Suthep Daoduangmai Band [ Come My Brother, Let's Go to the City! ] LP [EM1149LP]

Digital version available at https://emrecords.bandcamp.com/album/em-records

We all know Thailand is a place where magic happens, and sometimes it's a place where dreams come true. Suthep Daoduangmai was an ordinary man from the predominantly rural Isan region with a long-cherished dream of forming a band under his own name, even though he wasn't a musician. After a spell of hard work overseas, he returned home wealthy and, magically, formed one of the most successful molam groups ever, an extravagant orchestra with over thirty members, including twelve dancers, blending traditional Isan instruments with modern Western instruments, and featuring four excellent singers, two male, two female. Of particular note is that legendary singer Siriphon Amphaiphong, along with her sister, made her debut with this band. But perhaps this wasn't all magic; Suthep Daoduangmai had an innate musical sense and a keen populist spirit, enlisting great singers and bringing in master producer Doi Inthanon to help hone his vision. This album, originally released in 1984, was a super-hit throughout Thailand, highlighting producer Doi's entertaining new dance-friendly "lam phaen" style, with lively tempos and street-wise country-meets-city lyrics, as exemplified in the title track in which the two male singers head to Bangkok and show the city folks what's what. Originally released on cassette, plus a few vinyl copies for radio play, this 1984 sensation is available again now on vinyl, and, for the first time, on CD. Feel the magic!

+ Compiled/liner notes/cover art by Soi 48
+ English liner notes & lyrics

CD version: Standard jewel case, 24p booklet

LP version: insert

TRACKS:
1. Come My Brother, Let's Go to the City! Part 1 (Kosin Intharat & Khanongsak Siudon)
2. Come My Brother, Let's Go to the City! Part 2 (Kosin Intharat & Khanongsak Siudon)
3. I Know How this Ends (Ubonrat Amphaiphon)
4. Lovely Molam Princess (Khanongsak Siudon)
5. A Molam Girl Waiting for Love (Siriphon Amphaiphong)
6. Big Mouth (Ubonrat Amphaiphon)
7. I'm a Billionaire (Kosin Intharat)
8. Let's Meet in the Afterlife (Siriphon Amphaiphong)

Soi48 (EM Records/OMK):
DJ unit and Thai music research team comprising Tokyo natives Kei'ichi Utsuki and Shinsuke Takagi. They are the authors of the 2017 reference book “Trip to Isan: Traveling Thai/Isan Music Disc Guide”, and the organizers of and resident DJs at the long-running “Soi48 Party” at Be-Wave, Tokyo. They are also members of a mysterious group called OMK (One Mekong). Soi48 values music, old and new, over format, using vinyl, cassette, CD, VCD and USB to bring a wide range of Asian music, from modern to traditional, to audiences at their DJ events. They are the directors of the EM Records Thai music series, which currently consists of more than ten releases. They also served as the music directors for the critically acclaimed 2016 Kuzok film Bangkok Nites. They are active both in Japan and internationally, appearing at Fuji Rock Festival, writing for magazines and books, and appearing on a number of radio and TV programs.