Cambodian Cassette V1

Cambodian pop music, rescued from eternal obscurity resting on tape cassettes at the Oakland public library’s Asian branch. The recordings range in time from the mid 60s to the 90s, and in location from Cambodia to Rhode Island. TRULY interesting stuff. Lots of corny simple pop tunes on organ and programmed beat, but also some mind blowing psychedelically-influenced tracks. The regional influences are fascinating as well, bringing to mind anything from Central Asia, to Egypt / North Africa. Not only for world DJS. Check out 1, 6, 15 and others as you wish…

1. * Mellow, classic tune, mostly traditional sound and instruments. Warm female vox. *
2. Programmed pop, corny beat and tune. Male vox.
3. Mellow, male vox, organ, pretty standard and a little off but a surprising short guitar solo in the middle.
4. Whoa… stereo… percussion on the left, guitar and male vox on the right… mid tempo, strange (is somebody really coughing in there?)
5. Mid/fast, organ, bouncy, soundscape almost central-asian.
6. ** Instrumental. Mellow psychedelia, almost-kitschy, light tune by different instruments, including electric guitar and synths, excellent! **
7. Slow tempo, “poing” beat, chimes, male vox.
8. Mid tempo, male vox, female vox appear as well. Pipes, flutes, programmed beat.
9. Instrumental, short. The beat is a stick hitting a bowl, probably, but it’s nice tune and traditional instruments.
10. Funny male vox, very simple song.
11. Multiplied female vox. Mid tempo, organ, trumpet, light.
12. Female vox, mid/slow, interesting.
13. Same theme as track 1. Instrumental, slow/mid, bells, flutes, drums, keyboard.
14. Short instrumental.
15. * Cambodian surf? Female vox, very thin, guitars/bass/drums and an awesome keyboard solo… *
16. Programmed beat, childish vox.
17. Slow/mid tempo. Female and male vox. Snaky.
18. Instrumental. Trumpet/wind, mellow beat, sweeping synths, electric guitar.
19. Slow, male vox, slightly off.
20. Female vox, traditional instrumentation.