A composition written for an assignment in a class I am taking this year Music 309: Musical Sets, Spaces and Geometries. The motifs are related to transitions between prescribed relations between Pressing Scales.

Alone

Postcards from Beijing is an interactive storytelling piece combining the two mediums of audio portrait and prose poetry. It explores the interplay between the written word and recorded sound. The writing was inspired by my experience living in Beijing, during which I took extensive field recordings of China.

Postcards from Beijing 3

Postcards from Beijing 2

Postcards from Beijing 1

Ray Charles' music made me fall in love with blues as a teenager growing up in Thailand. I played What'd I Say when I was about 10 years old during a school concert and was hooked with his music. A decade later, I find myself studying in the US where blues was born. I picked up this song again and wanted to combine the old with the new: blues + drum n bass. 

This song is dedicated to you, Ray! Thanks for inspiring me to be the musician I am today.

What'd I Say Parts I & II (Hanoi dnb Remix)

A new soulful and feel-good track to celebrate the summer! This song is dedicated to my new friends I've been living with in 115 Hampshire Street, Cambridge MA. This is to you - Tobi, J-M, Juliette, Jon and Jenny (Lots of J's).



115 Hampshire House

An electro house track - with a few surprises - to kick off the new year 2015!

Dirty Phil

Dipping my toes into the beat scene! Shout out to Go yama, aeromatic and DJ Kongo for inspiring me to get swingin'.

Swingin'

http://lh-hantrakul.com/

เพลงลูกทุ่ง or "Luk Thung" is a type of country music from Thailand that was always part of my visit to see my grandparents in Phayao, a town in the North of Thailand. You would hear it on the bus, at town fairs, get-togethers and the fresh market. Luk Thung is a popular style of music loved throughout Thailand; very much an analogous counterpart to American country music.

In the summer of 2012, I had daily lessons with a local carpenter named "Slah Long" in Phayao. He taught me traditional chisel-based techniques for wood carving and under his guidance, I carved the elephant pictured below. Slah Long had a great taste for Luk Thung music. For me, the songs quickly became an integral part of the wood-carving experience. At the end of the summer, I copied the songs to my computer and burned many more CD copies for Slah Long (since he didn't know to burn CD's). Luk Thung lyrics are simple, honest and beautiful portrayals of everyday rural life ranging from work activities to themes of broken relationships, a beautiful women from the city etc. It is characterized by a light hearted tone and a strong vibrato-driven singing style.

The song featured in this piece is called นางฟ้ายังอาย (The song's meaning translates to "A woman so beautiful, even the angels are embarrassed") by สายัณห์ สัญญา (Sayan Sanya), a legendary Luk Thung singer who passed away last year. The original recording plays throughout the entire piece, but has specific parts looped and filtered. The lead melody, violins and vocals all come from the original recording. I combined the song with a type of music known as "Future Bass," a genre of electronic music taking over the underground scene by storm. Anything beyond the vocals and violins is my own creation!

Electronic music is music of our generation - it is the sound of the today's youth. I wanted to experiment with the combination of distinctly Thai melodies with the cutting edge underground sound of Future Bass. I draw from the spirit of hip hop and electronic music that frequently samples jazz, soul and funk recordings from the 70's, 80's and 90's...except this time I'm doing it with Thai Luk Thung. 

In the bigger picture, I'm interested in finding ways to re-invigorate interest in traditional arts especially among Thai's and Southeast Asians who are my age. This applies beyond just music and includes visual arts, handicrafts, dance, theater etc. Is there a way to combine old and new in a way that supports this idea? I wonder. 

Shout out to Mark Fedronic, my partner in crime, for his creative advice throughout the conception of the piece (composed mainly during the recent blizzard), my homies at East Meets West: Goyama, Aeromatic, Shape Zed and DJ Kongo for getting me into the whole future prefix genre (Future Soul, Future RnB, Beats) and my mom and dad for making I learned to love my home music.

Stay tuned for more Future Luk Thung! This is the first of three pieces that I will be dropping in the next few weeks...

(Album art from the CD Luk Thung - The Roots of Thai Funk)
 

"นางฟ้ายังอาย" - สายัณห์ สัญญา (ลำธาร หาญตระกูล Future Luk Thung Remix)

A track fresh-out-of-the-Thai-kitchen under my new moniker "Hantraks"!

This time round featuring the sounds of Northeastern Thailand, or "Isaan" (อีสาน). You may have not heard of Isaan, but you may have already tasted it. Isaan produces the majority of rice exported from Thailand.

The most distinctive instrument from this region is undeniably the "Kaen" (เเคน), a wind instrument resembling a panpipe. Unlike the selective blowing of panpipe, the notes of the Kaen are sounded ontop of a drone, much like a bagpipe.

The Kaen permeates the music of Northeastern Thailand and my favorite genre is "Lam Klon" (ลำกลอน) or literally, a "poetic dance." An MC freestyles over the Kaen and is accompanied by a dancer. From time to time, the trio step their feet to give a beat to the music. Honestly, when you listen to the complexity of the lyrics and rhythmic counterpoint, it's like Hip Hop freestyle rapping - just with a little less booty. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4yDpKHzMkk&index=2&list=PLFXVO7fBUkYRAU822tWzxz2g6rGRuq0Q_

Although Isaan may be the poorest region of Thailand, Isaan people are known to be the most hard-working and resilient of Thais (like the stereotypes of uptight East Coast and chill West Coast). From taxi drivers to premium sushi chefs - if you can do it, Isaan Kaen too!

Isaan Kaen

http://lh-hantrakul.com/2015/11/09/home/

Home is a composition about migration, identity and our longing for home. It was based on my own personal experience living in the US for the last four years of college and was inspired by the stories of migrant poets, musicians, artists and activists from around the world. Not that I don’t like the US, I love the US! But being away from home in Bangkok for such a long time (or short time for some) has made me begin to understand and appreciate the intangible things beyond food and culture that can make a person yearn for their homeland.

This piece was also an ode to my parents, including my grandparents and ancestors. Human history is one of migration. Being back in Bangkok for a year of research has given me ample time to begin fully appreciate mom and dad for their dreams and what they stand for, devoid of the fact that they are still parents and nag me to do the dishes.

Home features original lyrics and music by myself, written during the class “Composition for Musical Theater” taught by renowned Musical Theater composer, Andrew Gerle. This was my last composition written during college!

Home

Check out more stuff on http://lh-hantrakul.com/

Hantraks

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