I've been listening to a lot of Asian music lately. Here are some of my current favorites.
Teen Dance Music from China and Malaysia (Thrift Store Records)
Recently reissued after years of being out of print, this excellent mostly instrumental 18-track collection was compiled from records discovered in a brown paper bag in a dusty corner of a California thrift store. Recorded in the late '60s and early '70s, the tunes borrow elements of Martin Denny exotica (Man Chua Po Orchestra's breezy, vibe lead rendition of "I'm in the Mood for Love" and Ennio Morricone's spaghetti-Western anthem "For a Few Dollars More"), surf music (the Dick Dale clean-picked twang of "Nothing in My Life" by The Brothers Hawk) and Latin syncopations (The Sound of Silvertones' highball-sipping meditation "Tabu") to create a seamless synthesis of 20th-century American and Asian musical styles. Short on biographical information but long on sound, this compilation is a real snappy mood enhancer.
Yoshida Tatsuya: Ruins Alone (Skin Graft)
Japanese drummer Yoshida Tatsuya is a polyrhythmic machine. On "Ruins Alone," the prolific percussionist makes a mighty racket creating cacophonous mini-symphonies that fly by in a flurry of stylistic dexterity. His meticulous arrangements and furious tongue twists have a Zappa-esque quality. Manic yet taut, the blitzkrieg gamelan doom metal of "BAXCEMGILASZ" and the rolling abrasion of "EQUESSPALDHO" would also appeal to any fan of King Crimson, Philip Glass, Meshuggah or Lightning Bolt. Fair warning: Tatsuya's whirling dervishes come at you all at once; the faint of heart should steer clear of this one-man wrecking crew.
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: PONPONPON (Warner Music Japan Inc.)
For sugary-sweet intensity, the video for this homage to Japanese Kawaii culture by 19-year-old media sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is a complete sensory overload. In a set designed by Japanese fashion/media powerhouse 6%dokidoki, the onslaught of hyper-pastels and rapid-fire edits takes its visual cues from Peter Gabriel's Big Time Video and Pee-Wee Herman's Playhouse to create its vamping Hello Kitty cuteness. The tune, written and composed by the Quincy Jones of J-pop, Yasutaka Nakata, is a bouncy, infectious dose of modern pop with its marriage of '80s mainstream pop and 21{+s}{+t}-century club music. Her newest single, "Tsukema Tsukeru," doesn't have the zany stimulation of her debut, but Pamyu's tyrannical magnetism is still frighteningly adorable.
Thai Funk: Volumes 1 & 2 (Light in the Attic)
Compiled by Bangkok crate digger Maft Sai from ZudRangMa Records, these beautifully packaged collections released by the best reissue label on the planet offer an exhaustive journey into the world that was 1970s disco, funk and soul-flavored Thai pop. While there is an undeniable kitsch factor in hearing Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy" or Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" redone as low-fi dance routines, they are performed with a winsome charm and purity of spirit that supersede their inherent novelty. Original old-school funk assimilations by Panadda Chayapark, Buppa Saichol, Sroeng Santi and others bridge the culture gap with their charismatic dance-floor inspirations that should give Western ears more than ample reason to demand the body to which they are attached to bust a move. Fun and funky, these must-have compilations are a joy to behold.
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