3 notable Thai/indie artists by TYP!CAL

Text by Gikyo Nakamura

A music label that releases indie pop music from around the world on 7-inch and cassette tapes.My name is Yoshihiro Nakamura and I am the curator of . We have released a lot of works, especially about Thai indie artists, so we had the opportunity to introduce them all together.

I feel that the attention to Thai pop music is gradually increasing in Japan as well. Particularly well-known indie artists are Phum Viphurit, who broke out after his release on 88rising and collaborated with Nulbarich and STUTS, and Phum Viphurit, who unfortunately disbanded, but collaborated with SIRUP. The R&B duo HYBS and SSW’s Numcha, which became a hot topic with their city pop-style sound, are probably the best. All of them are oriented toward modern neo-soul to urban music, and because they release songs with mainly English lyrics, the listening sensation is similar to Western pop music at first listen. But at the same time, there’s a good sense of inanimate melody that is common to East Asia, and I think this is a factor that resonates with Japanese listeners.

This time, we have selected three recommended artists from among the artists who have been involved with so far.

A four-piece group that attracted attention with its remix by Hiroshi Fujiwara.

Rocketman:Instagram

First of all, let me introduce you to Rocketman, a four-piece band that debuted on the Rats label to which the aforementioned Phum Viphurit belongs. It features a refreshing blue-eyed soul to funk-pop sound similar to Phum Viphurit and Benny Sings. Their signature song, “Orange Coffee,” is a funk-pop number directly descended from Prince, with light guitar cutting and sweet falsetto vocals.

asked Hiroshi Fujiwara to remix the song. The BPM has been significantly lowered from the original song, creating a piano dub style version reminiscent of the 90’s ground beat to trip hop eve, which was once again gaining popularity as street soul. The 7-inch version, which combines the original and the same mix, sold out immediately, and although it’s a little disappointing, I think it played a role in their PR in Japan.

In September of this year, he came to Japan for the first time to perform at the event “Nakasu Jazz” held in Fukuoka. He showed off his live performance skills and really excited the venue, which was probably his first time seeing them. Although they are not the most skilled type, they create an intimate mood with their lively, groove-filled performances and vocalist Matt’s sincere and friendly character. I want to see it in Tokyo next time.

Two people attracting attention as next-generation new icons

LANDOKMAI：X (Twitter) / Instagram

I went to an event hosted by Rocketman in Bangkok last year, and at that time I met Upim, the vocalist of LANDOKMAI, who I will introduce to the second group. did.

■Reference article:TYP!CAL RECORDS Music exchange record at Bangkok (note)

She was singing Rocketman’s song “Loved You Wrong” and was there to perform as a guest that day. We had some time to talk in the dressing room, and he told me that his favorite Japanese artists were Lamp and Eiko Ishibashi, which left an impression on me, so I checked LANDOKMAI’s Spotify after returning to Japan and was surprised. Wow, it’s extremely popular…

In fact, the song “Blooming” released around that time became a viral hit with over 26 million views on Spotify and over 30 million views on YouTube, and became a name that quickly gained attention locally as a new icon for the next generation. It was the right time to go.

LANDOKMAI is an indie duo consisting of Upim-Landokmai Sripasang (Vo.) and Ant-Manassanan Kingkasem (Gt., Cho.). A simple performance based on an acoustic guitar, and a sweet, clear singing voice whispering in Thai, creating a dream pop sound with a vintage feel. The album “All My Purple Feeling” released in February is one of the best Thai indie releases of this year.

is planning a collaboration that will feature the two members of LANDOKMAI on Tomggg’s song “magical moment”, which was created as an insert song for the short animation “Ephemer” by popular illustrator Nagi Nagi Miyako. They provided Japanese singing and guitar arrangements that were both charming and clumsy.

A new band with a colorful pop sound

Daynim:X (Twitter) / Instagram

The last band we would like to introduce is Daynim, a four-piece band with a slightly different color. Formed in 2019 by college friends, they are influenced by the colorful pop sounds of R&B and hip-hop, such as Doja Cat, Pharrell Williams, and The Internat, and their DIY approach is an example of American bedrock. Synchronizes with artists after Room Pop.

Initially, we made our debut on Smallroom, a long-established Thai indie label that also includes artists such as Polycat, and from TYP!CAL, we released a 7-inch version of our famous song “In Your Bad Day” from our time at the same label. Ta. The music video is packaged with the mood of a free-spirited youth reminiscent of art school students, and I think it conveys their charm well.

After that, they transferred to , which is run by Yeeza, who is also their co-producer, and are currently developing independent activities. The album “PSSST!” released last year has developed a more sophisticated sound, and I look forward to seeing what they do in the future.

This time we mainly introduced artists who are associated with , but there are still many diverse and unique talents waiting in Thailand’s indie scene. If you search for their music on Spotify or YouTube, you’ll probably find related artists as well. Please look for your favorite!

[Release information]

Rocketman 『Orange Coffee』
Release Date：2021.08.13 (Fri.)
Label：TYP!CAL
Tracklist：
A.Orange Coffee
AA. Orange Coffee (slumbers mix)

*7 inch record

Tomggg “éphémère”
Release Date: Scheduled for early December 2024
Label：TYP!CAL
Tracklist：
A1. Tomggg, LANDOKMAI – magical moment 2584
B1. Waltz for Astrology – Opening –
B2. Waltz for Astrology – Ending –