Label boss, vinyl head and DJ Noriscaa (aka Alice Whittington) is a crate digger of the highest order. Her encyclopedic musical knowledge and boundless curiousity has made her one of the most sonically diverse selectors and curators in the scene today. Whether she's running Soundway Records or playing around the world for institutions such as Boiler Room and Primavera Sound - Norsicaa's genre-bending palette and sharp insights are always impressive.
Most recently, Whittington has been busy diving deep into her Malayisian heritage to explore the musical identities emerging during the 1970s and 80s from the newly independent countries nestled around the South China Sea. To that end, she's delivered an exciting new compilation comprising 10 rare tracks of disco, psychedelic funk, synth, city pop, and Hindustani-Arabic rhythms from Southeast Asia titled Ayo Ke Disco. Painstakingly licensed from local labels, these songs form a time capsule of the vibrant discotheques and live scenes across Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
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Set to drop on wax today (and digital on 8 November) - the vinyl release also comes with a zine by Norsicaa that contains extensive research on the history of music in Southeast Asia, archival photos and exclusive interviews with some of the region’s most respected collectors.
Naturally, asked Noriscaa to guide us through her brilliant compilation.
"When I began DJing in 2011 I never thought it would lead me to this discovery of heritage and community that I have today. The journey I have embarked on to find the music and learn the forgotten stories, has brought me into the company of equally curious people - sharing and exploring our intersectional identities. I had always bought music from Asian artists, but when connecting more deeply with my Malaysian heritage during lockdown, I found myself actively seeking out lesser known music from the region.
I grew up in Australia, in a city where there were very few people who looked like me. As much as I tried to hide it, I stood out. In the Ayo Ke Disco ("Let’s go to the disco" in Indonesian) compilation and zine, I am not only celebrating the courage and strength of the now independent countries of South-East Asia, but also at last, my wholeness." - Norsicaa
A1. Fatimah Razak – 'Dahaga' (Malaysia)
Fatimah Razak was a singer from Kuching in the Malay state of Sarawak. The title track is a cover of an orchestral disco-funk instrumental by Ahmad Nawab, the prolific Malaysian composer and renowned saxophonist. I already knew Nawab's work well, so I was really excited to find this vocal version, as well as to discover that the ‘70s cop show percussion of the original had been replaced by Hindustani instruments.
A2. Black Brothers - 'Mangge Mangge' (Indonesia)
Black Brothers were a 6-piece band formed in the early-1970s in Jayapura, in the Indonesian state of Papua. They had a wide range of musical influences, having previously worked in night clubs for a variety of audiences – so genres such as rock, reggae, Keroncong, disco and jazz can be found across their short-lived recording career. I particularly love their forays into psychedelic funk-rock and for me this was a standout track that no one has really heard much before.
A3. Marini & The Steps - 'Kuingin Dekatmu' (Indonesia)
Marini Sardi is an actress from Malang in East Java, who began her entertainment career as a singer – but became better known for her acting from the mid-1970s. She continued to record music until 1984, working with Indonesia’s top backing band, The Steps, for the majority of her records. I had discovered the Irama Tara label catalogue a while ago and basically bought anything that featured The Steps - I even tracked down the son of one of the guitarists to learn more about them, I was that big a fan!
A4. Tian Niu 恬妞 - 'Deng Ni Zai Yu Zhong 等你在雨中' (Taiwan / Hong Kong / Singapore)
Tian / Tien Niu (real name Chu Kai-li) and her sister were both well-known television and film actresses who broke through in the '70s, enjoying teen idol status. 'Deng Ni Zai Yu Zhong (Waiting for you in the Rain)' is a cover of Japanese pop/kayōkyoku artist Yumi Matsutoya’s track 'キャサリン (Catherine)', released a year before in 1978. While the lyrics are completely different, they both convey a sense of nostalgia and saudade for a former lover. The bassline and the guitar solo get me every time.
A5. The Rollies – 'Disco' (Indonesia)
The Rollies were a pioneering and rebellious group from Indonesia. While they started in the mid-1960s performing covers of popular Western artists, by the late '60s their style shifted significantly and they began a journey of experimenting with both electric and traditional instruments like the Sundanese gamelan, as well as electronic music technology, such as the vocoder and synths in this track. Although the lyrics are unintelligible because of the vocoder, the melody being sung is incredibly catchy.
B1. Regalado - 'Pinoy Funk' (Philippines)
Dubbed "the most recorded drummer in the Philippines", Jun Regalado’s career has spanned nearly 60 years to date. His work can be heard on over 400 albums with various performers. He had intended to record his own solo album, laying down the tracks 'I Found It' and 'Pinoy Funk' (with famed jazz musician Eddie Munji III) in 1977, but he was so in demand for other projects that he never finished the album, and this was released as a 7" single instead. Both tracks are absolute killers, but the uptempo funk of the B-side instrumental excited me because of its use of the Filipino racked gong chime of kulintang as a driving force.
B2. John Philips & The Steps - 'Ayo Ke Disco' (Indonesia)
Little is known about the artist John Philips – though I only recently managed to find a photo of him from a cassette which makes me think he is Indonesian, perhaps performing under a pseudonym. As mentioned, The Steps were prolific live and recording artists and I'm a mega fan of their work and the other bands they went on to play in. I've been trying to learn a bit of Indonesian, and this track which means "Let's go to the disco" was the inspiration for this compilation.
B3. Aria Yunior - 'Salah Tingkah' (Indonesia)
Aria Yunior (also spelled Aria Junior) was formed in the mid '70s as a family band, performing a fusion of pop and rock sounds. They were marketed to audiences as an all-female family band for the most part, even though their drummer (brother Rudy Arifin) was a permanent fixture and they had other guest musicians. This track is so unique to me - the bold introduction with the organ riff, the teenagers singing, and the simple but effective pop-funk composition.
B4. Ahmadi Hassan - 'Habibi (Mari Bersatu)' (Malaysia)
Ahmad bin Hassan, aka Ahmadi Hassan, was a Malaysian singer and musician. He took inspiration from Arabic and Hindustani musical styles, as well as Bollywood and Islamic teachings. On this wild HIndustani disco track, he uses the Arabic word "habibi" to affectionately address his fellow Malaysians – urging them to unite and stop their disputes, in the interests of the growing young nation. Growing up with my huge extended Malaysian family, I would often hear stories of the turbulent years after the country became independent. The lyrics feel poignant and earnest to me.
B5. Pongsri Woranuch ผ่องศรี วรนุช - 'Aew…Phu Chai เอ๊ว…ผู้ชาย' (Thailand)
Pongsri Woranuch found fame in the 1950s performing with the "King of Luk Thung", Suraphol Sombatcharoen, eventually earning herself the nickname ‘Queen of Luk Thung’. Woranuch fused a plethora of local and foreign styles, including East Asian, Latin American, and even American country music. This is a sweet song about pining after a boy - the horn section make it seem a lot more upbeat than the lyrics would otherwise convey. I bought this 7" record on a whim while shopping at Zudrangma Records in Bangkok.
Catch Norsicaa in Singapore when she plays Offtrack on 13 December. The rest of her Asian tour dates in November and December are as follows:
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