Fired up

Desktop Error return

By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs courtesy of
SO::ON Dry FLOWER

Indie cult favourites Desktop Error have just released “Kwan Jang La (Fading Smoke),” their first new track in three years. The song will be included on the band’s upcoming second album, Keep Looking at the Window.

Following on from their breakthrough 2009 album, Ticket to Home, “Fading Smoke” sees Desktop Error return at the top of their game with a five minute-long, breezy noise-pop anthem.

With the release of their new album later this year, Desktop Error — 31-year-old singer Sompotch Kongpuiboon (Lek), 26-year-old guitarist Adisak Poung-ok (Bird), 27-year-old bassist Chanarong Jamkow (Tui), 26-year-old guitarist Wuttupong Letrakul (Aof) and 28-year-old drummer Pattarapon Tongsuka (Meng) — plan to embark on a long tour.

Student Weekly recently met up with frontman Lek to ask him about Desktop Error’s new music and about their recent tour in Japan.

Student Weekly: Can tell us about your new single, “Fading Smoke”?

Lek: It’s medium to fast-tempo track from our new album. “Fading Smoke” is a stirring song. The fog and smoke in the lyrics represent the obstacles that people face. If you’re not afraid and you just keep going, the smoke will soon fade away.

Student Weekly: Why did you choose this track for your new single?

Lek: We chose “Fading Smoke” because it sounds similar to the songs on Ticket to Home. We thought it would be good to start with a familiar sound to let our fans know that Desktop Error are back!

Student Weekly: What can fans expect from your upcoming album?

Lek: Our sound hasn’t changed much. I think we’ve just got better. Since our last album, we’ve been touring so much and we’ve learned a lot from that. I think that shows in our writing on the new album, which sounds more mature. The lyrics are better and the choruses are catchier. The album should be out by December.

Student Weekly: Is it true that Keep Looking at the Window is going to be a very long album?

Lek: I think so. Most of the songs on the album are five or six minutes long. We’re the kind of band that focuses on musical details and complex arrangements, rather than writing with the usual three-minute pop song formula. The new album doesn’t feature a narrative story, but sonically we made it something to listen to from beginning to end.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your recent tour of Japan?

Lek: It was our first time playing in Japan. We’d played at music festivals in Singapore and Hong Kong before, but we’d never been on tour like this. In Japan, we played in Osaka, Kyoto to Tokyo, at five or six different venues that ranged from small bars to bigger live venues. It was a great experience and we met a lot of cool bands and people there.

Student Weekly: Were the Japanese audiences much different from your usual Thai crowd?

Lek: The audiences were quite different in Japan. Thais usually go to shows as a group, and they normally just chill out, sing along or chat with friends during the performance. But in Japan, the audience is always silent during a performance so that they can really listen to the songs. Then they cheer after each song. It’s really cool!

 

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