Baa Records Selects: Thailand's Golden Sounds

It might sometimes feel like western music nerds are interested in Asian music, but the fascination generally stops with East Asia, particularly Japan and Korea (and China, to an extent). Southeast Asia remains woefully underrepresented, even as resources for understanding the region’s creative output are more accessible than ever. It’s not a surprise to me that Baa Records Selects — a compilation of early synth and disco songs from the ’80s — barely made a blip on anyone’s radar when it was released in mid 2025, but it is a shame. Composed of a selection from Thailand’s Golden Sound label, it highlights an emerging sound that was the connective tissue between the country’s ’70s nightlife and ’90s pop idols which more closely resembles the output of other Asian nations. The liner notes, written by a group of Thai music experts including Peter Doolan (who has been sharing Thai music on his personal blog since 2008), are sparse but provide enough context for each act. For this specific niche, it’s the best place to get started.