How did the band form?
Jink: Nutt and I used to play at night around RCA, Thonglor and Phra Athit Road. We happened to meet some people from SpicyDisc who loved our “oldies” style. I later asked Sum and Deo to join us and we became Helmetheads at the end of last year.

Where does the band name come from?
Jink: In university, I was always changing hairstyles, and there was a time where I didn’t cut my hair so some people started calling me “helmethead,” because I kind of had a 60s hairstyle look.

Why do you like 60s music?
Jink: We were originally into bands from the 90s which took a lot of influences from 60s music, so we decided to go back to the roots. We like bands like The Monkees, The Beatles, The Kinks and Herman’s Hermits.
Deo: While we do listen to a wide range of music—even stuff like “Gangnam Style”—we prefer to play older music because we think it has more charm. After the success of “What I Like About You,” are you worried that people might prefer your covers over your original material?
Sum: We’re clear on what we want to do. We already have plenty of our own material, but it’s going to be the next project, after this album.
Jink: Our own Thai songs are pretty indie, but we still want them to be accessible.

Do you always dress retro or only for performances?
Jink: We do kind of plan what to wear on stage, but we generally dress similarly in our everyday lives, too. I like to look at American and Japanese fashion magazines. I used to be a freelance stylist, so I had to stay up-to-date with whatever was happening in fashion. I used to always go to Chatuchak, to walk around with friends and look for secondhand clothes. Now we don’t really have time to shop so we get clothes from brands that sponsor us, like Topshop and Urban Studio.

Where do you normally perform?
Jink: We play at Circle (Soi Ruamrudee) on Thursday nights, but that’s our only regular gig right now. Apart from that, companies hire us to do one-off shows.

What are your most memorable performance experiences?
Jink: When I used to perform in restaurants I’d get too into it sometimes. I’d throw things around, like the microphone or tambourine, and customers were probably wondering what I was doing.
Deo: I like to get up and stand on top of my double bass and I’ve fallen off a few times—nothing too appalling though. If the audience is into the show, I’ll climb up and play, just to be a bit crazy.

How would you describe your sound?
We sound like a big horn, or a sick puppy, or maybe some stale bread. It’s loud, cute but smells of vomit, it fills you up but it’s also difficult to swallow.

Is your hometown Ashby De La Zouch a real place?
Yes, it is. It’s a market town near Leicester, UK. It is quite nice, maybe a little too nice.

Do you think it’s difficult being in an indie band these days?
No, it’s not difficult at all; that’s the whole point. People who work in factories or as politicians or farmers, they have difficult jobs. Being in a band is well easy.

What’s your expectation of your first Bangkok gig?
I think it’s going to be great. I can’t wait.

You’re playing a mainly electronic music festival; how do you think the ravers will take to your tunes?
Some will love it, some will really like the change, some others will not like it so much, some may hate it—but not so many I hope.

What’s your favorite festival experience and why?
I enjoyed one at Glastonbury when I lost all of my clothes and had to do the show in an outfit made out of plastic bags. I was dreading it but people really dug my look.

How do you think your tweed suits will stand up to the Bangkok heat?
They’ll probably stay at home because it would be stupid to wear a dense wool material in this climate. We might wear something a little more casual.

You had an album out last year; what’s next for Young Knives?
We are recording our next record called Sick Octave. It is a very industrial record with a bit more of a collage feel to it. It’s quite different to our other records. It will be out in the new year.

I didn’t have a Thai upbringing. My parents sent me to live with my relatives in Toronto, Canada, when I was 12.

My English was so bad but I was young enough to adapt and live there fine. There were no other Thais in my neighborhood so English was the only way to communicate.

I didn’t have big dreams. I planned to open a Thai restaurant in Canada after graduating with a business degree because I was used to working in one and they are always in demand.

Everything changed when my grandmother got really sick. She’s so important to me so I had to come back to be by her side. My life in Thailand began again at the age of 27.

I got a PR job with [London nightclub-cum-record label] Ministry of Sound (MOS) when they came to Bangkok in 2000. I had no idea what they were all about and had to ask a friend before starting work.

I can’t even sing karaoke in tune. I had no prior experience in the electronic music scene. I thought it was a genre of world music.

