What were the main reasons for you to pursue the Lovebomb project?

I have always been a movie buff and film censorship has changed from the time I was a kid. In the past, they couldn’t show blood, you had actors grabbing their chests and the camera panning to a little hole on their chests, but Sam Peckinpah revolutionized Hollywood with his violent and bloody shootouts in the 1970s.

In the current TV industry, shows like CSI are grotesque and have a tendency to titillate with their explicit violent imagery and reworking of crime scenes, but isn’t it hypocritical that you can’t show a woman being brutally raped as long as the nipple isn’t revealed while the mere sight of a female breast and nipple is considered offensive and a huge no (even a mother breastfeeding her child) on public television. This doesn’t make sense at all to me.

This issue still puzzles me: Why are people not as uncomfortable about violence as they are about nudity that is not even meant to be arousing in the first place? In fact violent, gory images have become part of the mainstream and appear in the news, movies and various entertainment programmes. I guess that’s my main reason for pursuing this project.

Do you think that depiction of violence and sexuality is different in Singaporean and European media?

I don’t think there are many differences. It is pretty much a global reaction: Violence is ok but nudity is not. On a Saturday afternoon, kids can watch with their parents in the comfort of their homes, a re-run of Cobra where Sylvester Stallone goes on a killing rampage and blows up everything in sight, which the powers that be consider alright, but if Stallone kisses another guy on the lips, the scene would certainly be censored before the broadcast.

It seems odd and disturbing to me that people don’t blink their eyes when a baby is brutally murdered on screen but when they see a couple showing physical affection, for example a male lover rubbing his partner’s breast, we notice something different from the crowd.

Having said that, Holland is a very liberal nation and we have a strong belief that everyone has a right to make up their minds and all voices must be heard as long as there is respect for everyone. There is even a kid’s programme that explains what a nudist beach is to children, but it appears on the channel which caters to people who have liberal value systems.

As a future parent, what will some of your ground rules be when it comes to media consumption?

I wouldn’t allow my children to watch CSI when they are young. Obviously, I wouldn’t want my children to become murderers because the graphic nature of the shows can easily qualify as a great how-to-murder guide. As for nudity, I think it’s fine that they can be exposed to images that are natural and are not meant to titillate. Having mentioned that, there is a distinction between nudity and pornography. I would never want my kids to be exposed to the unsavory and unrealistic images that abound in that genre. Oh yeah, they can certainly see my artwork because it wouldn’t make them depraved killers.

Anything else about nudity that piques you?

Everybody is comfortable at home about nudity, but not in public, so it’s not the question about nudity but more about how other people think of you. Put a naked body in a gallery and most people wouldn’t even sneak a second look.

I am from Europe, where there are beaches for nudists, and believe it or not, when I was a teen, I was easily embarrassed by my mum who frequented such beaches.

What’s your work about?

Visually my work is meant to amuse, not shock. How can it shock when you are looking at such bright colors? Isn’t the bomb scarier than the puffed up pink boob? And aren’t breasts meant to convey a sense of love and security?

I don’t want my work to be intellectually challenging, instead of being about what the artist is trying to convey, the visitors should make up their own minds about the works as well as derive a sense of amusement and pleasure from their day out.

Check out the uber cool lovebomb sculptures and paintings from May 13-21at The Substation Gallery, 45 Armenian St., 6337- 7535.

Medium and technique: Acrylic on canvas and graphite on paper.

Why this obsession with hair?
Our skin and body hair is something more than clothing. It is a part of our body. Animals’ body hair is about survival while people value their skin and body hair as something more than that—maybe they value it too much.

Is that the concept?
Yes, nowadays people focus and put a lot of value on their physical appearance until somehow they forget that humans are just animals. So, I present human simply as another kind of animal through their bare skin and body hair.

How are we different from animals?
Actually I found nothing different between humans and animals. Our brain is just more complex and we have social and cultural norms and value. All those things keep us away from nature, until we end up thinking we’re something superior comparing to animals. Actually, we are like them.

Who is your favorite artist?”
Lo-Lay Taweesak Sritongdee, artist and illustrator, is my favorite. I don’t know him personally but watching his work inspired me a lot in creating my own work.

I’ve watched your video presentation; can you explain the idea of the visual?
The visual presentation was designed to be a bit myserious. The story of human’s body hair is that it hides something and lets other see only what they want.

