300 essential LPs and 45s from across South and Southeast Asia, selected and annotated by Chris Menist and Maft Sai, co-founders of the Paradise Bangkok label and party. Five chapters trace modernized folk and devotional music through surf, garage, psych and disco, with rarity scores, collector’s checkboxes and full-color original artwork throughout.
Western bands have long been influenced by the music of the Eastern hemisphere, but simultaneous sonic conversations have occurred in South and Southeast Asia among local bands amalgamating imported sounds with tradition. The psychedelic repetitions and drones that Western groups have drawn inspiration from have long been crucial elements in music from South and Southeast Asia, and too often overlooked.