I’m like a psychologist when dealing with people of different cultures. I’ve had Western bosses and Thai staff, all of whom have different work traits. I really wanted them to take lessons on cultural etiquette.

Working from scratch is so much fun. My MOS colleagues and I just followed our intuition, but it became the most popular club in town.

A club’s lifespan is short. People get bored so easily in the nightlife scene. MOS closed down after just two years due to financial problems.

I did so many jobs afterwards like opening a restaurant and a pub, and being an organizer for the MTV Asia Music Awards in 2005 which taught me lots of skills to work on music events.

Working too hard took its toll. I fell ill and had to have an operation to remove a tumor just days before the awards night. But I still went along in a wheelchair!

My boyfriend [Café Democ owner Apichart “Tui” Chaikaew] and I decided to launch Club Culture because we wanted an underground club like they have in Europe.

Thais love partying. That’s why electronic music is growing here, as proven by Culture One’s bigger crowds every year.

Our music scene is so boring. Everyone just follows the same trends. This is also obvious in our street fashion—everyone wears the same stuff.

Our business sector lacks guts. They only sponsor things that are guaranteed to sell, which is why our music scene lacks creativity.

Art, music and fashion must go together. When you dress up, where can you show off other than at a party? Many people don’t understand this and try to keep them separate.

Today’s youth don’t have many places to explore the things they love. They are 18 and want to express themselves but parks close at 6pm and clubs won’t let them in. That’s why there are so many dek waen on our streets—they don’t have anywhere else to go.

The music scene suffers because the authorities are too afraid of letting teenagers in. In many Western societies, teenagers are only barred from buying alcohol but not from clubs. Here, they have to wait until they are 20 to get into a bar and experience the world of music.

It’s too late for them to build a musical identity by then as most clubs just play the same old pop or covers.

Education is better than restrictions. Our society is too scared to teach children about sex and drugs at school. But no matter what, they’re going to find out about it anyway. So isn’t it better if they learn it the right way from their teachers?

Being a perfectionist can be disheartening. I used to get upset every time my staff couldn’t do some task I assigned them. Then I realized you can’t expect the same standards from others. I started teaching them and now I’m much happier!

You can’t control bad luck. Club Culture’s grand opening was set for the same day that the Red Shirts clashed with soldiers. Later, I was really stressed out when our club ran out of money as we didn’t have clubbers for six months. We have a huge debt.

You can’t make money if you don’t move forward. I’ve started everything from scratch, so why can’t I do it again? I’m still young enough, and I’m also lucky to have people who will support the things I choose to do.

There’s no 1+1 = 2 in this industry. It’s more complicated. You need to be creative to put on the best parties.

I’m happy that I am now closer to my mom than I’ve ever been before. My mom is young at heart. She even plans to join me at the Culture One event.

I dream of spending my retirement running a small hotel in Lampoon. It’s quiet and beautiful there.

A sexy man is… a man that takes care of himself.

I grow a Mo (slang for moustache) because… I want to make a difference.

Most women like men with a mo that is… neat and classic.

The manliest thing I’ve done is… growing a mo and not trying to be someone else.

I’m terrible with… directions so I’m often lost.

I hate… arrogant people.

The biggest challenge in raising funds for charity is… getting people to make the commitment to donate or participate.

I often go to bed thinking… about what I have to do tomorrow.

I live my life… by simple values, like being self-responsible.

If I had a million dollars… I’ll help those in need and eat lots of ice cream.

Movember happens through November and ends with a Gala Party (November 31, 5pm, at Tanjong Beach Club). For more information and updates, visit their website.

When I was asked to do an official remix for Lady Gaga... it sounded like a big urban myth. I was so honoured!

2013 will be... the year of R3hab's Chainsaw Madness.

Before a major set, I would... produce some new music, have a bite and do a quick workout.

Zouk punters can expect... Chainsaw Madness! That means a total experience, lots of R3hab music and one big party.

The single that never fails to make me dance is… Zedd's "Spectrum" featuring Matthew Koma.

I love it when a girl… is partying to my music!

The best thing about being a DJ is… performing, traveling the world and creating the music of the future.

My greatest musical influence is… Tiesto, one of my heroes in this industry.

Experience DJ R3hab's midas touch on November 30 at Zouk's Epic with R3hab, Mitch Crown and Hong.
 

