background music throughout podcast is an excerpt from the forthcoming album "Feel Free Live At Cafe OTO" by Duane Pitre

"Pleng Sen Lao, Na 1" by the Thewaprasit Ensemble

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