Sound Dialogue: Pam Anantr

In recent years, Asia’s music scene has been rapidly flourishing, with festivals, emerging artists, and new platforms springing up across various cities throughout the region. Despite this growth, many of these movements remain largely underrepresented in Japan. Aiming to shed light on these vibrant scenes, explore ideas for nurturing future artists, and help invigorate music communities, Sound Dialogue is a project navigated by TSUBAKI fm.

For its second installment, the focus turns to Pam Anantr, a DJ/selector based in Bangkok, Thailand. Her passion for music was sparked during her time studying abroad in the United States, and despite a relatively short career so far, she has grown into one of Bangkok’s leading DJs. Drawing from her background in both architecture and music, she opened Salon Kiku—a music bar that is quickly becoming a cultural epicenter for Thailand’s music scene.

In this interview, she shares her musical roots, her experiences in New York, and her vision for Salon Kiku.

-Can you tell us about your musical roots and background? What made you get into music and what made you want to become a DJ?

My dad is a big music lover, but my family does not have any particular musical background. His dream was to become a DJ. I know that’s when I was young, but I think it influenced me somehow, maybe not directly but subconsciously. I think my true interest in what I’m doing now developed when I was in New York and I spent about five years there. I went there initially for school, and after two years, I finished my studies and then I got connected with friends in New York who have strong musical backgrounds and so they showed me around.

One of my friends,Federico, was opening ‘Second Hand Records NYC’ at the time. Initially, I went there to support him, and to buy records for my dad, thinking he’d like them. But I ended up buying more and more for myself. I started buying records just to listen to, but then as I experienced different parties in New York, whatever danceable track that I liked, I would want to collect. But I didn’t plan to be DJing for anyone, I just wanted to archive the music for myself.

In 2019, I moved back to Thailand. Then, in 2020 when COVID hit, in Thailand at the beginning things were still relatively fine. Most places were closed, but there were internal parties that were still happening. I have this Austrian friend, Florian, who opened a place by the river in Bangkok- it’s called Baan Rim Naam, which means “house by the river” and I highly recommend it. He’s known me since I was young, so it’s like “Oh Pam, you’ve got some records? You should bring them to play at my bar.” So I just brought my records there later.

Then, the second time he invited me it was during Design Week, and there were maybe 200-300 people that came. So then I don’t know if you can really call it Dj-ing, but I was just playing records for people to keep dancing to the whole night. And then from that some people started noticing me, then I got invited to do some more gigs. And then later on when I jumped into more, I would say, more professional gigs, was at Studio Lam, which is run by Maft Sai. It happened because a friend of mine sent in my mix that I did during quarantine – It was like mainly a jazz-funk mix. He sent it to Maft Sai and he approved and liked it, so he invited me to play at Studio Lam. And that was how it started, but I think at that time it was mainly a lot of my friends who came to Studio Lam, but then they invited me every month and more people got to know about me.

So your reason for going to America wasn’t for music?

No, it was for Architecture school in the beginning. I was in Japan first for work, then I got accepted and so I moved to New York for my studies.

Can you tell us a bit about New York? What was happening in the music scene at the time?

Yeah, so I was there from 2014 to 2019. I finished school in 2016, and that’s when I started exploring the party scene. It was really exciting for me because, back home, clubbing and going out was a very different experience. In New York, there were so many sounds to choose from. You could go out to a jazz cafe, a club or an outdoor party sort of thing during the summer. At that time, I was going to places like Good Room and Output, which were still there back then. Public Records wasn’t there yet; it opened a few years later. I also really appreciated the more intimate, house party-style events. Monchan from A1 was doing Cedar Room with Yuki – they had almost like a townhouse in Bushwick where the basement was an intimate club space, and it was mostly with friends. That was really cool.

And then other than that there were also ‘The Loft’ influenced parties like ‘JOY’, it was hosted by a Japanese crew with this really amazing warm Klipsch sound system. Those events really changed my perspective on going out. At JOY and The Loft, people of all different ages would come early to eat food, talk, and then they go back to the dance floor and they’d dance next to the speaker. It wasn’t necessarily about seamless mixing – everyone would just appreciate every track, and most of the time people would clap after the tracks. It really changed my mind about the concept of parties. Because when I was teenager or a university student in Bangkok, going out was more about drinking and singing along to songs everyone knows. But then that’s when I started thinking that maybe I should know more about songs that I don’t know. That made digging for records even more exciting because when I went out dancing, I wanted to discover new music. It was almost like two activities that fed into each other. Yeah, so there were so many great places during that time – The Lot Radio had just opened too.

