Tribal animals

Folk art is live and kicking, with a taste for local tribal aesthetics, from ancient pre-Filipino Baybayin script tattoos

to music, graphic design, fashion and contemporary art.

Crews of grunge-skater-nerd, ghetto-punk and retro-rockabilly artists, graphic designers in minimalist black conceptual clothes, graphic haircut and glasses, architects in Yohji or Comme Des are digging back into their drawers.
Pioneers, pillars and heralds of the local scenes, each of these artists fights the cheapo copycats of Western slop with studded, tattooed, pierced, cursed and blessed outshoots:

Andrew Chen, Taichung

Andrew's a crazy amazing dude, with an amazing voice:

Andrew if you're out there get in touch!

Redslim08, Manila

Jam Wu 吳耿禎, Taipei

Korakrit, Bangkok

Pornthep Chitphong, Chang Mai

Madsaki, Tokyo - New York

Motomichi, Tokyo - New York

Cumi, Jakarta

Bob 'Sick' Yudhita, Jakarta

Bramantyo Prijosusilo, Yogyakarta - Los Angeles

Eddie Hara, Basel

MC 仁, Hong Kong (寧死不屈)

Shieko, Kuala Lumpur

I just saw Kim Joon's wild digital prints at the Sundaram Tagore gallery in Hong Kong.

For good tribal beats I recommend
the legendary 電気グルーヴ Denki Groove and Dynamite Club from Japan,
Shetou's punk rock folk, Iz and 哈雅乐团小组 Haya's tundra folk rock from Inner Mongolia, Askar Grey Wolf from Xinjiang, and the amazing "黄祸 Yellow Peril" compilation

featuring hardcore remixes of Mongolian chants by Japanese mad men and Panda Twin aka Sulumi, Dead J, B6 from China (thanks Zhen Hua!),
DJ Kulu's groove house from Hong Kong,
DJ Ty鈦 and the 鐵虎兄弟 T-Ho brothers' aboriginal hip hop, 林強 Lim Giong's electro and 張四十三 Chang 43 from Taiwan,
Siam Dub Monster's dub house, Rik Wachirapilan's electro rock, Kai Jo Brothers' dub rock and Skalaxy's ska rock from Thailand,
and S.I.G.I.T. from Indonesia.
Here's a tribalmix of folk rock, trip rock, electro rock, reggae dub, breakcore, trip hop, hip hop, blues folk and sundry:
"行者無疆 Walking in life" - 哈雅樂團 Haya Band ("狼圖騰 Wolf Totem", 2008), China (Inner Mongolia)
"她是一首歌" - P.K.14 ("谁谁谁和谁谁谁", 2004), China
"Badai Kini Berlalu" - Ungu ("Penguasa Hati", 2009), Indonesia
"You And Me" - Skalaxy, Thailand
"Banzai!!!" - TerbujurKaku ("Glitchy Bitchy No.3", 2009), Indonesia
"跳大神" - 二手玫瑰 Second Hand Rose Band ("娱乐江湖", 2006), China
"Eulogi Arsenikum (Erk - Di Udara Remixed, excerpt)" - Somno Disturbia ("Maujud" O.S.T. by Adit Bujbunen Al Buse, 2008), Indonesia
"ไม่พอใจ Tum Tua Naw" (excerpt) - ? (Harm magazine, 2007), Thailand
"屋邨仔 (Part 1)" - 大懶堂 LMF ("Lazy Mutha Fucka", 1999), Hong Kong
"Bergerak" - Joe Flizzow feat. Phlowtron ("President", 2009), Malaysia
"鐵虎兄弟 T-Ho Brothers" - 鐵虎兄弟 T-Ho Brothers feat. 紀曉君 Samingad, Jia Jia & Nasty ("Metal Tiger", 2003), Taiwan
"Sikat Na Si Pepe" - Gloc 9 ("G9", 2003), Philippines
"遠方 Distant Place" - 哈雅乐团小组 Haya Band ("狼圖騰 Wolf Totem", 2008), China (Inner Mongolia)
"Unfinished Business" - Aditya Saputra & Danif Pradana ("Maujud" O.S.T. by Adit Bujbunen Al Buse, 2008), Indonesia
"Took Took" (The Photo Sticker Machine Mix) - Kai-Jo Brothers ("Took Took"), Thailand
"可愛的車" - 董事長樂團 The Chairman ("真的假的!?", 2006), Taiwan
"蓝色的故乡" - 刚子 ("蓝色的故乡", 2008), China (Inner Mongolia)

Graphic design in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia is a big proponent of the tribal style, praise be to them: fFurious, Green Donkey, Phunk Studio and Radioactive.

