UBRADIO.NET–UNDERGROUND MUSIQUE ELECTRONIQUE
DJ AMNESTY ROCKS THE HOUSE
BY ANTONIO PINEDA
I contract a motorcycle taxi outside the Grace Hotel in Bangkok to take me to Khao San Road, the Bohemian sector of town. The motorcycle rages and swerves through traffic, it is a sultry eve , the rainclouds above dark, thunder booms signalling the advent of rain. We cross Khao San Road, continue on until we are at the door of musique electronique genius DJ Manow. He greets me and welcomes me to his crib.
DJ Manow is taking me to witness the first live broadcast of Underground Bangkok Radio. DJ Amnesty, a cool Brit dude is the featured artiste on location at the Sri Poom Expresso Bar. The broadcasts will promote the talents of the best young Thai and international DJS representing the best elements of the electronic music scene. DJ MANOW leads me down the road in his hood, past the Blues Bar and a brace of hip restaurants until we hit the site of the broadcast. The scene of the crime is chilled out downstairs, DJ Apple a cool Thai bloke is behind a turntable. We ascend the circular stairway to the second floor.
DJ Amnesty is setting up shop for the two hour broadcast. The studio is remarkable for a collection of 1940s radios and tv sets encased in old mahogany woodwork of yore. A large window overlooks the street, on view is the cool street vibe. The players arrive on the set. Daryl is in the house, a hip Brit who is on the UB Radio team. The Mellow Mushroom Crew headed by Mark Weinstein join DJ Manow, bottles of Chang and Heiniken appear on the tables. Pierre a minamalist DJ from India talks trash and DJ Amnesty kicks the show into overdrive. He consecrates the event mixing and rapping, doing voiceovers as the flow of avant garde house-trance-minamalist-trip hop burns the airwaves.
Blue lightning flashes outside as rain crashes against the windows creating a percussive effect as the raindrops add a naturalistic beat to the raging dance music on air. Downstairs an eclectic audience is gathered around the bar seeking refuge from the monsoon rain. Amnesty is toasting and roasting, the electronic music scene in Bangkok is attracting name DJS from all over the world. Venues like Culture Club, 808 in the RCA complex, Q-Bar, Bed Supper Club and a host of others are bringing it on.
The internet is changing the face of underground music and now the elements are in place to substitute the bland commercialism of middle of the road, predictable radio with the saucy sounds of the real deal beats. Amnesty is rolling deep now, deep in the street, the bass line is thumping, drums sound in the night, orchestral effects in the background as he pimps up the backbeat.Undeground Bangkok Radio will bang out music in perpetuity and the internet site will feature access to the best music downloads and information on the planet.
Pirate radio of long ago is brought to mind. The inaugural broadcast winds down as Amnesty gives a shout out to his fans and listeners and busts a move while playing AMBUSHED. We pop outside for a smoke. The air is cool, the rain fizzles to a stop, the players discuss the merits of Chicago legend Frankie Knuckles who is gracing Bangkok with his presence.Knuckles started as the main man in THE WHAREHOUSE, a NYC venue where he made his bones, his influence has spread world wide, young DJS and technocats are blazing new frontiers as they turn on, tune in and trance out.Time to blow this honky tonk. I thank Amnesty and Daryl, check out with Manow and the Mellow Mushroom Crew and jump into the taxi, spinning out past Victory Monument back to my Bohemian crib.
Tango, Tangoing: Poems & Art
While the ostensible subject here is dance, Mong-Lan is brilliant at suggesting layered, ever-shifting perspectives, meanings, and voices. These complex poems are, at times, aesthetic mediations, dissections of human relationships, internal monologues, and political inquiry. That Mong-Lan succeeds at such an ambitious project in writing that is visually striking, musically complex, unabashedly erotic and deeply intelligent, is testimony to her very great poetic talents. This is a marvelous book, one I’ll return to again and again. –Kevin Prufer
Tango, Tangoing: Poems & Art
Poetry and Pen and Ink Drawings
of Tango Dancers by Mong-Lan
Valiant Press, Spring 2008
Ask for it at your favorite bookstore, or go online and order directly from bookstores such as Amazon.com
ISBN: 978-0-6151-8800-3