There’s quite a few people you met back then that went on to be quite successful didn’t they. They seem to be doing well for themselves.

Yeah, everyone was doing their own things. The first time I saw musclecars, I was at this place called Wei’s, which I should definitely mention as it influenced me a lot. It’s a Chinese restaurant, owned by Wei, Jeff and Will. They are true music people, and they are the ones who brought a Klipsch sound system into the restaurant. Every Tuesday they would throw a DJ night, and on one of those Tuesday’s was when I first saw Musclecars. Every day there was fun, everyone loved going there for good dumplings and good music.

Wow, putting a Klipsch sound system in a Chinese restaurant!

Yeah, the sound there is just super nice.

Is there any music, or any DJ’s or artists you listened to as you grew up that have influenced you a lot?

I think most of my influences developed intensively when I was in New York. That’s when I started going to parties, and seeing legendary DJs like Joe Claussell, Danny Krivit, Francois K at Body&SOUL Party- shaped what I love right now.

Before that, I think my taste was more influenced by what I heard on the radio. When I moved to New York, I really started going in the jazz, funk direction. I really enjoyed Lonnie Liston Smith, and I think when I discovered him that was the first time that made me feel like I wanted to collect a series of records like The Cosmic Echoes. It started from a genre that I wasn’t exposed to when I was in Thailand back in the day.

So before moving abroad, did you listen to more Thai music? Or was it more Western music and pop?

It was a lot of Thai pop, but I was drawn to the more ‘soulful’ Thai pop. And of course, we had a lot of Western influence on the radio. I also liked rock. When I was younger, I really liked the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I remember that clearly. But yeah, mostly Thai pop on the radio.

There’s this Thai band called T-Bone – they are legendary. Their style is like reggae, dub and soul. They were a big part of my childhood, especially when I was a teenager.

Where do you usually draw inspiration from when selecting tracks as a DJ? Can you tell us about some musical references that shaped your current style?

Well, initially when I started DJing, I have to say I focused more on selection. I really enjoyed the funky boogie palette. Back in New York, I saw a Sadar Bahar party somewhere in Bushwick, and I think that really triggered my love for those funky boogie sounds.
So I think a lot of my influence comes from that soulful selection, but over time, I worked on improving my mixing skills – learning how to bring all my selections together and so it’s kind of become more personal.

Right now I’m still exploring. What I played this year compared to my gigs two years ago is very different. Back then, I was maybe a bit more focused on similar genres but now I want to be more flexible. So I don’t know if I can reference a specific someone because I pick inspiration from here and there. But I tend to try to be more flexible from gig to gig, and when I have different audiences- the audience and the energy on the dancefloor really impacts how I choose and blend tracks.

Recently, last year, I went to Amsterdam and I saw Lefto Early Bird and Shy One, and I really liked them. In terms of more recent influences, yeah, I’d say I enjoy their styles.

Can you tell us about the recent music scene in Bangkok?

I was away from my hometown for almost 10 years. So between the time before I left and when I returned, it has changed a lot. Now, there’s much more choice. There are emerging scenes that didn’t really exist in the scene before. It might have existed in small pockets, but now it’s growing much more. That also means there’s more choice of venues – clubs and bars that really pay attention to sound systems and equipment. I don’t think it was like this before. Now if you go to places like Studio Lam or Clutch Bar, they bring in analog systems and rotary mixers, that kind of thing. People are becoming more aware and are trying to be careful of what kind of sound they want to create in the space.

And in terms of clubs, it can be tricky because of the opening hours of the club – usually places close by 2am due to the laws here. And that kind of affects how people go out and the dance hours are really short. So that’s kind of like the downside of Bangkok nightlife because lineups are often short and people cannot really maximize their experience on the dance floor.
But yeah, it’s still growing and adapting right now.

You were selected in Mixmag Asia as an exciting artist of 2024. How did you feel? Did you receive any feedback or recommendations from people?

Yeah, so the person who reached out to me is Arun from MixMag Asia. We met in Hong Kong in March, and we talked about what I was doing and the local scene. Later on he said I got selected for May, I was very excited to hear this news. I do think it helped me a lot. After that I got more gigs abroad, like in Singapore for Potato Head’s 10 year anniversary. And even coming here to Japan, then heading to London and Jakarta after this- it all kind of lined up after that. I think it helped me for sure to be part of a platform like Mixmag Asia.

