Delicious inspiration
By Tatat Bunnag
T-Bone’s frontman shares his taste in music
Since 1992, T-bone have introduced a unique combination of reggae, ska and jazz that’s blended with a distinctive Thai flavour to the ears of Thai audiences. Their hard work has made them one of the most internationally-recognised Thai bands to date.
They have shared the stage with renowned artists like Tokyo Ska Paradise, UB40, The Beat and INXS. They were the first Thai band ever invited to play at England’s Glastonbury Festival and are also set to play there again this month.
This high profile has made many people wonder where T-bone get their inspiration. Student Weekly recently talked to Gap to find out about some of his all-time favourite records.
Dance Hall Style (1983)
“Horace Andy is one of my favourite legendary roots-reggae singers. I’ve been following his work for a long time.
“He’s been recording music in Jamaica since the ‘60s. He’s, like, 60 already but still keeps playing music. He wasn’t that big before, but he found a new generation of fans in the ‘90s when he started to jam with lots of electronic artists — especially with trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack.
“Another reason that I really like Andy is his unique, distinctively unusual high tenor voice. It works very well either with roots-reggae or modern music. My favourite track on this record is ‘Spying Glass.’”
Dillinger
King Pharaoh (1984)
“Dillinger is well-known for his DJing and dancehall music style from the ‘70s. Dancehall is a sub-genre of reggae music. Dance hall rhythm is way faster than reggae and ska.
“Dillinger is also renowned for his quick wit and rapping style, called raggamuffin. His rapping style has a lot of humour that’s quite different from today’s hip-hop music. King Pharaoh may not be his best work, but it is still really good.”
Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
Super Ape (1976)
“He’s produced works for some of the most influential acts — from Bob Marley & the Wailers to Dillinger to The Clash to the Beastie Boys. Lee Perry produced and released a lot of records, but Super Ape is considered to be his finest moment from the ‘70s. To be honest, I always considered him my teacher in music.”
Bob Marley & the Wailers
Kaya (1978)
“As everyone knows, Bob Marley is an icon of reggae music in Jamaica and internationally. Most of his albums are very listenable and enjoyable, even for someone who is new to reggae music. That’s the magic of Marley’s music: You can listen to any of his albums from start to finish without skipping a track.
“I love all of Marley’s albums, but this one is my favourite. Bob Marley and the crew bring a great collection of killer riffs and grooves here. This album also contains two of my favourite singles by the Wailers, ‘Running Away’ and ‘Sun Is Shining.’”
King Tubby
Dub Mix Up (Rare Dubs) (2004)
“It’s almost impossible not to mention King Tubby’s name after mentioning Lee Perry. Both of them are masters of dub reggae. Dub Mix Up is a compilation that comprises a fine collection of Tubby cuts from 1975 to 1979. It’s a powerful record and is a really valuable experimental work.
“I have to say that most of King Tubby and Lee Perry’s work has had an overpowering influence on my songwriting style. If you’ve heard my solo work, Ga-Pi Dub Kitchen from two years ago, you can probably tell that there are a lot of influences from Tubby and Perry on it.
“That influence isn’t so clear on T-Bone’s albums because my brother Golf and I don’t have exactly the same taste in music. He is more into jazz fusion and stuff. That’s a good thing because the difference in our tastes has created the trademark sound of T-Bone.”
source by : http://www.student-weekly.com/thisweek/110607_entertain_02.html
