Cambodian Cassette Archives: Khmer Folk & Pop Music Vol. 1

A deep dive into Cambodian music recorded between the 1960s and 1990s with 42 tracks pulled from over 150 cassettes that were found gathering dust in the Asian Branch of the Oakland Public Library. You’ll find a wide range of sounds here, from psychedelia to garage rock, synth pop, new wave, sugary ballads, and even some heavy metal. But the tracks all have something in common: an enthusiasm for experimenting with new technologies and new sounds on the one side, while maintaining deep ties to Khmer culture on the other. Listen for example to Darkie’s “Yeh Hua Dam (Aka: Look At The Owl),” which combines a disco beat with the fast rhythms and fiddles of Kantrum  (the folk music played by the Khmer who live in Thailand, just over the border with Cambodia) or the off-kilter beats and electronic experimentations of “Khmer New Wave.” Each track will have you eager to listen to the next, never knowing what to expect.