When did you start this album?
Ton: Actually, we started it a few years ago but we had a problem—our singer quit—so we had to stop for a while. The three of us still wanted to continue what we already worked on, though, and that’s why this album came out.

What is the concept of this album?
Ton: It’s a mini album, indie style. We are going back to basics, like we’re starting everything all over again.

How did you get a new singer?
Ton: Poo and Ek Blackhead introduced him to us. His style is what we wanted. He is mixed race—Korean and American.

Why did you produce it in Canada?
Ton: Our band’s manager is my friend and he is Canadian. We wanted to try to make an international album.

When did you guys go to Canada?
Rhung: I went there first, a few years ago to see how the recording studio there is and to prepare for the album.

How is different working in Thailand and Canada?
Ton: It’s not so different, actually. The way we work is quite similar but they have higher quality sound equipment.

How was life in Canada?
Ton: Everything was fine except the cost of living was too high.

Did you have a language problem?
All: Just a little bit.

What is your impression of the album?
Ton: First, I want to thank our manager because we were concerned whether or not it would work out. But after he listened to our songs, he planned and managed everything for us. We never thought it would be possible to make an international album, but he said it would be.

When are your songs going to be on iTunes?
Rhung: They’ll be on there after we launch the album.

Would you like to do more international albums?
All: Of course. That’s the dream of every singer.

Three years ago when I worked with my former label on my own project, I had many rules and a very strict schedule. I was really tired, though, so I took some time off.

While producing for other singers, I came up with some beautiful phrases and ideas that I was able to put into my latest album.

The difference between being a producer and a singer is a producer has to do anything to make an album sound good, while a singer just has to sing.

As a singer, you have to work as hard as the producer wants, but it’s good if you want to be a better singer.

I’m two different people when I work as both producer and singer. A good producer has to know the singer’s ability. The good thing is I know which songs are good for me and which are not.

I produced hip hop music for Temple Dogz but I would never do that for myself because I know what’s good for me.

I like hip hop but I think it might be too shocking if I changed from being a love song singer to a rapper. I can’t just go on stage rapping like them.

Executive Manager is my title at my new label. I’d prefer to use “Executive Producer” instead since I control everything about the music, but I know nothing about managing a company.

I’ve always been a music-maker, not a businessman. I prefer keeping my company as small as it is now.

Working with big labels taught me a lot about how to operate. Working under my own company now, it’s 10 times harder than with a big label, but I’m content having my freedom.

“Balance” is my favorite word and also my working motto. It doesn’t mean that two good things make a better combination. Perfection is “no more and no less.”

On this album, when others suggested adding or cutting something, I always tried to keep the balance. Lyrics, melodies and instruments are all balanced and adjusted according to my own experience and feelings.

H.M. Blues is another project on which I’ve participated with many other famous singers covering the works of His Majesty the King. We tried to change teenagers’ attitude that blues is appropriate not just for the older generation, but for young people, too.

I haven’t felt pressure from my last success in making this new album. Each project is like beginning from zero all over again.

Accomplishment is something that encourages you to move on.

When I fail, I always try again. Failure comes more often than success—maybe one time in 10 I am successful—but it makes my vision clearer and my overall work improves.

Which do you prefer—being a VJ or being an actress?
Acting in a play and hosting a TV program are quite different. When I work as a VJ, I can be myself and say what I want. Also, I need to solve sudden problems during the show and cope with many guests each day. On the other hand, when I act in the theater, I have to be someone else. I have to make them understand the play, no matter how complicated it is. I have to convince them to see the character I’m playing. I like both jobs. They are each challenging in their own way.

Why do you think you were chosen for the part?
I was really nervous because there were a lot of talented actresses auditioning for the role of Miranda. Before she faces the real world, she grows up and never knows that there are other people besides her father and herself. This makes her more childish than she should be. She and I have one thing in common—we are both sprightly. I always want to make others happy. I may not be the most talented actress, but I’m just right for this role.

What have you learned from taking part in this play?
Even though I’m doing my Master’s Degree in drama, I had never acted in real theater. While working here, I’ve seen each person’s ability. Everyone has spent a lot of time on this project. People have their different sides. They may be funny in the real world, but they are serious in here.

What is the best thing about The Tempest?
It’s theater! But it’s really special and different this time. The story takes place on an island, thus, we made the theater simulate that island. I’ve seen the whole production and it’s just fantastic.

Has your daily life changed at all?
It hasn’t changed that much. I attend classes in the morning, rehearse the play in the afternoon, and I work at the show’s studio at night. It sounds like a lot in one day, but I have no problem dealing with it.

James Lavelle is a familiar name in the art and music circles. Part of the act UNKLE and the man behind the Mo’Wax label, he has collaborated with the likes of Thom Yorke, Mide D, Ian Brown and Alice Temple. Recently, he has set up Surrender All, a fashion, art house and record label all rolled into one, and kickstarts it with a series of club nights all over the world. We caught up with the legendary Lavelle for a quick banter.

We heard you’re working on an album. Can you tell us more about that?
It’s done with Chris Goss. There are more live elements and it’s more dynamic than my last two albums. It’s a lot rockier. There’s no official release date or name for it yet. We’re working on it. Maybe it’ll be out in May.