Also check out the goods on:
Little Romance's makie jeans from Japan,

and Argentum jewellery from Singapore.

Finally, watch the very enjoyable and thrilling 1965 film "Genghis Khan" starring a great Omar Sharif, Francoise Dorléac as his wife, Stephen Boyd (Messala in "Ben-Hur"), James Mason as a Chinese mandarin!, Eli Wallach as the Shah!, Telly Savalas as "Shan", and Robert Morley as the Emperor of China!,

and Sergei Bodrov's 2007 unforgettable and powerful "Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan" starring the great Asano Tadanobu.

Raken Rol 摇滚

The Asian rock I hear beats out any of the little current Western rock I hear, which mostly sounds to me like homages and reedits of legends past. However I don't care for Asian rock that copycats Western rock, which cancels out most of MTV Asia and Channel V. There's so much good stuff out there, many of them doing well with constant touring and live shows, where audiences go mad.

From China: here's an extreme introduction: Pangu rock. The man is crazy.
Also legend 崔健 Cui Jian, 何勇 He Yong, 窦唯 Dou Wei, 苍蝇 The Fly and Zuo Xiao Zu Zhou, with whom I had the honour to spend a wild night with back in 1996), Pk14

and 腦濁 Brain Failure, Carsick Cars, 冷酷仙境 Cold Fairy Land, 寂寞.夏.日Lonely China Day, the amazing 木Mυmα马, 新裤子 New Pants, Red Unit, 嘎调 The Gar,(see their "视频" video), the glam fab 二手玫瑰 Second Hand Rose Band, Ren Yu, Xiao He, Zhao Ze, 重塑雕像的权利Rebuilding the Rights of Statues

...

Japan has some great rock bands: Adenosine TriPhosphate, Cocco, Custom Cock Confused Death, self-described attention-deficit-disorder band Dynamite Club (hey Kentaro!), Electric Eel Shock, Guitar Vader, Ringo Shiina, the amazing Ua, Zettaimu...

From HK there's the deservedly famous King Lychee, Climax, Hardpack, 秋紅 Qiu Hong, Monogel, Sanskrit (merci Jean-Michel)...

From Taiwan I recently discovered 董事長 合唱團 The Chairman, in the delightful Fokkien rock tradition, 四分衛 Backquarter, and young Vera Queen. Unfortunately since right about Luan Tan's space rock disbanded at the turn of the century, legendary Taiwan rock has mostly sold out.

In Singapore there's Francis Frightful's infamous O.P., so named because the garment didn't allow them to be called Opposition Party. And ex Padres lead singer Joe Ng's new band Local Bar Kid, covering old local tunes.
Melvyn and Little from fFurious introduced me to the rocking sounds of Force Vomit. They came around to judge the Lomo Wonderland exhibition at the Esplanade, and chose the winners by pointing a finger at random on a board with their eyes closed. Now that's class.
There is also Muon (hey Ginette!), Objection Overule, Typewriter (hey Chang Kang!), and The Boredphucks (now reincarnated as The Suns):

Ai Sio Gan Mai - Boredphucks
...

In Malaysia I got a compilation at the Click Project, featuring Carburator Dung, which is great kicks. There's also Lang Mang, Ciplak, Meet Uncle Hussain

...

Thailand has a garth of amazing rock.
Futon's Thai songs are infectious and brilliant. Their cover of "I wanna be your dog" is drop dead.
Redtwenty is a young band whose sound is unique and hauting.
The amazing Apartmentkhunpa has their own world too, acid funk rock on ether.
There's of course the incredible Rik Vachirapirum

See also her music videos “Tichila” and “Devi”.
Also check Armchair, Moderndog, Penguin Villa, Scrubb, so::on, Goose, Yellow Fang...

The Philippines has a mature and huge rock scene, of which I only like Francis Magalona (R.I.P.), River Maya, Eraserheads, and the amazing Parokya Ni Edgar.

Indonesia has another beautiful rock scene: The Jonis

And the legendary Dewa 19, Peter Pan, Serigala Jahanam, Adit Bujbunen Al Buse, Kelelawar Malam, The Safari, Slank, Komunal, Ungu, Cokelat, The Polyester Embassy, C'mon Lennon, D'Zeek, The Adams, Ape on the Roof, Seringai, The Upstairs, Zeke & The Popo, Tomorrow People Ensemble, Sajama Cut, ST12, The Brandals, Inspirational Joni

...