Kepping up with Nadda Thanathan at Hairy I am an Animal exhibition

How did you two start doing the show?
Pairoj: We first began around two years ago. At first Kartoon started off with her solo shows when she was five. After she was on Dan Dara, part of At Ten’s famous talent show on Channel 3, she was invited as a guest to many TV shows, game shows and events.

Why did you decide to do the show here at the hospital?
Pairoj: Well, we didn’t think it would be this way, but when an organizer contacts us, we go and perform; so it’s really our job now. Sometimes we also go to shows outside of Bangkok and even weddings and birthday parties. It’s something we are happy doing and I think we wouldn’t do anything else.

Kartoon, when did you start playing violin?
Kartoon: My dad taught me when I was three years old. I can also play piano, guitar and drums. In the future, I would like to learn the flute and ukulele.
Pairoj: I’m a violin teacher. I teach in school, at student’s houses and also at home. After teaching Kartoon, I noticed that she picked it up really fast and obviously had a gift. She could remember all the notes from books and even began transcribing chords from famous songs.

How much do you charge for performances?
Pairoj: It depends on the particular show. This one pays B3,000, but at other events outside Bangkok, it can be up to B30,000. Sometimes, we also do it for free.

Has Kartoon been in any contest before?
Pairoj: Yes, she has been in many contests and won many. Recently, she competed in a contest on Phuying Tueng Phuying [a TV program], where she had to hula hoop while playing the violin.

Do you ever feel tired?
Kartoon: Never, because I have so much fun and I don’t get lonely. I feel like there’s always someone beside me and it’s like playing with a friend. Also when there’s a lot of audience, it pushes me to perform to the utmost.

What are your dreams?
Kartoon: My dream is to be like Vanessa Mae [Thai-Singaporian violinist].
Pairoj: My dream is to see Kartoon take her musical skills to the national stage. She needs to practice hard.

How does your wife help with the shows?
Pairoj: She is our personal manager. She takes care of the schedule and Kartoon’s clothing and makeup. Sometimes when the schedule is tight, she has to feed Kartoon in the car while reading a map to figure out where we’re going next. Interview by Rattikarn Suwithayaphan

You guys have been touring a lot for the past two years, how's life on the road?
It's a life that most people don't actually understand. I don't think that we really understood what we were getting into when we first started this band. When you join a band, you are essentially being married to the other members of your band and you see them constantly if you are on the road as much as we have been and will be. You make decisions with them, get angry with them, enjoy good times together, and everything in-between. There have been some real ups and some real downs and I think what really keeps us going are the kids who show up to our shows. We feel pretty lucky to have such a committed group of people turn up to our shows and listening to our records.

Did you feel any pressure being named as NME band of 2010?
You know, I think we feel more pressure now as we are about to finish our second album, but not much. We were too naive to feel any pressure from anyone or anything on the first album. We had the debut album essentially finished before any of the press even knew who we were, and we loved the album and had this mindset to not care what anyone else thought at all. I really love that about our band. Connor and Jacob and I are probably the most bullheaded people you'll ever meet when it comes to making a compromise. We just know what sounds good to us, and if that isnt good enough for anyone else, then, they can go cry in their pillow, I suppose.

Some say surf rock, some say post punk. How would you describe your sound?
I think we are just a pop band, through and through. We are finishing our second album this week and believe me, I don't think anyone will call us a surf band after this one is out. I always found it funny how lazy journalists would dub us a surf band because we have one song out of about forty that mentions surfing. We are just pop. We don't care if people call us indie, or mainstream, or whatever. We do want to be considered pop, because as a band our greatest passion is a perfect pop song and a strong pop concept.

Who inspires you musicially?
The Wake, The Shangri-Las, Orange Juice, Beat Happening, China Crisis, Diruti Column, The Supremes, Wham.

In your opinon, what makes good indie pop?
I don't know what makes something indie, and don't really care. I mean, the term indie... what does it mean anymore? It used to mean how something was done without lots of money, set apart, etc. Now it is more of a label you put on anything that has reverb on it or something like that. We never set out to be indie, we just made our music 100% independently from anyone else and with no money and because we didn't know what we were doing and had no one to fund us or hold our hands during the creative process, we ended up with a sound that we are happy with. I know that would not have happened had anyone else been brought in to make this record with us.