Speaking of Chris Goss, it’s your first time working with him…
Yes, he’s the best. We have very different ideas when it comes to music. But there’s good understanding about what we’re trying to achieve but we’re pushing ourselves into new territories individually, and that’s the exciting part about working with him.

Anyone else you would want to work with in future?
There are lots. People who are just coming up now for example. Erm, I don’t want to be specific. But there are lots of people I would love to work with.

Alright. About your Surrender All club nights. What’s the concept behind them?
They’ll feature the kind of records which tend to be quite eclectic. The mood is reflective on where and how I’ve been playing for the last few years. And the stuff is quite dark too. I’ll be heading to Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Korea after Singapore. Before this, I was in Berlin, America and England. The response has been pretty good.

Cool. Can you sum up in one sentence what about your label Surrender All is about?
It’s about my music, my independence and my control.

Last question. How are you like when you’re drunk?
It depends on how drunk I am. Haha. Sometimes I can… I tend to go a bit crazy. But I’m a happy drunk, not a sad drunk or angry drunk!

The human body has long been an object of fascination. Just think Leonardo Da Vinci, the traveling Body Worlds exhibition and erm, pornography. And in homegrown artists Jeremy Sharma and Toh Hun Ping’s latest work Athlete, stop animation footages of the human body come together to form a gripping montage that’s inspired by artist Francis Bacon and thinker Gilles Deleuze. We suss Sharma out to learn more about Athlete.

So what’s the concept behind Athlete?
I conceptualized Athlete years ago. I actually came out with the sound work first and featured a part of it in a production. I always imagined a video of the human figure to go with it because the sound has a constant pulse and rhythm to it, but it was only till I met Toh Hun Ping that this vision was finally realized.

Cool. Tell us more about your sound work.
It is a series of delays behaving like sound loops. The repetitive quality creates a rhythm, which includes noise breaks to percussive to melodic sounds. It is very primal and it was created in one take and layer without editing. It is presented in the same way I first recorded it.

And what’s the human figure portrayed as doing in the video?
Basically nothing. We wanted to show not so much the cause of the action but the action of the figure itself. Deleuze wrote in his essay on Bacon’s works that Bacon did not paint the “horror” but the “scream” itself. The figure in the video is more or less seen as convulsing and in fits of spasms.

This is the first time you’re working with Hun Ping. How did this collaboration come about?
When I first saw Hun Ping’s works, I was blown away by what he could do with video. They have an intensity and urgency I have not seen before. His techniques are incredibly rudimentary yet painfully time-consuming. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for his craft. I suggested the idea of working with him for this project as I think he was the perfect man for the job. It was a gradual thing. We do not meet up often but when we do, we’ll always talk about art or ways we could work together.

Well, we noticed you’re involved in a myriad of art forms, from music to painting. Are you focusing more on the video medium nowadays or…?
No. I’m just very restless and a bit of a schizophrenic! (Laughs) I think artists have always dabbled in many art forms. It is just that in this century, it is faster and easier to do so, and we work with all kinds of media.

What’s the kick you get out of mud-wrestling?
I’m a very hot tempered person...

Some believe that the nutrients in the mud are good for the skin. Has your complexion improved?
Actually yes! It took a while for me to notice the difference though.

And why must girls wear cropped tops and tight shorts to wrestle?
It’s not a must wear. We wear what we’re comfy in because it is hard work to mud wrestle and you don’t want to be stuck in something that irritates you. But, hey, I don’t think people are complaining about what we wear, don’t you think? (wink)

What will happen if your opponent accidentally pulls your clothes off?
If my opponent does that, he or she won’t be standing much longer. Ha ha.

OK, give us some tips on winning at mud-wrestling.
The main aim in mud-wrestling is to pin your opponent’s shoulders to the ground. To be successful in doing so, try and get them beneath you as much as possible... And a couple of sneaky fouls here and there never REALLY hurt anybody.

If you can get two celebrities to wrestle with you, who would you pick?
Woahhh... Probably the Rock and Brad Pitt—you never know, I just might take them both on!

Just the Facts, Ham

According to Chinese astrology, the Yin and Yang is broken down into the five elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Twelve animals combined with five elements make up for the 60-year cycle in the Chinese zodiac. The past 12 years have been the cycle of fire. Here are a couple of other piggy facts to consider while pondering your upcoming year.

• On average, pigs live for about 15 years.
• Scientists believe that pigs are one of the most intelligent animals, ranking close behind apes and dolphins.
• Pigs are distant relatives of the hippopotamus family.
• Wild or domestic pigs can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
• There are approximately 840 million hogs on farms throughout the world.
• China has long had the world's largest population of domestic pigs.
• The average sow gives birth to 8 to 12 piglets at a time.
• Pigs don't need to be rounded up. A good yell like “sooey” will bring them running.
• A pig's squeal can reach up to 115 decibels, 3 decibels higher than the sound of a supersonic Concorde.
• An average pig eats two kilograms of feed each day, and a ton of food every year.