Vietnam has some hard bands such as Microwave and Gat Tan Day.

Finally there is Albert Kuvezin's world-famous Yat-Kha from Mongolia.

Check here soon for an Asiarocks compilation by Kampong Beats.

Asie by derrière 2

More fun cover songs by Asian artists to start the Summer:

Asie by derrière 2 - Kampong beats by yaimogwei

Asie by derrière 2 by yaimogwei

Tracklist:

Venus - 凌雲 Rita Chao
Singapore


Macho - Parokya Ni Edgar
The Philippines

メロディーについて Melody - カヒミ・カリィ Kahimi Karie
(Gainsbourg tribute '95), Japan

Je t'aime moi non plus - The Traces
(Thai Beat A Go-Go Vol 2), Thailand


In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (excerpt) - He 6
(GoGo Sound with He 6, 1971), South Korea


Picha Pie - Parokya ni Edgar
(Gulong Itlog Gulong, 1999), The Philippines
("I will survive")


叮噹歌聲 - 陈宝珠 Connie Chan Po Chu
("8 Days A Week", thanks Anthony)
Hong Kong

Proud Mary - 凌雲 Rita Chao
Singapore

The Crush (Bakit and Pangit) - Parokya ni Edgar
(Kangkhunkerrinitz, 1996), The Philippines

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Yat-Kha
(ReCovers), Mongolia

Good Morning (excerpt) - PixelToy
(Science of Love), Hong Kong

Love Will Tear Us Apart - PixelToy
(O...Oh), Hong Kong

Because the night - Ua
(Fine feathers make fine birds, live, 1996), Japan


Trip (Siopao na Special) - Parokya ni Edgar
("Creep")
The Philippines

Play With Fire - Yat-Kha
(ReCovers ), Mongolia

Nakaw Ang Walet Ko - Parokya ni Edgar
("Knocking on heaven's door")
(Kangkhunkerrinitz, 1996), The Philippines

C'est si bon - コシミハル Miharu Koshi
(Chanson solaire, 1995), Japan


Enjoy!

Amok rockers of the South Seas 3

Rebelmix3

Rebelmix 3 - Kampong beats by yaimogwei

Tracklist:

螢火蟲 - Digihai
(像星星一樣 Like A Star, 2007), Taiwan

我的街头 My Streets, feat. Young Kin (excerpt) - 隐藏 Yin Ts'ang
(Fast Lane, 2008), China

Firm - DJ Bobby
(Jakarta Movement '05, 2005), the Stadium ringmaster, Indonesia

Chaa-Hol (Tuvian Folk Song) - Yat-Kha
(Tundra's Ghosts, 1997), Mongolia

Shanghai - 默契音樂 Silent Agreement
China

เหนือใจ - Rik Vachirapirum
(Rasmalai Chapter 1, 2005), Thailand

Thaitay MF (remix) - Thaitanium
Thailand
thanks Josef!

咳 - 農夫 F.A.M.A.
(月下思), Hong Kong






Pills & Permit - MC Su
Singapore
hey Josh


Yed - Thaitanium
Thailand

Trip (ghoststyle mix) - MC Su
Singapore
thanks Ghost



呆会儿 Stay Awhile (excerpt) - 隐藏 Yin Ts'ang
(Fast Lane, 2008), China

Goat's Addiction - Red moon
(默契音樂 Silent Agreement), Taiwan

往左往右 Left and Right (excerpt) - 隐藏 Yin Ts'ang
(Fast Lane, 2008), China

Keep Walking (excerpt) - 林強 Lim Giong
(驚蟄 Insects Awaken, 2005), Taiwan

举起你的杯 Raise your glass, feat. Sawana (excerpt) - 隐藏 Yin Ts'ang
(Fast Lane, 2008), China

Mind Noise (excerpt) - 林強 Lim Giong
(驚蟄 Insects Awaken, 2005), Taiwan

毕其功于一役 When I get there (excerpt) - 隐藏 Yin Ts'ang
(Fast Lane, 2008), China

Falsafah Pendekar - Pendekar
(XS One: the Regiment - School for X'Scape artists, 2007), Singapore - Malaysia

Mothers of Love History - Projekt Heterologia
(Mothers of Love History), from Bandoeng, Indonesia

Enjoy!