Scene & Unheard Issue #32

Bangkok, Thailand

By Mengly Taing
Published: June 1st, 2007 | 12:00am

BEAR-GARDEN
LABEL: Panda Records

PLAYERS: Somsiri Sangkaew a.k.a. June (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, noise programming)

INFLUENCES: the Beatles, the Boo Radleys, and all things considered French or Japanese pop

SOUNDS LIKE: a sound factory booming with the experimental rhythms of Deerhoof and more dulcet tones of Cibo Matto

THE LOWDOWN: June was once part of an early-’90s three-piece pop outfit known as Sub Nai. When the group dissolved after two albums, June went on to cofound Bangkok’s Panda Records with her husband and producer, Wannarit “Pok” Pongprayoon of Stylish Nonsense. As the one-woman act known as Bear-Garden, June is spreading Thai “sabai, sabai” (the carefree notion of taking it easy) around the world with her upbeat tempos and buoyant performances. “I wanted to make music in my own way,” Sangkaew says of her infectious brand of avant-garde electronic pop. “Maybe I could make the world more bright, more lively, and more fun.”

URL: pandarecords.com/bear-garden

YARINDA & FRIENDS
LABEL: Smallroom

PLAYERS: Yarinda Bunnag a.k.a. Nina (vocals, acoustic guitar), Skulchay Jutapol a.k.a. Ed (acoustic guitar), Pree Jindarojana a.k.a. Juck (electric guitar), Ronnapob Chaiyawongse a.k.a. Tu (bass), Navapat Rapiphan a.k.a. Nod (drummer), Prakartchai Singhanart a.k.a. Pohe (trumpet), Nakhanya Sangsingkeo a.k.a. Ooh (chorus)

INFLUENCES: Simon & Garfunkel, Kings of Convenience, Will Oldham, Ani DiFranco, Cat Power, and Broadcast

SOUNDS LIKE: an unscripted coffee-shop confessional with heartfelt lyrics, fervent acoustics, and a soulful leading lady

THE LOWDOWN: Perhaps no one understands the demands needed to reach music stardom in Bangkok more than Yarinda Bunnag. At 19, the then pink-haired high school student was signed to Thailand’s largest and most overbearing music label and media company, GMM Grammy, where she was primed for success by a group of image-makers who determined nearly every aspect of her career. She made her successful debut while a freshman at Cornell University in New York, but made the tough decision to put her burgeoning music career on hold to finish her education. Now 26 — and also working as a full-time architect — Nina has returned to her roots, but with fewer pressures and with a newfound maturity fostered by her experience. Today, she and her friends are signed to Bangkok’s premier independent label, Smallroom, an experience she describes as being very liberating.

URL: yarinda.com, myspace.com/yarinda

CYNDI SEUI
LABEL: Smallroom

PLAYERS: Cesar B. de Guzman a.k.a. Cyndi Seui (keyboard, synthesizer, drum machine, groove box)

INFLUENCES: French electronica, bossa nova, Burt Bacharach, and Atari and Nintendo video games

SOUNDS LIKE: a vibrant montage of analog beats laid over funky tracks in Japanese and French

THE LOWDOWN: The name Cyndi Seui conjures up images of a wide-eyed ingenue, not a 30-year-old advertising music producer who makes commercials to support his fancy for electronic toys. Five years in advertising and a penchant for Japanese figurines and video games have contributed to Cesar B. de Guzman’s unique sound. Performing under the stage name Cyndi Seui, he makes music out of near-nothing, using electronic gadgets to turn borderline cacophony into his own rendition of a modern symphony. Later this year, de Guzman will release an album that blends Motown tunes — like Jackson 5 and Marvin Gaye — with the digital flavorings of 8-bitz.

URL: myspace.com/cesarbdeguzman

Visit venuszine.com to read more about Bangkok’s music scene.