Formed in 2015 with Aum Subhamitra on guitar and Kim Nopbhorn W, and currently with Thot Panomkwan on drums and Wasin Wainiya on keyboards, the anti-fascist and instrumental ZeitGeistS released their first EP in 2021 and combine elements of psych rock, doom, prog, and experimental. Going from Black Sabbath-style electronic metal to jazzy licks, ZeitGeistS is a Bangkok band with big ideals. Creator Kim Nopbhorn W. tells BK more as part of our “Play for Change” series.
What are the causes you and your band care about?
Politics, society, anti-fascism, anti-establishment, humanity, and death.
What are some examples of how you try to affect social change with your music?
We’re always delivering a message to an audience regarding social issues through our music and live performance along with footage of violence against civilians by the government in our country and other countries. We also speak for those who are oppressed by military dictatorships and tyrannical governments through our social media.
You recently played in Cambodia and have been outspoken on the situation in Myanmar. Do you think you’ve been successful in confronting issues outside of Thailand?
At this stage we would not say successful, but it’s truly a good start. However, after the show, we had conversations with the audience about politics—wars and violence not only in Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar but also around the world. It’s a good sign and could mean hope for tomorrow.
Photo: ZeitGeistS in Phnom Penh Cambodia in April 2023. / Photo Steve Porte
You’ve played for live crowds big and small in Bangkok. How do they respond to your message?
Any trouble with the authorities? We pretty much received a positive response while performing, and we can tell that some people are deeply touched by our message, not just by our audio but also visually through footage of the crackdown on the protesters in Thailand and Myanmar. Other people grow angry when they learn that we are anti-fascism. Honestly, it had us a little worried because we have Section 112 (Thailand’s lèse-majesté law) complaints that can be filed by anyone, against anyone. The military government and the “anti-democracy” people are using Section 112 to target people who have different political stances. Our friend Mint Kanyamon is a traditional dancer and pro-democracy activist who performed with ZeitGeistS but now lives somewhere in Europe, a political asylum seeker … accused under article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code last year.