The Paradise Bangkok Band: Blending Cultures, One Beat at a Time

What do you get when you combine traditional Northeastern Thai music with influences from blues, funky rock, and a little bit of disco? You get the perfect mixture of modernised folk music that sounds like nothing before. The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band is a band that combines ‘Molam’ (หมอลำ), a traditional folk music genre from Thailand's Northeast (Isan) region, with the modern sounds of bass and drums. Their tracks feature the unique and distinct sound of  Molam led by Thai and Laotian instruments such as ‘Phin’ (พิณ) and ‘Khaen’ (แคน) playing along together with modern beats from bass and drum, creating a new funky style that combines the best of many genres, elevating their music with rhythms that have captivated many audiences around the world.

Although it was unpopular at home, often disregarded as ‘Taxi Driver’s Music’, the psychedelic tune of Molam found its resurgence abroad, spanning from the UK to Japan, thanks to the efforts of The Paradise Bangkok’s unique mix of musical genres and experiences from different generations and backgrounds. Members of the band consist of traditional Thai folk musicians, Sawai Kaewsombat (ไสว แก้วสมบัติ) and Kammao Perdtanon (คำเม้า เปิดถนน) and younger contemporary artists DJ Maft Sai (ณัฐพล เสียงสุคนธ์), Piyanart Kradsiri Jotikasthira (ปิย์นาท กรัดศิริ โชติกเสถียร), Phusana Treeburut (ภูษณะ ตรีบุรุษ) and Christ Menist from the UK. This unlikely group that some would describe as being poles apart have come together and harmonised to create something wholly new and exciting that graced many stages such as UK’s Glastonbury and Poland’s OFF where crowds of tens of thousands dance and body surf to the energetic sound of traditional Molam instruments. But how did this experimental band from Thailand find their way to the big stage, and what’s next for them?

Rediscovering The Sound of Isan

The band began their journey around 10 years ago at a DJ Party called The Paradise Bangkok where DJ Maft Sai, owner of Zudrangma Records and an aficionado of music from all over the world, often organised a get-together event every 2-3 months with many fellow artists and music lovers to jam together to a variety of musical genres. During this time, he was fascinated with older Thai music from the 70s, tunes from Africa and the Middle East and a variety of genres such as soul, funk, and reggae. One of the most distinct for him though, was the alluring sound of Molam.

Nattapon Siangsukon (DJ Maft Sai)

Molam or Mor Lam is a music genre from Laos and the Isan region of Thailand that has been practised in the region for many centuries. It is characterised by distinctive melodies, rhythmic patterns, and poetic lyrics. Traditionally, a Molam act would tell stories from local poems or tales that reflect life in the region with themes and narratives involving love, religion, epic battles or even simple everyday life. Molam music is played using local instruments like ‘Phin’ (พิณ), a lute-like instrument, and ‘Khaen’ (แคน), a bamboo mouth organ, and drums to create unexpectedly funky and psychedelic sounds reminiscent of the 70s atmosphere. These sounds weave together to create storylines that are often layered with humour, heartbreak, and maybe even a sprinkle of superstitions. Although traditionally vocal is an important part of Molam, The Paradise Bangkok has decided to forego that and let their instrument tell the stories that break through the language barrier.

Kammao Perdtanon, ‘Jimi Hendrix of the Phin’

Sawai Kaewsombat

DJ Maft Sai experimented with mixing music of many genres and cultures and found that even though the songs may not have come from the same cultures, their rhythms and instruments can join together in ways that make for something wholly unique. Inspired by the music he loves, DJ Maft Sai started a band to play in a live setting of the event, thus he named that band ‘The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band’ after the party itself. It's a wordy but very memorable and to-the-point name.

After a while, the group shifts their focus to creating new tracks and experimenting with the folk sound of Molam. From word of mouth and even by sheer chance of meeting, people of similar tastes and goals from different generations came together to take a leap of faith into creating something new and exciting for each of them. DJ Maftsai AKA Nattapon Siangsukon (ณัฐพล เสียงสุคนธ์) the founder, together with Sawai Kaewsombat (ไสว แก้วสมบัติ) on the khaen, Kammao Perdtanon (คำเม้า เปิดถนน) with his phin, Piyanart Kradsiri Jotikasthira (ปิย์นาท กรัดศิริ โชติกเสถียร) the bassist, Phusana Treeburut (ภูษณะ ตรีบุรุษ) bringing the drum beats, and Christ Menist’s percussion expertise, this unlikely group sought to bring Molam music to the 21st century and experiment with the new sounds this would bring.

Piyanart Kradsiri Jotikasthira

Phusana Treeburut

There were some reservations about their endeavours at first. Mr. Kammao opened up that in the beginning there were comments from his fellow traditional Molam musicians that their music is “too different from the Isan style” and that it’s “harder to listen to”. But that didn’t deter their efforts and soon the skeptics came to understand and appreciate it.

