How to: Megaupload and some Morlam from Laos

Quick Tutorial For the Copywrite Infringement Illiterate:
When you click any of the CD covers on this page it'll route you to megaupload. i did this rather then linking direct to the streamed video, so that if you wanted you could download. Excuse the ads, nothing comes for free.
to download, wait 45 seconds, then the regular download, keep in mind most of these are half hour long video files, around 300 MB.
To stream: Click the Link that says View on Megavideo (see below), sometimes it takes a while for the video to be put on megavideo, but it will be there eventually, once i get everything i want up on megaupload and the blog, then i'll put selections on a different streaming site like with the skeleton puppets. 

Now, some morlam videos i'm pretty sure are from Lao, the Language they're speaking is Lao, which admittedly isn't uncommon for Isan Morlam, but pretty sure the record co. is Lao. To add further confusion, some of the scenic backdrops appear to be in Lao and some in Thailand.
the point of which is, i don't really know shit. but they're enjoyable videos, and its a decent example of slightly more old style morlam. Same girl dancing in front of green screen in every video, but different background scenery, ooohhh,

 I think i have three more videos off this VCD buried somewhere, as always more to come....
Don't forget to put yr greasy earballs onto my new blog as well... Incredible Images and Audio of the Interwebs An agregator of Videos and other music related content i find online and find interesting. Usually with a central theme, keep yr eyes peeled, I've got a huge piece in the works on Yoshida Tatsuya, the brilliant Japanese drummer which includes footage of nearly everything he's been involved in since the early 80s (15+ bands)...
Over and out

Molam with Traditional Dancers

Another Morlam VCD from Thailand. These guys are huge in the Isan Molam scene, with a prolific set of releases. The video shows the "full" band playing in a variety of Scenic settings, i put "full" in scare-quotes because, like a lot of the VCDs a trap kit features prominently in the mix, but yet is not to be seen playing anywhere in the video. The music is still great though, and the video fun.

As usual, two links to watch or download, .avi format. Click the covers to enjoy.

Keep checking here, have some Great Lao Morlam Videos still forthcoming, as well as a VCD entitled "Traditional Music of NE Thailand," which isn't actually that traditional, and Volume 2 of the Skeleton puppets.

Morlam Dancin Ladies.

Some more Electric Morlam from Isan, A little cheesier then our skeletal friends but still rocking. Featuring cute Thai go-go dancers. Keep yr eyes open for the midgets, they're the best part. Each Image (front and back) is a link to download or watch the first or second track respectively, enjoy.

Morlam VCD

A Brief Introduction to Molam (หมอลำ)

Molam (หมอลำ, Mor lam, Morlum) Music is a traditional form from Southern Laos and the Isan Region of Thailand. Molam literally translates to "expert song," or "expert singer," In southern Laos the music is known as "Aslam" (ລຳ) whereas "Mor lam" refers to the preformer or singer.

After thousands of years in development, Molam Music has many different iterations, ranging from the extremely traditional (acoustic instruments, traditional costume, etc.) to the extremely Modern, largely Thai iterations which encorporate Trap Kits (electronic or standard), electric keyboards, electric guitars, electric bass, and electric versions of many of the key traditional instruments.

The Main instruments of Molam are the Reed Organ, ("Kaen" or "แคน") The Phin (พิณ), a three string hollow body guitar type instrument played with a pick, sometimes outfitted with an electric guitar pickup, and ran at high volume (highly distorted) through an amplifier, or played as an acoustic instrument, as in the recording of Mr. Sewarak below. The Vot (โหวด), a cicular pan pipe made of bamboo with a sphere of pitch that sits on the lips allowing quick chord progressions to be executed. Pong Lang (โปงลาง), which is a simplified xylophone, without sounding tubes, usually strung between two points, with one end higher then the other, played with two curved wooden mallets. The Sing (ฉิ่ง) and Sap (ฉาบ) which are hand cymbals used to maintain tempo, in more modern Molam, featuring a drum kit these instruments are frequently replaced by the cowbell.

Most of the Molam presented here is "Morlam Sing," which is the modern Isan version of Molam, combining traditional Lam segments with bits of Luk Thung, with electronic instruments and vibrant stage shows. "Morlam Sing," is a reference to Thai biker culture "by sing" translates as "to go racing about on motorbikes."

Molam in Isan Mainly serves a festival function, at festivals or parades (of which there are many), Brightly painted trucks loaded with massive soundsystems, compete for aural and visual dominance, sometimes these soundsystems play recorded music or serve as a stage from which a Molam Band will preform, often with the Phin players walking in front of the slow moving truck.

The First Example:

Part 2

Part 1

A great Little two Part VCD from ITC (need a translation for band name). The first few minutes of each part are available as a Divx stream and the full videos can be downloaded as .avi from Megaupload by clicking the cover photo.

Best of Ear Sphere So Far (Soundcloud)

people were having problems downloading, so i've put the best of my recordings on SoundCloud, for ease of access. When i get back on the road again, expect to have lots of recordings available for download, and the best up on SoundCloud, Enjoy:


Monks chant Luang Probang by EarSphere

Pi Mai Parade Luang Probang by EarSphere

Competing Monastaries Luang Probang by EarSphere

Luang Probang Night market Erhu 1 by EarSphere

Luang Probang Night market Erhu 5 by EarSphere

Monk's chant + thunderstorm best by EarSphere

Nong Khai Frogs after rain 3 by EarSphere

Mr Samak Sewarak on guitar by EarSphere

Mr Samak Sewarak on Phin by EarSphere

Keep it Locked here Molam Videos Coming today

Mr. Samarak Sewarak Nong Khai

Wonderful bum with long hair, an acoustic Phin, and Acoustic guitar, a dylan style harmonica mount, and one boot with washers mounted on a steel bar for percussion.
8 Guitar Tracks including one where you can hear the Vietnamese owned chopstick factory, and another one Mr. Sewarak called the "ganja song"
2 Phin Tracks, short but franticly awesome
Link to Folder Here

two tracks from northern Lao

Luang Nam Tha Keyboard party for airlines employs here
Nong Khiaw Soundscape here