How did you get this role?
I believe that Thunwarin Sukpistit spotted me on Thailand’s Got Talent. Also, my personality is very similar to the character, Tonliw, who is a transsexual who behaves naturally like a woman. So he wanted me to be in the movie without any casting call or audition.

Did you like this role?
I am a singer, not an actress. So this is very new to me, but honestly, this is very fun and I realized that I like it as well.

Has singing helped you with acting?
Not really. I believe that my playful personality has helped me a lot, though. I love to tease people all the time, so that helps me to get along with others.

Were there any challenges in making this movie?
First, I was very anxious that I would slow down others because I have never been in a movie before. However, Thunwarin was very detailed and friendly. He taught me a lot about many things, which helped me get better and better.

What about the other actors and actresses?
We all really helped each other out. Still, I have to thank Salim so much for the love scene. I was very shy to kiss him, with him being so cute, but he made it very easy for me to. So it didn’t take long, just three takes.

Will there be any more of your work launched soon?
After this movie, my song will be released by Sony Music. The music video and everything are ready, but because of the flood situation we had to postpone it. But definitely, anyone who’s waiting will get to hear my song soon.

Is your family supportive?
Absolutely. I have worked for my family since I was young. So my family trusts my decisions.

Do you feel like you’re in a new place since the last time we talked with you?
Totally different. However, I still don’t feel that I am a professional in what I am doing. I feel like I’m experiencing something new and challenging.

How’s the feedback from the fans?
Very good. Every time I go anywhere, people ask for photographs.

How do feel about the fans abroad?
I’m very glad that many people have seen my videos on YouTube, because with that, they might rethink their attitudes about Thai transsexuals and our Thailand’s Got Talent can become well-known.

Have you been able to travel abroad?
I’ve only been to Singapore because everything had to be postponed because of the flood crisis. But there will be more opportunities. I know that there are millions who are waiting to see more of my work, which makes me happy and also nervous about their expectations.

Tell us about the movie?
I really want everyone to see it. It’s actually not only geared to transsexuals; it’s a love story to which everyone can relate. Anyone can enjoy this and you’ll leave with new perspectives about love and probably will reflect on your own love life. I have learned that love is more about understanding than anything else.

How are things between you and your boyfriend?
He’s OK now. At first, the fame was a lot to get used to. We used to sing together in pubs, but not anymore.

Who inspired your musically?
SOS: I think the artists that inspired us most as Sound of Stereo are the pioneers of electro; I have vivid memories of seeing Digitalism playing in Cairo. Those were the first electronic tracks that got pretty much mainstream and led the way to what is here today. Also Boys Noize, Justice and obviously Daft Punk are huge inspirations as those were the first artists that got me into electronic music. Also is techno music from the 90s, the heavier, faster techno, which are more Vincent’s roots.
Autoerotique: Everyone currently! We usually say the early work of Groove Armada, Armand van Helden and Daft Punk. But there is so much more to it than that.
Tai: Wow, there are a lot to name so that’s hard. But I come from a hip hop background. Listening to a lot of Biggie and stuff. And then dance music wise I really always liked all my friends I worked with like Bart B More, d.i.m., Steve Aoki, Felix Da Houscat.

How would you describe your sound?
SOS: Fun, willful dance-floor orientated electronic music without being stuck up.
Tai: Jacking hard with a good twist of melodic breaks.

What are your musical guilty pleasures?
SOS: We both have ABBA as a common guilty pleasure. We also both love 80s music, your call to think if that’s guilty. Oh, and Get Ready! Look them up on YouTube.

If Bangkok was a song, what would it sound like?
SOS: Super busy, but with a lot of depth to it. It’s our first time visiting, so maybe it’s best to answer this question again after our visit? You know where to find us.
Tai: A phat tuk tuk bassline mixed with some spicy pad Thai percussions, blasted with massive white noise Sukhumvit traffic and a techno ping-pong sound.
Autoerotique: I imagine it would sound like the best pad Thai on earth!

