Australian hip hop group Astronomy Class are back in the Kingdom to perform with singer Srey Channthy for the first time since the road trip that inspired the Khmer rock-infused 2014 album Mekong Delta Sunrise.
After partaking in a bumpy, cross-country taxi ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap with Khmer rock classics blaring non-stop for six hours straight, one of two consequences is likely to occur: either you’ll develop an involuntary eye-twitch upon the mere mention of the Golden Era, or form a deep appreciation and love of that catchy sound and the legends behind it. Luckily for us, Australian hip hop group Astronomy Class embraced their colourful 2012 road trip with keen ears and creative foresight to produce their 2014 Khmer rock-infused album, Mekong Delta Sunrise, a collaboration with Cambodian Space Project vocalist, Srey Channthy.
MC Ozi Batla explains, “While we were in Cambodia, we linked with the Klap Ya Handz crew who turned us on to a whole lot more amazing music, and we began writing songs inspired by those classic tunes. We felt we needed an authentic Khmer voice on there, so we reached out to Srey Channthy and the rest is history.”
The album features songs that touch upon a variety of topical, often controversial, issues. The Whitehouse of Kissinger and Nixon disparages US policies in the war that contributed to the rise of the Khmer Rouge, while the “dark side” of tourism is highlighted by title track Mekong Delta Sunrise, in which Ozi Batla rhymes: “Pontoon chorus line fighting over scumbags / Madame in the background with a knife in her bumbag.”
Concerning this particular song, Batla remains ostensibly unphased by the risk of receiving backlash for finger-pointing at local landmarks.
“Hopefully, that song will be taken in the spirit it was intended,” he says. “It is a tongue-in-cheek look at Phnom Penh nightlife, based on observations and some creative interpretations. This is the first time we have been back as a band, but Channthy tells us the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Further abroad, the band’s most well-loved track from the album is the satirical Four Barang In A Tuk-Tuk. Following its 2014 release, the song made Australian radio history by becoming the most frequently rotated song by a Khmer singer on the national youth radio station Triple J. The song, in which Channthy is “basically dissing the barang who get drunk and fall over in the streets” uses comical lyrics and a catchy tune to address an issue which the band members take quite seriously.
“The general attitude from tourists that ‘anything goes’ is the most embarrassing thing,” says Batla. “Having grown up in a tourist town, I’ve seen how travelers can conveniently forget they are going wild in someone’s home.”
Although Four Barang In A Tuk-Tuk may have received the most international acclaim, Batla’s personal favourite on the album is Woman Wants To Drink, written by Srey Channthy.
“I really love [the song],” says Batla. “It’s one of the first songs Channthy has ever written basically on her own, and she nailed it. It’s such a nice contrast between her ‘sweet but sour’ delivery and [my] pseudo-lecherous baritone. The song, according to Thy, is partly autobiographical. It tells the story of a young woman from the village going out in Phnom Penh on her own, and the judgements and assumptions she faces for doing so. Channthy is a staunch advocate of women’s rights, and her own journey has informed that a great deal.”
Playing for the first time in Cambodia since the trip that catalysed Mekong Delta Sunrise, Batla hopes that audiences will not only be entertained by the performance, but will additionally take away the key, positive messages which flow through the album.
“[It’s a record] that has a strong female Khmer voice, exercises freedom of speech and embraces international cooperation; three things that should define modern Cambodia.”
Astronomy Class will perform with Srey Channthy for one night only at 8:30pm on Saturday April 18 at The Mansion – FCC. Mekong Delta Sunrise will be available at the show on CD, vinyl and cassette. $5 entry