Various Artists - Baa Records Selects: Thailand’s Golden Sounds 80s Synth Pop & Disco

Various Artists
Baa Records Selects: Thailand’s Golden Sounds 80s Synth Pop & Disco
Baa Records
Thailand, 2025
LP

Super fun comp of synth pop from Thailand's overlooked Golden Sound studios. Big tip for fans of city pop!

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FROM THE LABEL:

Southern Thailand, Songkhla-based Baa Records takes you on a guided tour of the grooviest tracks to come out of the Golden Sound studios! From their headquarters on Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road, GS were pioneers of Thai studiocraft and electronization, bridging the gap between the nightclub disco showbands of the '70s and major-label pop idols of the '90s. Collected here are 10 rare and glorious cuts introducing you to this highly influential yet little-remembered scene.

All of the music that emerged from the studio, though, shared an unmistakable signature production sheen: like the producers of Japan's city pop scene, Golden Sound was influenced by Southern California's "West Coast sound", an amalgam of smooth soul, jazzy R&B and tight disco sounds, with an emphasis on both high-calibre musicianship and adventurous incorporation of electronic gadgetry.

This excellent selection of tunes from the folks at Baa Records highlights some of the most vibrant and danceable of the label's output, with an intriguingly synthesized sonic palate.