What is your next project?
SOS: Our new EP called Volt ep is coming out Feb 20th, containing two tracks and two remixes by SCNTST and Transistor Cake. We also just finished two remixes for a Belgian band called Willow and a big EDM duo, which we cannot name yet. We are also working on something new and very, very exciting, which will be a big next step for us. More about that very soon!
Autoerotique: We have a remix for Steve Aoki coming out in a few weeks. We have a new single on Tiesto’s label Musical Freedom coming out in Feb. We also have a new three-track EP coming out on Dim Mak Records in Mar.
Tai: I have just finished my At The Disco EP which Steve Aoki will be released on the Feb 28 of on Dim Mak Records. The B-side is called Omnicrack which is a nice and hard track. And I just did the At The Disco DJ mixtape.

What is the best gig you’ve been to?
Autoerotique: I would have to say EDC Las Vegas or Tomorrowland.
Tai: I really enjoyed a big one in Taiwan for last New Year’s Eve. That was great!

What’s your favorite audience?
Autoerotique: One with super-high energy!!
Tai: Every audience that really soaks up the music in whatever way they do so.

Most inspirational person?
Autoerotique: Gandhi.
Tai: Anyone that thinks positively and helps out others... and doesn’t hate. Especially music-style-police-hate, ha ha. What a cool word I just made up there

What do you want to be remembered as?
Autoerotique: I think we’d like to be remembered as handsome, modest, generous people who grow better looking with each passing day.

I credit destiny for bringing me to this point. I never dreamed of being in the entertainment business. My mom was the one who pushed me to take part in beauty pageants in Chiang Mai, and here I am.

I chose to be a nude model. People might think it’s really provocative, and it sparks controversy, but I only think of it as being a professional model.

If you’re strict about only doing normal photo shoots or just walking on the runway, please don’t call yourself a model.

I have never had a worst moment in my life. I accept everything that happens. I don’t blame anyone.

My temper has softened as I get older. I used to be very impatient and always made decisions without properly thinking about them.

Meditating at a temple to improve your life is useless for me. You might feel good when you are there, but if you still have your worries when you come back home, then what’s the point? I don’t hold it against anyone who loves to go. It’s good for them, just not for me.

I don’t care about any gossip or rumors. I know what I am doing. If I paid attention to them, I would have gone crazy a long time ago.

I don’t read magazines or newspapers anymore. It’s all a waste of time. They just create exciting headlines, but when you read the story you will find nothing. Reading the news also stresses me out. I don’t want to be stressed, so I stopped buying newspapers.

I love politics. People might think it’s not important to get involved, but for me, it’s vital. We live in a society where changes in politics affects us. Even if it’s just some politician switching positions or changing sides.

The compliment about my “eternal beauty” puts pressure on me. People always expect to see me looking good. But I feel exhausted trying to keep myself like that all the time. Some days I just want to be an aunty. But I can’t do that because everyone expects to see me looking beautiful.

Everyone grows old. I’m 50. I can’t always be pretty. My body declines every day. I just try to slow the process as much as possible.

I won’t go for plastic surgery. It might be good for others, but not me. What we have been given naturally is already great. Just take care of it as much as you can.

I have no secret for my eternal beauty. I drink, I smoke, I go to sleep late at night and wake up early. I just opened, That’s Wine, a wine restaurant in Chiang Mai, which means I have to drink more, too. My real secret might be my mind. I don’t like to get worried about things.

I love to take part in movies. I like the fact that films usually look far more beautiful than lakorn (TV series). The working time is also shorter. Working in lakorn, which is my main income, takes at least 3-4 months to shoot, but a movie takes about one month.

My life right now is all about work. I’ve just participated in It Gets Better, where I have a role as a transgender. It was quite a challenge for me to play a man who becomes a woman. I had to imagine what it might be like. Luckily, I have lots of katoey friends, so it was easy to understand how they feel.

I think gay people are so talented and have a much better vision than normal people. It’s really obsolete to discriminate against them. I think it’s just jealousy from narrow-minded people.

I think women these days are more slutty than katoey. I think good katoey are more well-behaved than some bold women who run after guys.

My life is happier without having a boyfriend. I’m tired of being with someone. I want to be alone. I can do anything without worrying that I have to care about another person’s feeling.

Love is beautiful. Those who have it should really nurture it.

Jealousy is what destroys love . Everyone should have freedom and the right to do what they want to do. Couples should respect and give each other a freedom.

