The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band

By way of the compilations Thai? Dai! (Finders Keepers) and The Sound of Siam (Soundway), molam – a mix of surf, beat, funk, and Thai melodies and dialects – has cropped up in the record cases and playlists of eclectic DJs and bloggers. The man behind both albums is Chris Menist, who in 2009, with DJ partner Maft Sai, began celebrating sixties and seventies groove music in the wandering “Paradise Bangkok” party series. The molam wave spread from Bangkok to Vietnam, Singapore, and Japan, and has reached the shores of England and Europe. This rising molam tide brought with it The Paradise Bangkok Molam Band – the “house band” of the Bangkok parties, which is revitalizing the “Siam sound” as it brings instruments like the phin and khaen up against a hard-grooving rhythm section to send sparks flying.

Before and after the concert: DJ sets with Chris Menist and Maft Sai

The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band is following the concert by The Kilaueas (7 p.m.)