Radical songs that exploded from Southeast Asia in the '60s and '70s weren't made because of heartbreak and destruction — they were made in spite of it. These audacious recordings emerged amid the darkest of times when political turmoil in the 11-country region was a collective nightmare.
Vietnam's history is defined by war (both against imperialism and within itself), as well as unending border conflicts with its neighbors, whose histories are also tethered to war. Laos was entrenched in civil war while Cambodia suffered a genocide at the hands of its communist countrymen. The Philippines dealt with clenched-fisted authoritarianism while Myanmar (then Burma) underwent a bloody military coup. Yet what surfaced from all the chaos were rapturous covers of American soul and rock, psychedelic takes on traditional classics, and experimental releases with Western influences — all distilled through young musicians who knew that time was perhaps not on their side. In most of the region, these songs were made before war disrupted life. Also, in most cases, the music survived through records and cassettes, reemerging years later thanks to collectors, reissue labels, or family members who inherited the music.
These recordings were informed by an open-mindedness that defined a lot of the world's music during these decades. Groundbreaking renditions from pioneers like Phuong Tam (of Vietnam) or Pen Ron (of Cambodia) were unlike anything the region had heard prior, characterized by screeching guitars, vocals drenched in reverb, off-color effects, and other psychedelic touches. Particularly wild are odes to the originals — the Animals, Cher, even the Beatles — which feel familiar but are also otherworldly.
Sinn Sisamouth, for example, made Cambodian psych and recorded hundreds of songs before his untimely death. His recordings not only somehow survived but also influenced contemporary musicians. Heritage lives on via Khun Narin, a traveling instrumental troupe that gigs through villages and weddings in Northern Thailand with a portable sound system, blaring clanky drums and electrifying guitar — not unlike Thai musicians decades ago.
Interest in Asian sounds has been around for quite some time, but more recently, it has been emboldened by groups like Glass Beams or Khurangbin, whose earlier work leaned more into Asian melodies and timbres. In 2005, Onra's Chinoiseries spotlighted Vietnamese vinyl that survived wartime Saigon, while producers like Madlib, RZA, or Alchemist have been sampling Asian records for years. DJ Basura's 2015 Filipino Folkways mix highlighted fuzzy, psychedelic songs from the Philippines, including a killer cover of James Brown's "I Feel Good." Thailand's current retro revivalist label, Zudrangman Records, cannot repress enough of its historical psychedelic, garage, and Thai funk reissues. More recently, legendary turntablist DJ D-Styles' production on J Scienide's "Slovakia" relies on Thai and Cambodian sources that transport you to a bustling night market by the Mekong Delta.
Southeast Asia's crushing history reminds us that war can flatten buildings but culture is hard to destroy — that art-loving creatives once existed and flourished in these war-torn spaces. In the spirit of AAPI Month and with the success of shows like White Lotus highlighting the region, here are some choice selections from Southeast Asia's glorious past, along with current standouts directly connected to its unsuppressable musical lineage.
Phuong Tam - "Có Nhớ Đêm Nào" (c.1965)
Phuong Tam made all her songs in a fleeting two years, shortly before 1966, when the Vietnam War escalated and got even bloodier. But her garage-sounding surf tunes, punchy and sung with an undeniable Western flair, made her music a one-of-one in Vietnam. She escaped to America as the war ended, but the dozens of 45s she recorded influenced generations thereafter.
It wasn't until 2021 when Sublime Frequencies endeavored to find all her recordings and put out a compilation, Saigon Surf Twist & Soul, that her pioneering history became better known. Mark Gergis, head of Sublime Frequencies, said this was among the most arduous reissue process he's ever been a part of.
Pen Ron - "Snaeha" (c.1969)
A singer known for her Western-influenced approach, Pen Ron was also a key figure in Phnom Penh's flourishing arts scene. Much like Betty Chung's fiery cover of Cher's "Bang Bang," Ron's take has dramatic swells — an almost twisted rendition marked with ominous undertones. Her fate remains unknown, like millions of others who disappeared during the Cambodian genocide. Ron's legacy stands tall as an understated firebrand who dared to be loud and risqué when such things were frowned upon.
The Rollies - "Don't Fight It" (1969)
Formed in Bandung in the late '60s, The Rollies, stood out among Indonesia's vast pop scene. The seven-man band blended jazz, rock, and funk into a bouillabaisse of standout tracks that resonate today among fans and collectors of Southeast Asian obscurities. While a lot of recordings during this era leaned heavily into garage and psych, the Rollies relied a bit more on funk, as heard on "Don't Fight It," reminiscent of a lighter, garage-sounding Dyke & The Blazers with its subtle horn stabs.
Sinn Sisamouth - "Sugar Sugar" (c.1973)
Also known as the Elvis of Cambodia or simply "Golden Voice," Sisamouth was a victim of the Khmer Rouge's cultural cleansing campaigns. It's said that he possibly recorded thousands of songs in his short time, and while covers of "Hey Jude" or "House of the Rising Sun" are astounding, this version of the the Archie's' "Sugar Sugar," with its echoey vocals and sped up pitch, really captures Phnom Penh's wide-eyed experimentalism.
Blackbuster - "I've Got You Under My Skin" (1976)
Blackbuster were a part of the vibrant scene dubbed the Manila Sound, a movement in the '60s where local musicians furiously blended Filipino lyrics with Western pop influences, mainly funk, rock, and soul. The group adopted disco as their main output, releasing a slew of records after forming in the early '60s.
They sang in English and also covered a wide swath of American artists in English. "I've Got You Under My Skin" is part Donna Summer and part The Sound of Philadelphia with its symphonic aesthetic, but the end result is uniquely Filipino.
Sothy - "Lam Seung Bang Fai" (1980)
Supposedly recorded in 1980s Paris — presumably by musicians who fled wartime Laos in the 1970s — "Lam Seung Bang Fai" is spacey and off-beat. The track is bound with synths that add a bit of a modern touch to the solitary project. The vocalists are listed as Oulay Vanh and Sothipong Kong but the enigmatic release was helmed by Parisian producer Shelter, a.k.a. Alan Briand, who salvaged, mixed, and mastered portions of the original recordings, which, even now, are quite imaginative.
TAJ - "The Astral Journey" (2015)
Where the '60s and '70s saw Singaporean musicians intermingle traditional themes with a more layered, experimental sound, a shift in economic policy added to a decline in the country's lively music scene in the late 1970s.
Decades later, TAJ stands as a deep connection to Singapore's musical heyday. This group combines psych, soul, rock, and breaks into what they simply call "contemporary Singapore jazz." TAJ released their first EP around 2015 and have been praised for their eclectic fusion of styles.
Khun Narin - "Phom Rak Mueang" (2016)
This psychedelic group from Thailand can be seen on YouTube on the back of a crowded truck, brimming with gear, blasting heavy psych through small villages. The band is a rotating troupe of musicians, varying in age from high school students to men well into their sixties. Their tag "The Electric Phin Band" is a reference to the phin, a traditional Thai string instrument that dates back to the late 19th century. The track above is a standout from their second album, which was assembled by the Innovative Leisure imprint after their homemade videos had gone viral.