This will be your debut show here in Bangkok, what are you looking forward to the most?
We are very excited to be coming to Bangkok. It is one of those places that seems like a dream to me, and I am just grateful to be able to play there finally. I'm hoping to meet a fan who will take me to eat some really good local food.

What's next for you guys? When can we expect to hear the new album?
It's just a collection of more sad pop songs, a little more serious than the first. I think the first album was full of "concepts" rather than just being real as far as what I am saying. Things get much more personal and much more severe. It's definitely our dark record.

Catch The Drums in their full fantastic glory at Exclusive Party The Drums Live in Bangkok on May 24, 8pm. Tickets are B800 and are now on sale at www.thaiticketmajor.com. Hurry up as only 800 tickets are available!

My dream is to prove to the average Singaporean that it is possible to dream big and achieve big things in sports like MMA.

I pretty much stayed out of fights when I was younger. I knew I had to pick my fights and fight them the right way, so I chose to walk away.

The best thing about being a teenager is the innocence of youth and discovering yourself on a daily basis.

Puberty was an interesting process, but that’s one of the few things I wouldn’t particularly miss, except for the growth spurt in my height.

Height is a small factor in the dating game. My height gets me noticed, but it’s not the only thing about me that’s a good ice-breaker and conversation-starter.

When I was a paramedic, I had to fly solo with my ambulance driver to send a woman in a lifethreatening situation to the hospital. It was the most challenging ambulance call I attended, but I learned so much about myself from that experience.

MMA is truly the most honest form of expression in terms of martial arts. It started out as a means of pitting all the different forms of martial arts to see which ones are the most effective. Today, the sport has evolved to a state where it demands that its athletes be well-versed in all the various forms of striking and grappling.

MMA competitors embody the apex of physical conditioning; the better well-rounded competitor with superior conditioning usually triumphs.

Some athletes fall back on the excuse that they are under pressure to perform at the highest levels constantly, so they choose to indulge in performance-enhancing drugs (PED). My principles are against taking such PEDs.

My favorite dish is my cheat meal of nasi lemak, especially the one my mother cooks.

You could classify my family as traditional. There was that initial concern over the path I’ve chosen but it’ll get better.

In Singapore, any sporting endeavor is seen as an unstable career choice, and the stereotypes associated with combat sports competitors is still prevalent.

My idol is MMA Fighter Georges St-Pierre. He is an epitome of discipline, dedication and a true martial artist.

Muay Thai World Champion Yoddecha Sityodtong once said: “A diamond is only formed after a lump of coal is molded by tremendous pressure for years.” He rose above a terrible childhood to win his first world championship at age 22 and has been featured on History Channel’s Human Weapon documentary. He’s a role model and a teacher.

A lot of people settle for much less in life as that is comfortable for them. I’d rather work hard in pursuit of a life I want to live, instead of settling for a life that others think I should lead.

What’s awesome about your job?
Travel, planes, hotels, sun and lack of sleep. Love it!

You didn’t jump to house and techno immediately.
I came from jazz, soul and hip hop, and then found house and techno. My forthcoming work is more electronic, but like fashion and trends, my tastes and production preferences seem to be coming full circle.

How has technology impacted electronic dance music?
Quantity breeds in most cases a lack of quality. Technology enables the enthusiast rather than the dedicated to succeed today. Having said that, today’s musical technology has opened up many new sounds—but to be honest I prefer music made the traditional way. In music, everybody has their own opinion.

Share with us your thoughts on the current electronic music landscape.
It's random as hell! Those who are talented and creative seem to have to stand on the touchline while those who are loud and brash help themselves to “match day shirts.” Again that's life and happens in any business. Money breeds money.

What do you "look for" on the dancefloor when you play your sets?
I look for at least one person who has come to dance, and do my upmost best to keep them in that frame of mind.

Entrust your night to the tasteful music selection of Trus’Me on May 6, 10pm. Velvet Underground, 17 Jiak Kim St., 6738-2988. $28-35 includes two drinks.

What do you like best about being part of Mono?
Being able to do what we love to do for a living and meeting friends around the world. There was a time when touring internationally and releasing records was just a small dream. We're very grateful for the opportunity to spend our lives making music.

Pick one : Playing live or recording? Playing live.
There is an interchanging of energy during a live show that just cannot be imitated during the recording process.