I don’t believe in marriage. It’s just an act for your parents or society or whatever, but not yourself. Marriage is all about two people. Will the thousands of guests at the wedding ever know that these two people actually have fights when they live together?

I don’t like women who show off their assets too much. Sexy doesn’t mean that you have to show your body to everyone. Who would you blame when you are molested?

Just wearing a T-shirt, plus personal charisma, are already sexy enough for me.

I don’t like to dream about the future. I don’t want to put pressure on myself. I don’t want to be hurt when I can’t do something.

Just do what you like best, then pursue it to the next level.

BK: How did you guys come together?
Tong: I wanted to create a band like the Bee Gees. I love the way they sing together. No one leads anyone. Thailand didn’t have this kind of band yet, so I talked to Boyd Kosiyabong and he supported us. We tried to find good male singers with beautiful voices and we found Sean, Wut, Mhai and Kevin, who is American. He used to play with bands in the US—Ashanti, Backstreet Boys—and in Japan; and then us.
Kevin: I met my wife here and have family here. It’s true I would earn more money if I still played in Japan. But I rather play here because I can be part of something, which is my band, not just be a musician.

BK: What happened after you released the first album?
Wut: It flopped. Really. Our tour was dropped suddenly. We even tried to spend our own money to go on tour, but it still didn’t work. So we thought about quitting the music scene. I quit my job as a teacher at the Bangkok Christian School to do music and it flopped. Fortunately,
P’ Boyd always helps us by giving us studio jobs so we could survive.

BK: What inspired you to come back?
Tong: A fan wrote me a letter to thank us for the song “Thank You.” She said that she was so depressed and when she listened to our song, she felt better.
Sean: Another point is that we won Best Recording Single at the Seesan Awards, which was really a big change for us. We thought that no one cared about us, but our small group of fans do care.

BK: What are the difficulties with being a musician in Thailand?
Wut: In Thailand, you need discipline. If you have it, you will respect yourself and practice more. It also teaches you to respect others in terms of not showing up late and working together as a team. Especially our band, who has to sing as a chorus.
Kevin: The music scene in America is really going through a hard time. The music business has really slowed down. Not a lot of clubs and pubs want live music. But here, I can play every night.

BK: If you compare your voice to an instrument, what would it be?
Mhai: I would be a saxophone because its voice is really beautiful.
Sean: I think I am a classic guitar. My voice is like a chord. I can sing only in-one tonal range.
Wut: It’s piano. It’s soft but strident at the same time.
Tong: I think I’m like a violin. My voice is rough and in high key so every time I sing, it will stand out from others like a violin.
Kevin: Bass. It supports all the other instruments.

How do you feel to be one of the first few fighters to represent Singapore on such a grand stage?
Subhi: I am honored that I'm one of the first, but I hope I'm not the last as well. I hope there will be more fighters soon because I know there are a lot of talented ones out there just waiting for their opportunity.

Fadhli: It's an honor. It's every fighter's dream to have this opportunity. For some people they can think about this for their whole life and not achieve it. I really thank God for this. Putting your heart and soul into it, being patient and having your dream come true is something nobody else can understand but you.

MMA and kickboxing are becoming bigger and bigger in Singapore. How do you feel about that as a martial artist?
S: I think it will open gates for us when the community gets to accept that martial arts is becoming one of the major sports in Singapore. Right now, it's all about badminton, table tennis and all that stuff so we tend to be kind of jealous. We want martial arts to be on the scene as well.

F: Singaporeans are slowly getting into the scene with events like ONE FC and now with kickboxing coming in, I think it's an eye-opener. Having this in Singapore would be a great opportunity for Asian and Singaporean martial artists.

Many of Singapore's neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand have already achieved great heights in combat sports on the world stage. Do you think there is a specific reason for why Singapore is so far behind?
S: I believe it's the infrastructure and the society. I mean, not all of our parents will tell us “Okay, you're six years old. Go learn kickboxing.” It's more like, “Six years old, you go and study.” For them, I think when they are four or five years old, they're already training. I think that's the big difference.