Did you notice any specific changes in your local scene, or in your own position, after the article was published? Did you get more attention from local people?

Yeah, people definitely noticed it. But locally I think what affected my career in Bangkok the most is when I got into Transport. Before that, it was actually The Standard – I got residency there when the hotel opened in late 2021, and that really opened up a lot for me, to meet people and stuff like that. And then Transport really pushed me further into dancing, clubbing and gigs.

Are there any artists or music you’ve been checking out recently?

Yeah, locally there’s lots of DJs emerging and people focusing on different sounds. With so many new people in the scene now, it’s getting much stronger.
There are a lot of artists I really like, including some of my good friends. For example, Elaheh, Sarayu, NK Chan, Takky, Chucheewa, Chalo, Isaac Aesili, Pimporn (DJ Zombie), Yoongying, and Issasha. Also Pam Terada (She’s my really good friend’s sister) and Gres Teh – they are based mostly in Chiang Mai up north. They both get involved with gigs that highlight Thai and World Grooves sounds, which is really cool.

Sunju is doing great things with Siamese Twins Records. Some of the tracks he works on are in collaboration with another artist called Tul, who is part of the band Apartment Khun Pa, and together they make tracks with a poetic element. He makes things that are experimental, which I love.

I also appreciate people who are based in Bangkok and they’re not originally from there, but they’re making the scene stronger. Collectives like Transport: Brent, Seelie and Luke and then RomRom: Tam and Perry. They are amazing DJs and they throw really great parties.

Of course, there’s also Maft Sai. Legendary with his label Zudrangma Records. And also the amazing Japanese crew in Bangkok – NK Chan, Gaolao, Toru, Nao Endo. So I think the scene is very diverse. Not to mention there’s another two very important local groups: More Rice and Kangkao. More Rice has a record store and record label and they throw their own parties. Kangkao is also throwing really successful parties lately. They have a bit more of an electronic focus, minimal. They are important parts of the scene in Bangkok.

Any bands you’ve been into?

JPBS is really good. I’m not sure how to define the genre, but it’s rock-influenced, but they also make music that’s more ambient and sounds more like a sound journey. Watching that live every time is really, like, wow. They are a group of six and they’ve started touring more frequently now.

NOTEP is really great. She’s a multi-disciplinary artist that can do so many things – sound healing, DJing, producing music, and she just released a new album “Metamorphogenesis”, which is super cool.

The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band, Salin, and Khontan and The Hymmapan Express are also amazing ones with a lot of Thai instrumental elements.

So you recently opened a bar called Salon Kiku. Could you share any stories about it? Maybe tell us why you started it, what the concept is, how you brought it to life, and what your goals are?

So, like with DJing, I never really planned to open a bar or become a bar owner. But it all started when I found out from my friend that there was a space available upstairs I was actually dancing at Studio Lam at the time. So I went upstairs to check it out and I think because of my architectural background, I saw the space and I fell in love with it immediately. I thought, “Maybe I can do something with this”, you know.

It was a dance studio?

It was a fashion studio. It was very empty – the previous person had moved out already, and all that was left was a single mirror. But I thought, wow, it’s perfect somehow.

I usually don’t have, like, a ‘first crush’ on a space, but this time, I really liked it. So then I started trying to think of different concepts, and I thought maybe I could do some sort of sound bar. Initially, I wanted to move all my equipment from home into the space, but over time, I realised I wanted to make something more serious. I already knew that I wanted to focus on wine because I wanted it to be a different choice of beverages from Studio Lam downstairs. We wanted to support each other by offering two unique experiences within the same building. Luckily, I have a friend who is already quite well-established in the wine industry, and they were interested in partnering with me, so it was a good match.

The direction that I see right now is that I want my place to not just be a listening bar – but to be more like a sound room, where people can enjoy drinking to all kinds of sounds.
We have Altec A7 anchoring the space and even though it’s an analog soundsystem, it’s tuned to work with newer electronic sounds as well. Flexibility is the key. One night, we might have live performances with Thai instruments, another night could be more jazzy, while at the end of the week could be more like a full-on club night.