We can feel so much emotional depth in your music and a great cinematic vision in songs like “Ashes in the Snow” and “The Battle to Heaven” from Hymn to the Immortal Wind; what makes a great song great?
The approach for Hymn to the Immortal Wind was different because the songs and the story chapters are based on one another. In my opinion, songs that I have grown to love are the ones that make me feel, visualize and empathize with its creator. Some of the greatest songs in history demonstrate the kind of human resonance we seek in a good book, film or spiritual experience.

We enjoyed your first gig in here in 2008, what can the Singapore crowd expect from your upcoming one?
We really enjoyed visiting Singapore in 2008. In our first gig, we could not play songs from Hymn to the Immortal Wind because we were still working on it. We hope to play all the songs from that album as well as a couple of older songs. We hope the crowd will have a great time.

Catch Mono on May 6, 7pm. Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim St., 6738- 2988. $70 from venue.

Have you noticed any trends in the luxury bar scene?
History’s starting to repeat itself. I really think the simplicity of the cocktail is coming back and people are looking for more of an experience. The ultimate ritual is absinthe. There’s a real influx of locally produced products, whether it’s fruits, spices or herbs. They’re all really starting to come into play. Like during the World Class challenge, we saw everything from Balinese saffron to local curry leaves.

You’re here as a guest judge for a World Class challenge—what are your judging criteria?
To be honest, these challenges aren’t all about the cocktail. It’s more like 25 percent about the cocktail itself; the rest is a combination of creativity, knowledge of the alcohol, personality and style, of course. I’ve had Asian bartenders say they don’t think they can hack it against other bartenders from the UK, Australia and America, but that’s such a load of crap. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if this or next year, the winner’s from Asia.

Ketel One versus Ron Zacapa in a smack down, which is the one for you?
You’re really putting me on the spot. Ketel One is great for a hot, summer’s day, while Ron Zacapa’s nice at night.

The Drums D.I.Y blogosphere roots—whose crafty idea was it?
Johnny (Pierce, The Drum’s vocalist) and I are culpable for that. It was born out of sheer necessity because we felt that it was the best way to promote our songs, and it all fits our hands-on approach to music making.

How’s the songwriting process like for the band?
The songs come together in different ways. Johnny locks himself in a room and does his thing while Connor (Hanwick, drummer) and I are cooped in our respective rooms, coming up with the sounds that would work with the lyrics. None of us are technically good, to be honest we are bad musicians, but we make it up with love and just try really hard. We don’t think too much about the process, and usually spend about two days writing a song. It’s a short and sweet process that best captures our original excitement and intent.

Melancholia whisked together with effervescent melodies and a generous sprinkling of catchy handclaps why this irony?

It was never conscious, it just happened naturally because it sounds like the sort of music that we grew up it with. We are big fans of The Smiths, Joy Division and Orange Juice, and I guess their influence rubs onto us. Our lyrics are sad and dark, and reflect what we naturally are. But the upbeat sound is our f*ck it coping mechanism, might as well deal with it and put some fun in the gloominess.

What’s with the religious undertones in songs like “Down by the Water” and “I’ll Never Drop My Sword”?

I think they could be due to the way Johnny and I were as kids, we grew up in very Christian households, and if you are raised in a certain way, you will be affected by it one way or another.

How does the hectic touring schedule affect The Drums?
Of course, our bodies take some time recovering from the busy schedule, but we are grateful that we can do something we always wanted to do. Before the band started, I didn’t travel a lot, now I am out of US for 11 months of the year, and love experiencing the warmth of our fans in far-flung places of the world like Japan. It’s not the main reason why The Drums are currently a trio, but the touring did take its toil on our former guitarist Adam (Kessler).

The three of you look too fey to be surfers, so why “Let’s Go Surfing”?

To us, the song is not about surfing at all, but more about the fun of being a teenager. Having said that, it just so happened that we rode on a wave that included good bands like Surfer Blood, who work on similar themes like us. It’s a shame that we aren’t as closely knit as we should be.

Are you tired of playing it at gigs?
There is certainly a love-hate relationship with it for me. When we recorded the songs for our debut album in 2010, “Let’s Go Surfing” stood out from the record because it sounded the least like us. We don’t mind playing it in large festivals, but the reaction from the crowd is similar to any other song that we are playing.