Belgian artist Christian Develter has called Bangkok home for over 15 years. Warp 54, the warehouse-cum-studio near the Chao Phraya River that he runs with business partner Peter Smits, has played host to all manner of events not typically associated with traditional art spaces (pop-up restaurants, magazine launches, radical performance art), while his bright and aesthetically bold canvas paintings have found homes in a host of the city’s most chic establishments. Now, Develter’s latest series of works, influenced by the tattoos found on the faces of Burma’s Chin ethnic minority group, feature in a collection from local clothing label Tube Gallery (try 1/F, Siam Paragon, Rama 1 Rd., www.tube-gallery.com. BTS Siam) that has already debuted on Paris runways and will launch at Warp 54 later this month.

How did you come across the tattoos?
I found out about them when I was traveling. They have all these different sorts of patterns. Some have dots, others have stripes; one from one specific region near Mount Victoria [in Chin state, western Burma] is like a spiderweb. The communities live on the side of the mountain. The housing and everything, it’s very primitive. There’s no electricity, there’s no running water. It was about a 10-hour ride by jeep. You need guides as you’re absolutely not free to travel. When we there we met some Myanmar people traveling by themselves and, well, we were the main attraction!

What’s their significance?
Actually, most of the locals don’t even know themselves. It’s animistic. They represent tigers, lizards, things like that. Mostly they incorporate a symbol of the sun. The British and then the current government both tried to ban it, but we saw some young girls who were still doing it. When I visited, I already had some paintings finished. I had them on my iPad, so I showed them. The amazing thing is that every region has different tattoos, so the locals automatically knew from the designs where the subjects came from. I didn’t know how they would react, but generally they were happy and thought it was very interesting.

How did they inspire your paintings?
The portraits are symmetrical—it’s the same picture flipped over. I wanted to present the tattoos in a modern way, not too tribal. I was wary that it would become too ethnic rather than iconic. It’s the combination of urban beauty and tribalism that make it an interesting mix. It’s all about evolution—it’s an interpretation of the tattoo, so I made the lines red instead of blue.

How did the collaboration with Tube Gallery come about?
The two designers from Tube Gallery asked me if they could have a fashion show here [at Warp 54]. Then they saw this collection and thought it was really great, so they decided to base a whole collection on it. They added some personal ideas, like butterflies. I didn’t direct them in any way. I thought they should be free to do what they want. The story, combined with my paintings and the fashion aspect, it’s a very interesting concept.
Warp 54 (Charoen Krung Soi 30) is open by appointment. Contact 081-867-5002, www.warp54.com. www.christiandevelter.com

I always dreamed of being a businessman. I never wanted to be a doctor, a politician or even a property developer like my parents. If they had asked me to build a property and sell it like they did, I definitely wouldn’t go for it.

I haven’t liked the idea of living in Bangkok, ever since I was a kid. I hate traffic jams. I used to wake up at 4am to get to school on time. It was so crazy! I asked my parents if I could move to England when I was just nine years old.

I got pissed off with the English education system and moved to the US for high school. Even there, I didn’t like that they forced me to choose my majors when I was only 15. I didn’t know what I wanted to study.

I fell in love with Florida and suddenly decided to move there.

I was on a plane from New Jersey, landing in Miami, and the sun was rising over the North Atlantic Ocean. It was wonderful to see all those palm trees lining the roads. I called my parents right away to tell them I would stay in this beach paradise.

To get what you want in life, you must earn it. My parents didn’t give me lots of pocket money, but I really loved going out, so I needed to find extra jobs.

I love meeting and serving people. I started out as a dishwasher before moving up to waiter and finally became a DJ promoter in Miami. I did every type of party from lady’s nights to gay events. Thanks to my hard work, I was able to rent a stylish lake apartment.

The tsunami in 2004 was a turning point for me. After finishing my hotel management degree in Switzerland, I received a good job offer in Europe. But my dad was developing a property in Phuket and the situation was really bad. Seeing the potential lit a fire in me to want to create a luxury hotel and property.

You should do business based on research. I drove all over Phuket to see what other properties were doing. I knew that we could better them.

I was affronted by salespeople who doubted whether I could work in the hotel business and sell property because I was just a graduate student. I told them that I used to sell cocktails in Miami, so I knew more than anyone about what millionaires want.

