Yaan's debut EP is here.
Yaan is an experimental musical project made up of eight multitalented local musicians. The members are a mix of musicians from well-known indie bands as well as some up-and-comers. They formed way back in 2012. Now, after six years, they’ve finally finished their debut mini-album, Juti.
Yaan are Chawalit Yong Saowapakpongchai (from the band Chladni Chandi), Tommy Hanson (Srirajah Rockers), Noparuj Satjawan (Govinda Bhasya), Nopakorn Worratanitkitkul (NoppakornLertlak), Kontun Pitukpon (Toomturn Morlam Group), Yaniga Lertpimonchai (Koko), Thinnawat Thaitae and Nonthikorn Samakkarn. Together, they are committed to experimenting with new sounds and ideas. This is very much in evidence on the eclectic new EP.
S Weekly recently spoke with group leader Yong about their long-awaited debut.
What took you so long to release the EP?
Yong: We spent most of our early years playing live and touring. We recorded some material during that time, but we weren’t really satisfied with the results. Also, there have been a few line-up changes over the years, so it took us some time to develop our sound.
Why did you decide to name the EP Juti?
Yong: Our sitar player Nop came up with the title. From what I understand, juti is a word that’s used when referring to angels. It means “to be reborn” or “incarnation.” Nop wanted the title to describe how each member came from different bands to do something new together. And the EP is an introduction to our music too.
How would you describe Yaan’s music?
Yong: It’s hard to define. I’d just call it world music, because our style is a combination of many different kinds of music in one - blues, funk, dub reggae, Indian music, mor lam and electronic. The sound is spiritual but still very rhythmic.
What is your favourite track on Juti?
Yong: My favourite is the opening song, “Echoes of Silalaeng.” I like it because it’s very simple. There are only two instruments - acoustic guitar and pi phutai, which is a kind of flute from Issan. The instruments play a duet. I’d never actually heard of the pi phutai until Champ brought one to rehearsal one day. I fell in love with it right away.
Why did you decide to play only instrumental music?
Yong: It was always our intention to be an instrumental band. Some of us believe that having vocals on a song can limit the imagination. With so many musicians in the band, we wanted to make sure that there would be enough space for everybody to experiment and improvise.
How much do Thai fans embrace experimental and instrumental music?
Yong: Vocals and memorable lyrics used to be essential in Thai music if you wanted to be successful. But now I think a lot more people can appreciate instrumental music. That’s mainly thanks to the popularity of post-rock music over the past 10 years. That’s made people more familiar with instrumental and experimental music.
When can we expect to hear a full album?
Yong: Hopefully by the end of the year. We’re trying to record more songs at the moment. It looks like it’s going to be a double-album, because we have a lot of songs and they’re all around 10 minutes long.
