In Key of Thai
After winding through vendors, clubbers, and tourists in the choked streets of Bangkok, first-time filmmakers find themselves in the rice fields of Northeastern Thailand, where water buffalo kick up clouds of red dust. The filmmakers are on a quest to find Thai DJ and record shop owner Nattapol Seangsukon — the sould of Thai music. While Western ears are fairly acclimated to the sounds of Latin America and Africa, the aural journey of Y/Our Music will prove a revelation, from the old labor songs rising out of harvested grain to mor lam, which sets classical poetry to the sound of tremendous reed mouth organs. Artist interviews reveal tensions between tradition and modernity, and urban and pastoral lifestyles, red and yellow political parties. It is easy to guess where the filmmakers preferences lie — they eschew the oomph oomph of the commercially-successful raves in Bangkok in favor of street performers and a quirky performance art duo who make indie music in their basement — but it is people like Seangsukon who are most likely to preserve the traditions by turning kids on to folk music, blending old with new.
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