Music

Soul power

By Suwitcha Chaiyong, Photos by Suwitcha Chaiyong and courtesy of Spicy Disc

Suburbian wants to take fans higher

Anybody who�s tuned-in to Thai pop will have heard the sounds of songwriter and producer Soodson Vongsamuthara (Noey).

The 32-year-old has been the main man behind the top-selling albums Fan Ja by Thongchai McIntyre, Tata Young�s Dangerous and many other releases on the Bakery, Sony BMG and GMM labels. He�s also co-founder of hip-hop label Gancore Club.

• Did you know •

Woody Pornpitaksuk won a Grammy in 2001 for his mastering of Louis Armstrong: the Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings.

When he�s not busy making other artists successful, he�s Suburbian, an artist in his own right. Suburbian�s albums Suburbianone, Rak Ron (Flying Love) and Suburbian�s Urban Love Songs were hits on the underground music scene. With his latest album, Higher, and hot new single �She�s Just a Girl,� he seems set to enter the mainstream.

Suburbian is a well-rounded musician who likes to colour his urban-soul style with vintage electric instruments and synthesisers. To give Higher the best sound quality available, he brought in award-wining mastering engineer Woody Pornpitaksuk to complete the recording.

Student Weekly recently caught up with Suburbian to talk about style, mainstream success and reaching higher.

>> Student Weekly: Why do you release your solo work under the name Suburbian?

<< Suburbian: I live in Nonthaburi, and I find the urban vibe to be too chaotic. That�s why I call myself Suburbian.

>> Student Weekly: How did life in the suburbs inspire you to make Higher in an urban soul style?

<< Suburbian: It�s kind of ironic. Using my suburban point of view to create an album for urban people creates something interesting and different.

>> Student Weekly: Can you explain to us what urban soul is?

<< Suburbian: It�s a type of neo-soul music created specifically for city people. It�s a new style that originated in New York City and Philadelphia.

Sometimes people like to escape the city ambiance, hang out in a park and chill out with this kind of music. I want Bangkokians feel relaxed when they listen to my songs.

>> Student Weekly: What made you decide to promote your songs to a mass audience?

<< Suburbian: When I made my previous albums, I just wanted to focus on the music. I didn�t want to do all the promotional work.

I decided to release Higher with Spicy Disc because I know that the owner really understands music and musicians.

>> Student Weekly: What does Higher mean to you?

<< Suburbian: It�s like a journal. I�ve been in the music business for 10 years. I feel that I�ve gained a lot of knowledge about music, that I�ve reached a higher point.

>> Student Weekly: Why are all your songs about love?

<< Suburbian: Soul music is usually about love or politics, but I don�t know much about politics. Love and women are my inspirations.

>> Student Weekly: Are you an expert on the subject of love?

<< Suburbian: No, I don�t know much about love. But somehow it�s easy to write songs about love.

>> Student Weekly: Why do you like to mix Thai and English in your songs?

<< Suburbian: My Thai language skills aren�t very strong. I failed Thai language class when I was young.

I studied graphic design in the US for five years, so I can express myself in either Thai or English. I sing in whichever language suits the song.

>> Student Weekly: How did you come to work with Woody Pornpitaksuk?

<< Suburbian: Khangoen Thaitanium introduced him to me.

I never thought that an album produced in Thailand could have such great sound quality. I got some great feedback from a neo soul artist on my MySpace page. He said that he doesn�t know where Thailand is, but our production sounds great.

>> Student Weekly: How do you feel about the big labels focusing on music downloads and EPs, rather than full albums?

<< Suburbian: I believe that there should be a balance between art and business. If business dominates art, the value of art is diminished.

I don�t feel sorry for the giant labels losing money because of pirated CDs. It�s time for everybody to work hard and fight for great quality.

	mainstream (n): the ideas and opinions that are thought to be normal because they are shared by most people well-rounded (adj): having a variety of experiences and abilities urban (adj): connected with a city vintage (adj): typical of a period in the past and of high quality mastering (n): the final stage in producing a commercial sound recording chaotic (adj): in a state of confusion and disorder ironic (adj): strange or amusing because it is different from what you expect neo (adj): new ambiance (n): the character and atmosphere of a place chill out (v): to relax and not worry about anything promotional (adj): connected with advertising journal (n): a written record of the things you do, see, feel, etc. suit (v): to be right or good for something feedback (n): advice or criticism about how good somebody�s work is dominate (v): to control or have a lot of influence over something diminish (v): to become or to make something become smaller, weaker, etc.