Rating:
Genre:
World
Release Date: 06/20/2006
A stunning bit of audio immersion into the sound environments of Thailand,
Radio Thailand: Transmissions from the Tropical Kingdom is a dual-disc collection of bits and pieces taken from the radio across Thailand over a 15 year period. There is
traditional music here, including Molam and Kantrum, there is more modern
rock and
pop, there is
exotica galore. Additionally, there is a wealth of sound from the non-musical end of the radio spectrum: bits of news reports, English-language programs, commercial jingles, travel ads, and the like. While the liner notes are lacking any knowledge of who the recordings may be of, or even when they might be from, what one might find surprising here is the amount of cross-cultural fusion that takes place on the airwaves. Elements of Chinese silk-and-bamboo music are present throughout, though especially so in the more
exotica-flavored pieces. American
soul and
doo wop have elements represented here and there as well. The musical quality ranges from top-notch to cacophonous, and the presence from mainstream to obscure, but the overall result is a nice sound environment spanning regions of the country, periods of time, and styles galore.
~Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
;)
Listen