Big Step Onto The World Stage

The band found its footing touring music festivals around the world, especially in European countries such as Poland’s OFF,and Glastonbury and Field Day in the UK. One day while touring in Europe, the band was asked to play in place of Solange Knowles during Poland’s OFF festival in 2013. Though unsure of being able to entertain a crowd of tens of thousands, with the first strike of Kammao’s phin the crowd began to gather and soon people were dancing and body surfing to the sound of Molam. After a few years of touring around the world with more than 200 hundred shows to their name, the band decided to get to work recording their ever-evolving tunes into a proper record and what better way to do it than the aptly named ‘21st Century Molam’ as their debut album in 2014, a culmination of three years of experimentations and touring. The band had succeeded in elevating Molam music to the world stage but they would not stop there. For their second album, having taken in new inspirations from their time touring the world, spending time at ‘Studio Lam’, listening to new music, and meeting new people, the group shaped these new experiences into their second album, ‘Planet Lam’ in 2016.

But the journey to get to this point was not all merry and cheerful. Due to the varying experiences and backgrounds of each of the members, there were indeed many clashes of ideas and opinions in the band. The band shared that during the early years of their touring, the group would sometimes get into conflicts due to their different interpretations or understandings of how the music should be played. The clash of genres and experiences was evident during the first year. Sawai and Kammao would sometimes be rigid in their ways of playing Molam and the younger members who are more familiar with contemporary music may not understand, but with their minds open and willing to learn from and teach each other, over time the band began to compromise and learn from each other. Soon all of them became harmonised, able to synchronise with their bandmates. “It’s like a family of sorts. One person would step back and allow the other to step up.” And though it wasn’t smooth sailing, the band found their grooves with each other to create new musical experiences.

The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band

Telling Stories Without A Single Word

When creating their songs, the band explain that they “don't exactly write them”, instead the tracks often come together from messing around with the rhythms and flow of the music. They start by playing together and see (or hear) which instruments and sounds go great with each other or how many tempos they should be until they find the perfect flow. 

As they play, they would also imagine a story to go along with the rhythms of the song, and thus memorable tracks like ‘Kwang Noi Chaolay’ (mischievous little fawn) and ‘Namtok - Waterfall’ were born. This visualisation method is an important aspect of their creation process. They would visualise the rhythms and beats of the music cinematically and create a story that goes along with the flow of the track. By visualising the song they can better connect emotionally and come to the same understanding of what stories the music tells. Whether it be a fawn frolicking in the woods or the chilling streams of a waterfall in a rural forest, these images will come into your mind’s eye as you sit down, close your eyes, and chill to the sound of The Paradise Bangkok.

How a track feels is also vital to the process, DJ Maft Sai explained that there were tracks the band created that were scrapped because they didn’t feel quite right, and hinted that some tracks in their new album were originally recorded even before their second album, they just took a long time to feel right, and now that they do, they’re ready for the world to hear.

The Future of Molam

And now, after being delayed for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their newly released third album, ‘Araya Lam’, is the one they’re most happy about. Experimenting with many new instruments and genres and expanding on ideas from the previous two records, the band has created new exciting sounds and rhythms that distinguish themselves from their old tracks.

“Some of the songs that emerged were unexpected to us.” 
- Piyanart. 

Having been 8 years since their last album, and despite the years-long delay due to the pandemic, the band has been busy recording their new tracks and has now released them for the world to experience. Araya Lam is without a doubt the culmination of their experiences and passions, with many new exhilarating tracks many years in the making. The songs tell many stories, all without a single word, but listen and you will feel their tales. With titles such as ‘Bangkok Traffic Drama’ and ‘Jai Dum’ (Cruel Heart), one could only guess what story they would tell.

Paradise Bangkok’s music is a unique style of harmony that blends traditional Molam music with modern beats to create an unforgettable listening experience that is guaranteed to bring feet to the dancefloor and throw arms into the air. 

They are the best examples of how music can bring people together. From a humble passion project to the world stage, from musicians young and old… a mixture of Molam folk songs and modern drum beats… the sound of music brings together different people in an amazing shared experience. From Thailand to the world, the sound of phin and khaen roar as people move and dance to Paradise Bangkok’s energising symphony.

‘Araya Lam’ their latest album, saw a limited vinyl release in December 2023 and you can grab it via their Facebook and Instagram page. For streaming, keep your ears tuned for a Spotify release later this year.

In case you're in Thailand and intrigued to see their exlclusive live show, let us introduce you to ‘Lek is More’ (เล็ก is More) on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, at Glowfish Sathorn (สาทร), located at the center of urban Bangkok, near BTS station Chong Nonsi.

Lek is More is a sequence of exclusive live shows organized by an online publisher, The People. Named THE PEOPLE CONCERT SERIES, these shows aim to create unique, exclusive, and memorable experiences for audiences through exquisitely selected and curated bands. The word ‘Lek’ (เล็ก) from the title can be translated to ‘Small’ in English. Adapted from the term that defines the power of minimalism—Less is More—the title, Lek is More, aims to convey the obscured power of a small-sized show that can provide a privileged involvement between audiences and the band.

Do not miss this opportunity to be part of an exclusive experience with The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band, especially at the time of the release of their latest Third Album ‘Araya Lam’. Surely, there will be surprises awaiting you there.

Tickets are now available via Thaiticketmajor at the price of 599 Baht per person.