Outernationally-inspired global punk from Neung Phak

Last week, I posted about Alan Bishop and Sublime Frequencies, the fantastic label that issues outernational psych, and folk from Indonesia, China, Myanmar, and other locales. Mark Gergis is one of Sublime Frequencies' intrepid travelers and he has his own band, Neung Phak, whose music is inspired by the strange brew of "exotic" music Gergis has encountered during his adventures in Southeast Asia. Spun-off from Gergis's previous band Mono Pause, Neung Phak refer to themselves as a "Bay Area Southeast Asian bar band." I can only describe Neung Phak as raw, global pop punk heavily informed by the local flavors of folk/pop/acid-rock in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Their new album, 2, is available from Forced Exposure in a limited vinyl edition of 500 copies with a digital download card. It's consistently powerful and moves from trippy psychedelic jams to weird poppy ass-shaking groovers without missing a beat. From Neung Phak's label, Abduction:

Neung Phak have returned with their second full-length studio LP. 2 showcases molam-folk pop and acid-rock hauntings from Thailand's yesterday and today, Javanese dance floor dangdut, and Cambodian instrumental dramas -- all retold in inimitable Neung Phak parlance. The stunning Indonesian pop gem, "Bang Toyib," (heard above), features guest Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls) on Bahasa vocals. Thai dance-pop cuts "Poot" and "Poo Jud" feature veteran singer Diana Hayes. The damning "Fucking USA" was purportedly recorded in a North Korean studio -- and the epic retelling of the classic southern Thai-styled "Sat Chatri," closes down the LP in sprawling, psychedelic form.

Neung Phak

• [univac]

  Neung Phak also includes Peter Conheim of Negativland.
  They are amazing! See them live if you can.

  • [David Pescovitz]

    I didn’t realize that! How cool! Will add to my post.

    • [univac]

      Excellent.
      “Neung Phak” is the closest approximation they could find a translation of “Mono Pause” in Thai.Also check out Mark’s other amazing project (in addition to Mono Pause and The White Ring) Porest ( http://www.porestsound.net/info/ )

• [ciacontra]

  Awesome!  Tarantino has found his next soundtrack.  I would buy this in a second but I have exactly zero use for an LP.

  • [Stin-G]

    The LP is up on Bandcamp for download – neungphak.bandcamp.com – and iTunes too I think. The vinyl is nearly sold out from what I’ve heard.

• [Incipient Madness]

   I hope they really do have a monkey and a Trobriand Islander in the band. Otherwise it seems they are using evolutionary imagery to make racist claims.

• [pKp]

  You like this, you really need to go listen to Firewater, stat.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSOBbgQ3Kyc

• [celluloud]

   god made man, but he used the monkey to do it.  Apes in the plan… we’re all here to prove it.  I can walk like an ape, talk like an ape, do what monkeys do.  god made man, but the monkey supplied the glue.