F: To be honest, being a sportsman in Singapore is very tough. You have to be strong in mind and you have to sacrifice a lot. If you want to be the best, you have to give up so many things because as Singaporeans, most of us have this mentality that sports cannot take you very far. But if you look at it, that's what will make us strong. If a Singaporean is going to go all the way, that person is going to be the best because our community's mentality is against this and if you're going to fight that and sacrifice everything to be at the top level, I'll tell you, that guy is going to be the strongest.

Obviously, kickboxing can be a dangerous sport. How do your friends and family feel about you fighting?
S: My mother gets very worried. She won't watch me fight. She has never watched me fight before because she would freak out. But my father is OK with it and is very supportive and so are my younger brothers and sisters. My friends are now quite shocked that I'm in such a big event. They usually think I'm just an amateur fighter, but here I am.

F: For me, my family is quite happy to see me move to this level. After all, they keep on saying that I always get to the amateur level and question how far I can actually go. Getting to this stage is a new level for me and an eye-opener for my family to realize that I can make it.

Do you have any role models inside and outside of the ring?
S: I really like Buakaw Por Pramuk. But outside the ring, it's my dad. He has been brought up seven kids and all of us are doing fine.

F: In the ring, I like Masato. He's my favorite. His punches, his in-fight. I like his style. As for outside the ring, the inspiration I get may not be a person, but the process that you’ve been through and all the hardship you’ve endured. Proving the people who don't believe in you wrong. That's my inspiration.

Do you see yourself making a career out of fighting?
S: I see myself as someone who likes to teach rather than a fighter. For me this is just a stepping stone. I really want to teach kids martial arts and self defence rather than be a fighter till I'm 40. I will probably continue till I'm 30 and then relax.

F: Subhi and I already have a gym at SAFRA Tampines where we teach traditional Jujutsu. For both of us, all we want to be are role models. A lot of people look up to people who play soccer and stuff, so I was thinking, why not martial arts? It can be one of the sports that can develop character in kids. People always think martial arts is just about fighting, but I believe it can also teach you about the fighting spirit, humility and how to be disciplined.

If your success in the ring continues, would you like to pursue an international or world title someday?
S: That's huge, but if it's not me, I hope it's one of the kids that I train. I want us to be there someday. Singaporeans. I'll give it 10 years. I think we'll make it there.

F: It's a dream and I would love to. We'll see.

Catch Fadhli and Subhi in action at the FighterZone World Kickboxing Series at the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 2 (1 Expo Dr.). Tickets are available from $65-280 at Gatecrash.

The Horrors aren’t exactly full-on psychedelic, neither are you completely indie-pop. How would you describe your sound?
Well, I suppose it’s quite… I don’t know… I guess it’s psychedelic music in the sense that it hopefully gives you ideas. We aim to product an atmosphere and an interesting sound, I don’t think it necessarily sounds ‘60s or ‘70s or whatever.

Could you describe how your band’s sound has evolved since Strange House?
It’s changed quite a lot. As a band we all share the desire to improve and explore, so I think that’s the reason.

Who would you say are the biggest influences on your band musically?
Well, I think we all have quite disparate influences. I think that we all have different ideas of what we’d like to bring to the band. I think it’s that combination that makes The Horrors sound how we do. I wouldn’t say there’s any one band we want to sound like.

Where do you say you guys get your inspiration from for your song writing?
I think we all listen to a lot of different music; we all have lots of different ideas. And we’re all trying to discover new music, the reason The Horrors met was from going to record shops, playing records and DJing, and that passion for discovering new music is still very important to the band.

Is there any one festival you guys have had the best time playing at so far?
Well, I always remember playing at Big Day Out in Australia a couple of years ago.

Is there any one band that you’d like to perform live with?
I don’t know really. I’ve seen Kraftwerk maybe three times, and I think they were amazing. Kraftwerk are probably one of my favourite live bands.

Is there a favourite song you love to perform?
I always enjoy playing ‘Endless Blue.’ The crowd reaction is always very good for that one, always feel very excited.

If your band could go back in time, which musical era would you choose?
I suppose the late ‘60s was a very exciting time for music. Like a time when a lot of things that hadn’t been possible were suddenly possible so I think that to be in a period like that would be very exciting.

Check out The Horrors at Laneway Festival Singapore, February 12 at 11.15pm. See our other Laneway interviews with Twin Shadow and Yuck.
 