As the host of Bangkok Poetry Night and author of Last Tango in Aberystwyth and the forthcoming Don’t Cry for Me Aberystwyth, Malcolm Pryce knows a thing or two about big words.

Favorite Bangkok noise:
The "chop, chop" sound when the immigration official stamps your passport and lets you back into the country.

When writer's block strikes:
I stare into the mirror and mouth the words, "You’re a failure, you’ll never write another word again." It seems to work.

Reading:
Solzhenitsyn, Thomas Mann, Rilke, T.S. Eliot, anything by me.

On Bangkok Poetry Night groupies:
We need more.

Stupidest trend: 
TV commercials in lifts. And inside the Skytrain. In fact, anywhere except on TV.

Favorite crowd: 
Saigon schoolgirls.

Fail-safe crowd pleaser:
The best way to please a crowd, in my experience, is to lynch someone.

People always assume I’m: 
No idea.

But I’m really: 
I’m sure they’re right.

Idol:
Guy Fawkes

Advice for 2007:
Find out the truth about 9/11: 911smokingguns.com

Freestlyle us a little ditty: 
You’ll have to speak to my agent.

www.bangkokpoetry.com

Due to the time constraints of the magazine business, the luxury of working at my own pace is just barely feasible. Regardless, I don’t compromise my standards for anything. I don’t generally take much time to complete each illustration.

I have been doing this for almost 30 years, and there is no sign of slowing down.

I don’t think of what I do as work. I simply look at it as a way to relax and reward myself by doing what I love.

I never run out of ideas. It is somewhat like what you would typically do on an everyday basis—eating, sleeping, drinking...There are no glitches. I just start it off with a blank piece of paper, and take it to another level.

I consider myself to be fortunate to have discovered my potential at an early age. I was aware of my strengths and weaknesses early on, which helped me carve out what Chirathorn is all about today.

To my surprise, my skills and knowledge today are a translation of my childhood pastimes. My childhood was filled with activities, from drafting cartoon characters out of newspapers to playing with paper dolls to flipping through international fashion magazines. Those activities are what I can relate to today as an illustrator, fashion stylist and fashion designer.

Knowledge of my limits didn’t surface until my adulthood.

Constant exposure of my artwork has created a vast amount of publicity, which has led to other opportunities, particularly for good causes. My involvement with business organizations—UNICEF, Tops Supermarket, and McDonald’s just to name a few—has generated large contributions to charity organizations.

It might surprise you that I have no knowledge of computers. However, I manage to teach Graphics for Advertising at Chulalongkorn University by appropriately utilizing my eyes for art. My criticism and input is more important to the students than my computer skills.

I am drawn to the fact that my lack of computer skills has separated me from the majority. Isn’t that strange? Sometimes, it is all about opposites attracting. People seemingly admire what they can’t do.

Life is short. I’d rather choose to do what I can do best.

I can see the association people make between Martha Stewart and me. She, however, is commercially and financially oriented, while I head for the total opposite direction.

I like to do things that feed positive energy like being a teacher.

I am a social person. I am stimulated by conversation and interaction with people. It gives me energy.

Certainty is uncertain. That is a fact of life.

I am a highly contradictory person. The work that I do displays a variety of color, however, I prefer basic colors like gray, black, beige and white.

Design doesn’t have to be overly accessorized with unnecessary items. Muji and Gap are my favorite brands. I am a fan of Calvin Klein’s minimalism.

You are the one most accountable when it comes to finding your own style. Decisiveness is also equivalently important.

My philosophy is to believe in myself.

Why “Moon?”
Aun: The word “moon” is short and easy to understand, but at the same time it means different things to many different people. For us, it represents hope. Sometimes the moon disappears from the sky, but it always reappears and shines again. No matter what the obstacles, if you put your effort into something, you can achieve even what seems to be impossible.

How did you guys get noticed?
Aun: Not long after we got together as Moon, I also got a chance to work with Sleeper 1 on Difference Parts 1 and 2. Nor Crescendo heard the songs and liked my voice, so he asked if I had a band; he helped produce our album.

What was it like working with him?
Aon: He is a great producer who allows the artists total creative freedom. He let us work and think by ourselves and also provided helpful guidance.
Aun: His three rules of thumb are that we have to hand in the work on time, the product needs to be high quality and, most importantly, we have to be proud of our effort before it is released.

Does experience performing in pubs help when you go on tour?
Pop: It helps a lot, but I still get nervous. In bars, no one cares about the musicians—the customers just dance at their tables. On tour, I feel a bit more pressure because we get a lot more attention from the audience.
Aun: Yes. It’s a whole different story. Playing in pubs, we cover already-popular songs, so it somewhat guarantees that the crowd will enjoy themselves. Our songs are totally new for them. The fans may not like them or can’t sing along. It’s harder to pull off the show, but we are proud of all the songs on the album.

What do you expect from the album?
Aon: I am 100% happy with it. It is our first album, but everything went very well from composing to recording.
Pop: Not much. It has been surprising for me to see how many people know and like our songs.
Aun: I’m not sure how I’ll feel in the future, but right now, I’m happy and proud of the album.