Khun Narin

In Thailand’s Phetchabun Province, Khun Narin heads a fluid collective of psychedelic street performers that bears his name. Drawing equally from Thai wedding traditions and Western alternative rock, the ensemble blends ancient and contemporary instruments into an unrestrained sonic palette. Their shows tend to arise spontaneously at public spots or open-air gatherings, powered by a formidable mobile sound rig.

L.A. producer Josh Marcy first encountered the group in 2013 via casually uploaded online clips. Captivated by the hallucinatory textures, he launched a determined search for the musicians, recruiting Thai-speaking staff from a neighborhood restaurant to translate while he reached out across social platforms. The effort eventually led him to Peter Doolan, an American residing in Bangkok who had also seen the videos and could bridge the introduction.

Marcy journeyed to Thailand and captured an unpolished session that Innovative Leisure issued in 2014 as the full-length album Electric Phin Band. That release earned widespread praise, prompting the follow-up record II two years later.