I bet them I could sell a multi-million dollar house in less than two months and I did. Now I’ve nearly sold all my properties and the hotel is doing well.

I’m still really pissed off that I was nearly beaten to death last year. I know I was lucky to survive, but I’m angry that we lost the opportunity to make Phuket a luxury destination for A-listers. I was out with [Hollywood actor] Jeremy Renner at the time, so the bad news spread all over the world.

It sucks that if you Google my name, the first five pages are all about the scuffle.

Gossip is the best way of keeping your HR situation under control. I love listening to my staff gossiping. I learn where any problems are and can address the situation before it derails the workflow.

I love micro-management. I wouldn’t dream of running a company with thousands of staff. I interview all my staff personally, even the gardener! My staff are my life. I cried when more than 30 of my staff gathered at the hospital to take me home.

Our politicians need better education. We have more resources than our neighboring countries, but we’re stagnating because of their selfishness.

The TAT is so frustrating. Working in the hotel business, I have to deal with their incompetence. Each year they get B20 billion and all they can do is put out crap advertisements that waste our taxes. My hotel can survive, but our street vendors and small hoteliers need more from the TAT.

Thailand isn’t a prime location anymore. Myanmar has tons of beautiful beaches while Vietnam’s hospitality is getting better and better. It’s good that the AEC is coming into place so that we can realize what real competition is.

I don’t have as much money as people think. I’m the owner of Sri Panwa, but I’m only drawing a GM’s salary, so I have to create my wealth from other businesses. My latest one is Guruwan.com; I plan to turn it into the biggest online retailer in Southeast Asia.

I have so much pride in being Thai. I’m proud that Sri Panwa is a world-class hotel that’s completely Thai-made. Now it’s time to shine a light on other Thai products.

Marriage is the best thing to have happened in my life. My wife is the best. I am lucky to have her, and she’s given me another important woman in my life, my daughter.

Having a family is like running a business. You must be aware of each person’s strengths and weaknesses, and then try your best to make it work.

I feel like a househusband. My wife really loves to work while I love to stay at home and do the laundry and cook. She can’t beat me at that.

Money can buy people, but it can’t buy their spirit. Be fair and honest, then you will get what you want.

How did you first start playing music?
I started like any teenager; I got a guitar and just started to fiddle around with it. I didn’t really have any idea so I started with shapes on the fretboard—using squares, rectangles and triangles as templates to explore the instrument. It was only a few years ago that it finally clicked and I got to really understand the geography of the instrument. With looping, I’ve been working with this idea for 11 years now. Being a self-taught guitarist, discovering new musical ideas is always such an exciting feeling; like going to see a movie without watching the trailer.

Is recording an important part of your songwriting process?
It is very important to let me instantly observe what I’m trying to make. I recommend it to anyone writing music. I record each song by itself, then in sets of songs, and then I go back to the drawing board. The songs themselves are important but also how each song leads to the next song, the flow as a whole. I think studying film in college has a lot to do with this; editing is very important to me.

Ponytail broke up around a year ago; do you miss the band dynamic?
I really do love working with people on music; it’s very exciting. Even after the band broke up I’ve played with other people casually, so the collaborative element is still very active in me.

You granted private Skype sessions to fans who pre-ordered your record; how highly do you value intimacy with your audience?
A lot of times I'm in a confined space where I can't project sounds through speakers so I have to use headphones. These offer a very different, more intimate experience; there are times where you almost feel like the music is merging with you. That’s the kind of experience I want listeners to have—a very personal relationship with the sound, a feeling that they are becoming the music they are listening to.

You recently asked your fans to describe their dreams which you would turn into music; where did this idea come from?
I had a dream on New Year’s Eve this year. It felt very profound, the imagery and everything about it. I can't go into it much, but it included: lightning in the color of a rainbow drawing images of animals onto the sky, the horizon lifting up like a page being turned from a book, revealing the map of Japan and a mountain with a Buddhist temple with tiny shimmering mushrooms all around it… After this, I wanted to dive into other people's dreams and, by making a soundtrack to their dreams, let the music be this kind of glaze—like how a glaze can bring out the colors of a painting, have the music bring out the images of the dream.

