Desktop Error (Thailand): The band
After introducing Desktop Error’s music last week. It is time to get to know the band.
We invite you to do so in the following presentation, and next week through a great interview that the band gave Noise Artists. We hope you enjoy reading it, as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
WHO are Desktop Error
It took some time to gather material on Desktop Error. One of the things that make their force is being rooted in their Thai origins.
The other side of the coin is that lyrics, interviews, articles and most material that can be found is in Thai, of which I have unfortunately little knowledge. Apologies to our Thai friends.
Thankfully, we managed to gather some bits here and there. The band was kind enough to review these lines before release. A big thank you to them. It is some work, especially when English is not your first language.
Desktop Error, is a Thai Alternative Indie Rock band, formed by a group of friends that have been hanging together since secondary school and university. Their love for similar type of music and lifestyle, eventually inspired them to form a band. They are:
Lek Kongphaibun (Guitar, lead Vocal)
Adisak Poung (Guitar, Keyboard, Vocal)
Wuttipong Leetrakul (Guitar, Keyboard, Vocal)
Chanarong Jamkow (Bass)
Phatharhaphon Thongsuka (Drums)
hey started by playing rock music covers (i.e. Radiohead, Pink Floyd or the Stone Roses) at Lullabar, a bar and restaurant in central Bangkok, and an indie live music refuge for local alternative music bands.
Soon, the band members agreed that this was not enough to fulfill their passion for music, and, in 2006, “Desktop Error” was born. They just performed a 10th anniversary concert in front of their fans.
Rapidly, the band got a real interest from the record label SO:ON Dry FLOWER, a well-known Thai indie and experimental music label.
Thanks to its support, and the great arrangement from their Japanese music producer/sound artist, Koichi Shimizu, Desktop Error released in 2006 a 6-track EP: Instinct.
This EP seems to have been a break-in to Thai indie/Rock music scene. From there, it appears that they’ve grown a small but strong group of music fans who are still supporting them today. The photos of their 10th anniversary concert show that they have clearly multiplied since.
In 2009, their first full album, Ticket to home, was released. In its creative process, Desktop Error enjoyed using their traditional Thai influence, including a mixture of Thai instruments to their own rock/alternative/shoegaze style. Their single Took took wan made it all the way to no.1 in the 'Fat Radio 40 top chart' (indie chart). The song Kor also reached the top 10.
In 2014 they released their second full album, Keep looking at the window. It is a more mature album, with beautifully crafted songs that kept the feeling of the previous album, but with more melodic undercurrents. It includes the song Namh Kang that made me want to deepen the knowledge of their music.
Over the past years, Desktop Error have been part several interesting art and music festivals, events, parties and films within the country as well as in the neighboring countries (Hong-Kong and Macau) such as, Fat Festival, Tiger Translate, Stone Free festival, Big Mountain Music Festival, Fête de la Musique (Bangkok).
They are getting very popular now, one of the figurehead of the Thai Indie scene. Their interview, that will be posted this month on Noise Artists is well worth reading to understand who they are, and what the Thai indie scene is.
Some good videos to watch
Apart from some of their song’s video’s, that are visible on YouTube, and can be accessed from their website (http://www.desktoperror.com/media.html), we recommend the following:
Their recording of Kor is a great example of how they are rooted in their country: the session is done in a forest, in one take, with all the band and some friends. Not only is it great music and sound recording, but it looks like a window opened on their life.
Another one is the recording session of กุญแจผี -Ghost key , in what appears a hotel room. It is great to see them work. Again, both the band and the sound artist/producer, Koishi Shimisu, are there. You can see the experience they must have to able to pull it off like that. You can also see the quiet communion between everybody in the room, and the use of their favorite Thai traditional instrument.
The following video is from the Mosaic Music Festival. The quality of their music, in an electric set is excellent, and you can feel the hours and hours of practice, and many concerts necessary to have this kind of cohesion. And the sound … beautiful. They must have been something to watch.
If you want an entire live set, the following is quite good:
Their presence on the web
There is a lot of material if you speak Thai, interviews, magazines, ... Significantly less if you do not, unfortunately. Here are some useful links:
Website: http://www.desktoperror.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DesktopError/
Myspace: https://myspace.com/desktoperror
Youtube: Many videos online. See previous section with some of them
Some other posts in English:
Soundsbetterwith reverb, the reference blog on shoegazing:
http://www.soundsbetterwithreverb.com/shoegaze/desktop-error-nam-khang/
Article on Thai music:
ttps://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/top-10-thai-musicians-folk-noise-psychedelic-rock/
Wrap up
We hope this gave you a better insight into the band, who they are and what they do. Next week you will find, on Noise Artists, a great interview of the band. Until then!
Sources
· Internet
· Desktop Error interview
· Desktop Error review
