Various

Soundway has proven itself worthy with virtually every compilation by doing one of two things really well: being the first entry into "previously undiscovered" musical subgenres or greatly expanding the current public perception of that genre. By this criteria, their initial foray into Thailand is a bit disappointing, but still of consistent quality. Thai funk and soul has been reissued for more than a decade by a few well-distributed labels, Sublime Frequencies, chief among them, with whose collections this comp shares a few tracks. The aesthetic differences between the two labels means that the Luk Krung and Luk Thung styles comped here are a bit more oriented to Western-inspired grooves. Not that this isn't excellent music with some stirring vocal performances ― "Fai Yen," by Ream Daranoi, and "Uay Porn Tahan Chaydan," by Sodsri Rungsang. If you've never heard Thai soul and funk before, this is a great place to start, especially given the excellent liner notes. But this isn't for hardcore collectors.