So my idea is to really have this blur line. A lot of venues tend to have their specialty focus on something, for example, listening bars that maybe just do jazz, ,hip hop or ,R&B. But I really want people to feel excited about what they’re going to get when they come here. So some nights might feature Molam or Luk Thung, other nights could be just watching someone playing trumpet, and sometimes it’ll be a club night. So I think even though we are small, I want to see how far we can push the experience. Yeah, so that’s kind of the concept for this place.

I also want it to be a two way interaction. We haven’t really done much of this yet, but for example, last time, Isaac Aesili played trumpet, and he kind of casually interacted with the crowd. Like through talking and sitting next to someone who was drinking wine while he played trumpet. In the future I want to create more of these interactive and two-way moments – maybe talk events or opportunities for people to connect after performances. It’s more cozy. And I think it’s more flexible too.

Also I forgot to say – I think the reason I saw the space and I fell in love with it was because I wanted to design something. I got more excited about the idea of working on this space because I’d never brought my architectural background and music background together before. So for me, it wasn’t just about opening a bar, it was an interest in trying something to bring my two worlds in one place.

Everything I designed into the space was to tackle acoustic aspects. When I got this space, everyone was like, “Pam, you’re getting this space? It’s so echoey!” Before, it was a fashion studio, and before that, it wasn’t really used. There had only been like one birthday party held there, and people said the sound was really echoey. There was so much glass window – so I had to think about what I should do. That’s why I started to think about turning the speakers away from the window and working on the ceiling.

So yeah I was really just focused on solving problems, and that’s how we ended up making some of the aesthetic choices too. That’s why the panels are perforated – they’re for soundproofing. It made a huge difference in improving the acoustic quality there too. Now, even when we have maybe 50-plus people in the tight space – everyone talking so loudly – you can still hear the music clearly. Before, even with just five people, it was super noisy. That’s why I feel like I have a lot of fun designing environments for sound as well.

In addition to DJing, you’re involved in so many things—architecture, design… What are you most interested in right now? And is there anything new you’d like to try in the future?

Hmm… Actually I read a book by Kengo Kuma once, and he said at the beginning of the book that by your mid 30s ,you should have figured out what you like and then take on with that passion onwards. So when I first read that when I was 20 years old, I wasn’t exactly stressed about it but I remember thinking, “Okay, in 10 years, I should know what I want to do”. And as I’m getting to that age, I feel like maybe this is it? I can just keep exploring what I’m doing right now. I don’t feel like I need to take on something completely new. What I’m doing right now – architecture, design, music – it already feels right. Now it’s just about how to make it more refined.

So, it’s not your first time in Japan right? What do you think about Japan? What are your impressions of Japanese people and Japan etc.

I mean I’ve always really loved Japan – It’s a very special place. That’s why ten years ago I wanted to live here for work when I was doing design. Japanese design is so good and so detailed that’s why I wanted to experience it the Japanese way. In general I think people here are so careful, so detailed and I really enjoy seeing in different industries how this detail level applies. So now this time in music, experiencing like the sound systems and, you know, everything is so on point, like how you have the sound engineer doing it live. This I feel is something that is not everywhere, maybe only here. Also last time at Wonderfruit at the stage Catch 428, everyone was talking about it. The sound is so amazing even while being outdoors. There’s that person who is always monitoring live, you know, so that’s why it’s so perfect. And yeah, so I really love the mentality in working here and you know trying to achieve the best.

Can you tell us about the concept of the mix?

For this one hour mix, I wanted to put together a range of sounds that really inspired me back in the days when I was living in NYC – soulful music that crosses genres like jazz-funk, funk, disco, house, and more. These tracks brought back a lot of memories for me.

I remember the first time I heard “Galaxy” by WAR played at the club Good Room. It has since become my favorite track by WAR because that moment was so special. The track is quite long and cosmic – each part of it takes you through a journey of feelings. Later, I discovered “Galaxy” in a box set by Innerzone Orchestra, which I also love so much, so I wanted to include this one in the mix.
Similarly, the other tracks in the mix hold a lot of meaning. One, for instance, is by Monchan, who is really one of my favorite producers. He edited this awesome track from Sylvester – the song “Band of Gold”. It’s so funky and sexy, but also deep and moody.
A track that gives me a journey of feelings is something I’m always looking for. I want to be connected to the music I play so I can weave it into the story I want to tell.

Interviewed by Midori Aoyama, Rumi Miyamoto
Edit by Amica Baxter

– 日本語版はこちら