How does your new sound compare to the work you did with Battles?
This solo music I've been performing recently has more of a sound design element to it at this point. I'm rediscovering this way of performing and am trying to find ways of surprising myself. The music is still routed in electronics and my love for strange arrangements and orchestral music, but it's simpler and more raw then what I've done in the past. It's all live, nothing sequenced and imperfect.

In what way has your father, the multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, influenced your work?
My father showed me the importance of building your own world artistically. He also showed me how exciting and gratifying the experience of being a composer can be.

What was it like working with the Wordless Music Orchestra?
One of the most fulfilling experiences of my artistic life. WMO is comprised of really great people, not to mention incredible musicians. I learned a huge amount and I can't wait to get an opportunity to work with them again.

What has been the most unorthodox object you've used to create your orchestrated loops?
The kazoo probably.

What projects and collaborations do you have lined up in the near future?
A bunch of things, really. I'm working on a new record mainly as well as a project I can't say anything about yet, but I'm really excited about it. I'm in the midst of finishing commissions for Bang on a Can All-Stars as Alarm Will Sound well as for a premiere at Carnegie Hall. I wrote some music for my brother’s short film Themes from a Rosary and finished a remix for Philip Glass.

Who is the one musician you would kill to work with before you die?
I'd like to work by myself for now!

Catch Tyondai Braxton at the Mosaic Music Festival 2012 on March 15.
 

What do you think of the start-up scene here?
Singapore is amazing. There was no other place in Asia that even made our shortlist. It delivers a great place to network with like-minded individuals and provides excellent access to events and resources that can help start-ups get off the ground.

What’s wrong with the online travel market right now?
Searching for and booking travel online is a chore. It’s time consuming and frustrating and, even at its best, it’s a middling experience. From my perspective, travel sites simply stopped improving a few years back. Consumers have been trained to expect less.

How would you like to see things change?
I’d like to see the market move from a supplier focus to a customer focus. It should be fast and simple to search for flights and hotels. All crucial information for making a decision should be at consumers’ fingertips.

Are there any travel sites you do like?
Among the smaller players there are some more interesting sites. Hipmunk is trying to do things differently. Another favorite, more narrowly focused on members’ only deals in the luxury market, is Jetsetter.

It’s been three years since your last album, what took you so long?
O: I’d say a lot of things have changed since our previous album. For the first two we were with Zyd Records, but by the time our contract ended, Tee, joined a Sanamluang Record’s project called Lazy Sunday for the song “Dee Yang Rai.” That led us to join the label [part of GMM Grammy] and it took time to make the album.

What else have you been doing?
O: Actually, we’ve done a lot of side projects: Moo, the bassist, still has a full-time job as a sales engineer, Eddy and I play as a backup band for lots of artists like Pod Moderndog, Bee Peerapat and Tor Saksit. But now, with the move to Sanamluang, we have to reset our priorities to our own band.

Are your worried the move to a bigger label will affect your musical style?
O: Not at all. Because before deciding to sign here, we and the record company came to an agreement. We feel secure they know our style and trust us to produce by ourselves. But the production process is very different than before. We have to deal with more people and the deadlines are fixed because if we’re late, the whole project will crash.
Tee: We now have a bigger production budget. Previously when we had a sound we wanted to add, like a violin we had to use a synthesizer. It helps us extend our musical capability.

How does the third album Jet’s evolve from the previous two?
O: It’s the balance. Our first album is more easy-listening with a touch of soul and funk. Our second album combined easy listening with a more fun sound. Now we feel we have grown up a lot, so we make a balance of those two but still keep the song’s positivity.
Eddy: This third album is like fulfilling a dream as a musician in that we have a bigger production value, with real instruments.

What can we expect from this upcoming concert?
O: This is the first time that we have our own concert. So we want to portray the band’s history through new arrangements of our old songs and also covers of songs we like.
Eddy: There’ll also be special guests, like NuNa Nuengthida who features on this album, and Nu Monthip who worked on our first album.
Tee: Our new single “Gaw Pai” was produced especially for this concert. The song is based on our experiences over the last seven years. We hope that it could inspire others to pursue their dream.