Can you describe your live set-up?
It’s very simple, I have my series of eight effects pedals and my guitar. I don’t use an amp; I just go directly into the house speakers, so I can utilize the whole venue as one big amp. The performance itself is just a reveal of my creative process, one melody, one layer at a time.

As a Chinese/American born in Hawaii and raised in Japan, does cultural identity play a role in your creative process?
I definitely think so. There is no way of denying it. But in my case it’s a bit different. A Chinese/American growing up in Japan is a bit strange. There was definitely some prejudice around me growing up and even when I was in the US, being an American growing up in Japan, you were considered a little bit different. With my music, as with everything really, I want to integrate everything, be it culture, ideas or beliefs.
 

Tell us about what you do.
I work in Pattaya as a nightclub promoter. I talk to the Russian tourists and show them around the clubs. But if someone in Bangkok needs a stripper, they call me and I come up. I used to be a full-time stripper for almost five years, but now it’s an extra job, like a hobby. Pay me and I’ll dance anywhere.

How long have you been in Thailand?
I’ve been in Thailand for seven months. I came here on holiday and I decided to stay and find work. I used to get short contracts for stripping overseas so I’ve worked in Moscow, Turkey, China and Taiwan before. Now I have a regular job and stability—I like it.

How did you start stripping?
I started when I was 27. My friend asked me to go with him to a nightclub where they had a casting [for strippers]. I worked in an office before but it wasn’t for me. I had studied engineering, but I only did it because of my mother. All my life I was a serious swimmer and I wanted to study sports at university but my mother said I couldn’t. My parents pushed me when I was young, and I was scared of them. They were shocked when they found out I was stripping. My father didn’t talk to me for three months.

Are you in a relationship?
No, no. My last relationship was a long time ago, five years ago. It was very, very hard, because she was very jealous but I needed to work. For me, stripping is a job, nothing more. I don’t like talking about it. When I tell people I’m a stripper they ask me uncomfortable questions like, “Are you gay?” or “Do you sleep with girls for money?” I’m not gay but it doesn’t matter to me if I’m dancing for women or men. But when women are watching me, I want to see a reaction. If I see that the ladies like me, I like them back. It’s an exchange.

Would you date a stripper?
No. Female strippers are difficult. I’ve worked with girls many times and I don’t understand what goes on in their heads. They’re always changing their minds.

What’s your daily routine like nowadays?
I wake up at 3pm and go to the gym or English school. I try to go to the gym every day—if I’m not too hungover. I’ve started learning muay thai, so I go there first, then to the gym for one hour. Work at the club is from 11pm to 3am and I get home around 5am. I like working at night. Every night I get to see friends and meet new people.

Do you remember your first time on stage?
There were six of us and when we got on stage I forgot everything. I panicked and just took everything off. But I like that feeling, that excitement. During my first year, there was so much emotion when I went on stage, because it was all new. Now, it feels routine. But it’s very hard to stop because I enjoy it. I’ll stop when everyone stops calling me. Or if my body changes.

 Special thanks to: Levels, Sukhumvit 11

How did you come up with the idea for Boutiques at House on Dempsey?
When we had our first Boutique event 11 years ago (Boutiques at Fort Canning), it was with the intent of creating an event with only selected vendor participation so that we could uphold a certain quality level.

What was the aim of the fair?
We especially wanted to focus on small independent businesses with in-house designs and collections. We also wanted to be able to offer space to up and coming designers as well as offer free space for charities. We started off with 16 vendors. Today we have an average of 65 vendors and seven charities. The charities participate free of charge.

What was the most challenging part of getting this started up?
As with all startups, the biggest challenge was to get independent businesses to participate. Today we have an extensive waiting list.

What’s special about this fair?
It is carefully curated and provides strong support to charities. We also wish to encourage an independent business community in which everybody is involved in networking with one another.

What are some of your favorite products and vendors?
My favorite vendors are the ones who are passionate about work and who actively take part in the event on all levels.

Who usually attends?
As the event is always during the week, 99 percent are women who are looking for something unique as well as a day out in a relaxing and cozy atmosphere.

How did you approach the charities that you support?
They usually approach us. We tend to support the smaller charities with little or no funding and with children.

Boutiques at House on Dempsey is on Nov 19-20 at House.