If Morrissey could cover one of your songs, which one should it be?
“The Saddest Summer” from our Summertime! EP is an obvious choice

Did you anticipate the success of your debut album and the post-hype surrounding it?
We didn’t expect anything from the release of the album, all we wanted to do was to make a record, something that we have been hooked to since we were teenagers, playing in bands. It becomes part of your lifestyle and we couldn’t get away from the scene, even when we were working in horrible jobs, stealing food and straining to get by. Living in near poverty with four people and a dog cramped in a tiny one bedroom apartment prepares you to not to take the hype seriously at all. All of us are in our mid to late twenties and have an idea of how life works, if everything is going to fall apart this moment, it’s really out of our control and all we can do is to seize the moments while it lasts.

What can we expect from your sophomore album?
Actually, we completed the recording yesterday. Well, we can’t tell you what it’s called yet but you can expect the same mentality and infecticious energy from our debut.

Can we expect a new song or two in your gig in Singapore?
Of course, we can’t wait to play songs like my new personal favorite “We Tried” from the upcoming album. More importantly, we would promise to make it a really fun night for everyone in the crowd.

Make an indie date with the Brooklyn trio, The Drums on May 16, 8pm at Powerhouse, 1/F St. James Power Station, 3 Sentosa Gateway, 6270-7676. $65 from Sistic includes club entry and one drink.

The king has been my inspiration, since i was a kid. My parents taught me that if you see anything wrong, you can’t just let it go. You have to make it right.

At medical school I knew I couldn’t work within strict rules. I had to find a way to work independently. If I’m good at my job, I should have the right to be independent, right? Luckily, I mentioned this to a professor who told me my character was best suited for forensic medicine.

This job is about searching. I had no idea how much I would love it. Every time I touched putrid organs I thought, “Wow, this is what went on with that person.”

This job is also about bringing justice to the deceased. My analysis often reaches different conclusions from that of relatives or the police.

Death makes you reflect on what you wish to accomplish before you die. I learned that from the first dead body I saw.

When I moved from Phitsanulok to Bangkok, I discovered the difference between rural and metropolitan police. Police in the provinces don’t practice deception like the police in Bangkok.
As a professor, I took on my first high profile case, the murder of Jenjira, a medical student. The police relied on the suspect’s testimony, saying the girl had been killed at a hotel. I found evidence to the contrary, and the murderer later admitted he had killed her at her home.

This was my first conflict with the police, who thought that I just wanted to be famous. It goes on to this day. No National Police Chief has accepted me. But this case paved the way to create the Central Institute of Forensic Science Thailand.

I believe that dharma will protect me if I do the right thing. A monk told me, “This is not the thing that you want to do but you were destined to do it, so do your best.”

Hangthong Thammawattana’s murder was the case that affected me the most. I was sued for billions of baht and received threats, like, “Do you want to die like Hangthong?” I wasn’t afraid. My dad taught me to never fear when what you’re doing is the right thing.

My toughest cases are the ones related to the Southern insurgency. I feel pity for our nation. This massive budget pumped into the South could have ended the conflict in the first three years if we had a smart leader paying attention to this problem.

I see light at the end of the tunnel for the South, but don’t know when it will end. So many people benefit from this problem, both government officials and insurgents. It can only be solved by the justice system.

A year after the violence at the Red Shirt protests, I still blame the poor education in Thailand. It has taught people to cling to materialism and entertainment, not morality.
The investigation to find who is responsible for the violence at the protest is just a soap opera.
Politics are a business in Thailand. It’s hard to find a politician who puts people first.

Society is being destroyed by a lack of clear rules. But let’s not be too negative. Nothing bad lasts forever.

Don’t try to change politicians and elections. Money shows mercy to no one. It just makes people more stupid.

I wake up at 4:30am every day, or 4am if I am in the Southern provinces, which is usually two days a week. After I wake up I will pray to make myself calm, or refresh my mind with books.

My favorite hobby is writing. I think it keeps my mind sharp. I can’t write well if I’m in a bad mood.

If weren’t a doctor, I’d love to be a teacher. I want to teach kids to be like me, teach them to be strong and resist the vicious things in life.

Others might love sex or alcohol but I love to dress.
I have to pick my clothes in the evening. Otherwise I would end up going to work late because I can’t make a decision.

I am only strict with my daughter in the sense that she has to be a good person. I feel content that she’s interested in dharma because it will guide her to the right path.

All three institutes—nation, religion, monarchy—are have been sullied. But I am ready to make this country good again. I’m just waiting for more good people so that we can do it together.