Pisitakun Kuntalang has begun his career as a visual artist in 2009, and started playing music sometime later with an interest in how expressions shape under different media environments. Historical events, synthetic sounds, and musical instruments inspire his songs.
Pisitakun practice represents a decisive break from many of his Thai peers during the time of the country’s history unfolds under an ongoing martial law since the military coup d’état on 22 May 2014.
He has questioned on fundamental and increasingly universal values without merely decrying the fact of corruption or offering neat palliatives. His works are based on political speculation and the external and internal frustrations artists are subject to.
Among the parallel worlds of the past and the present usage of ‘Kaen’ in Isan’s Mor Lam, the current mixture of Isan’s Electronic Dance Music – EDM still uses Mor Lam style as its tune.In Chao Anouvong’s era during King Rama III of Thailand, ‘Lao Pan’ music depicting about political situation and struggle at that time was usually sung by the Laotian war prisoners who were taken to
Thailand. Presently, the modern version of Lao Pan has been edited and sung by Bank – a Thai ex-prisoner who was imprisoned by article 112 or lèse-majesté law.
Time can never change Isan music’s fighting spirit. Political struggle has urged Isan people to fight through their music from the past to the present. The happenings of incidents Kabote-Phi-Boon
(1901-1902) led by Isan people during King Rama V which has become the politics of depoliticization as well as the participation of Isan people for United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship – UDD (2006-2010 until now) are good examples of how time has cultured their fighting spirit to be more intense.
Each of these parallel worlds has emphasized the role of Isan music and the usage of ‘Kaen’ in many dimensions, from being medium for their political struggle expression to daily life chants.
Photo source: ctm-festival.de
