Loso
Encyclopedia
Loso is a Thai rock
band fronted by singer–guitarist–composer Seksan Sukpimai (aka Sek Loso). The band was formed in the mid-1990s in Bangkok
, Thailand
. Its name is derived from a play on hi-so, Thai slang for socialite
s and the upper class
(from English 'high society'), and is meant to reflect the group's humble origins. It is one of the first Thai bands to achieve success on the international music scene, having played festivals, including South By Southwest
and Glastonbury
, and to be produced by a Western
record producer.
bands of the 1990s, Loso was founded by Seksan Sukpimai (b. August 7, 1974 in Nakhon Ratchasima
).
Seksan, the son of an itinerant rice-farming family, moved to Bangkok at age 12 and found work in a shop owned by an aunt, making jewelry. He also worked in a factory that made air conditioners. In 1991, inspired by his favorite artists, including Guns N' Roses
and Carabao
, he saved up enough to buy an inexpensive guitar, learned some chord
s and talked his way onto the stage at one of Bangkok's best-known live-music venues at the time, Austin Pub. Within a year, the 17-year-old singer-guitarist was leading the house band, playing covers
of Thai rock, indie
and pop, as well as Green Day
, Nirvana
, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix
.
to Asanee Chotikul of the popular Thai rock duo Asanee-Wasan
. Called Lo Society, the band's demo tape was released as an album in 1996 on Asanee's indie record label
and distributed by GMM Grammy
, Thailand's biggest record company. It sold 1.5 million copies.
scale), and some selling 3 million copies.
Among the band's most popular songs is "Som Sarn" (Thai
: "ซมซาน" or "Hesitant"), which features an acoustic guitar intro that is widely recognized in Thailand. Another hit was Pantip, with its hook chorus
, "ja mai pai Pantip" ("will not go Pantip" or "I won't go to Pantip"). The song is about a man dating a woman and taking her shopping at World Trade Center, MBK Center
and Siam Square
, but he refuses to take her to Pantip Plaza
because his ex-girlfriend has a shop there.
The band's line up remained stable except for a period where Apirath was replaced by Nattaphon "Klang" Suntharaanu. Klang Loso played bass on the Rock & Roll and Losoland albums and toured with the band. Apirath Loso then returned to bass duties with the band until its demise.
Just about all the band's albums are accompanied by the release of a karaoke
VCD
, featuring music video
s of the songs. Through the music videos and his appearance as pitchman
for the M-150 brand energy drink, Sek Loso, usually wearing sunglasses
, has achieved cultural icon
status in Thailand. He even spoofed his celebrity image with a Sek look-a-like making a cameo appearance
in the 2005
Thai action film
, Tom-Yum-Goong
. The song that accompanies the M-150 commercials, the ballad "Teh Yang Thai" ("เท่อย่างไทย"), is another hit.
star Bird McIntyre
, for the 2004 hit album, Bird Sek. The pair played sold-out concerts at Bangkok's Impact Arena.
Sek, meanwhile, had aspirations beyond the Thai music scene: In Thai music terminology, he wanted to "go inter". He had been reading biographies of his rock idol, Jimi Hendrix
, and decided that to achieve international stardom he needed to go to England as Hendrix had. In 2004, he moved to London and enrolled in an ESOL
school, and after six months of intensive learning, he could speak English with an upper-class
British accent
. He began writing songs in English and placed advertisements in NME
for a bass player and drummer to form a new Loso, auditioning prospects by having them perform the entire Hendrix album, Are You Experienced
.
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So with drummer Eric Lavansch ("Eric Loso") and Anthony Wilson ("Eddie Loso") on bass Sek took his new band to Thailand for a six-month tour. During this tour the band was supported by the Thai band Silly Fools.
With the help of Tim Carr, an American writer and former A&R
executive living in Thailand who had worked with such bands as the Beastie Boys
, Megadeth
, Ash
and Cornershop
, a demo tape
of the band was sent to some producers. The first to respond was Owen Morris
, who had produced albums by Ash, Oasis
and The Verve
. Morris was flown to Thailand by GMM Grammy
to be introduced to Sek. After seeing the band perform before 50,000 people at the Pattaya International Music Festival, Morris was duly impressed. Hitting the studio, Morris produced three songs from the demo album, "I Wish I Could", "I Just Wonder" and "Fly Away", along with "Love Is My Religion" and two "rave-ups" that were improvised and developed in the recording sessions, for Sek's debut English-language album, For God's Sake, which is awaiting release as of December 2006. Sek also recorded some Thai tracks with Owen Morris, "Chun mai sum-oiy" ("ฉันไม่สำออย"), "Karm chun pai korn" ("ข้ามฉันไปก่อน") and a punk version of the earlier hit, "Pantip", which are included in the 2005 compilation, Sek Loso:The Collection.
Owen invited former Oasis member and rhythm guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs to Bangkok to see the band. Bonehead loved the band's sound and ended up playing on some tracks and he also played gigs with the band. Eric and Eddie returned to UK after the recordings were finished for a well earned break with their families. For various reasons Eddie Loso left the band after recording an advert for Yamaha with Sek in London.
Eric went back to Thailand (with new bass player Rob Hudson and Bonehead) to work on the final mixes of the For God's Sake album. In early 2005, the whole crew returned to England to finish the album at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios. There they were invited to play at Glastonbury and the Patti Smith
Meltdown Festival. After finishing the recordings Rob Hudson decided to leave. He didn't want to be away from the UK for lengthy periods required to do the Thai concerts, and subsequently the US tour.
In January and February 2005 Sek took Thai musicians Vorabut Tiaprasert (Tom Loso), Tu Loso and Tok Loso (on rhythm guitar, drums and bass guitar respectively) on a very successful tour in Europe. Back in Thailand they toured during March and April at outdoor venues in Nong Khai, Phuket (where Sek donated his income from the gig for the victims of the December 26, 2004 tsunami), also Krabi, Hat Yai, Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Chumphon. The outdoor concerts also featured Lanna Commins
and Big Ass
. The tour ended in Bangkok at the Hollywood Awards on April 7 to an audience of approximately 150,000 people. Using video footage from nine of the above concerts Thai-TV made a one hour concert show and it was broadcast on May 1.
The band needed a new bassist so Chris Borsberry (a long established friend of Eric from school days and teenage bands) flew out to Bangkok to be "tested" by Sek and the rapport was instant. Sek had met him previously at the Yamaha advert filming. Chris had got the part as the "Evil Guitarist" with the Union Jack guitar. It was pure coincidence as he’d only gone along with Eric to make up numbers and the producers loved his evil look. It was doubtful if Sek or anyone else realized at the time that he could actually play the guitar. So he swapped from six strings to four and Chris was working in the studio the next day. Two days later he was playing with the band at 2005 Bangkok Music Festival in front of a huge audience!
Following the death of his father, Sek released a song in his memory as a limited edition single called Tiger in June 2005. Only 100 copies of Tiger were released along with a bonus CD of songs from the Pattaya International Music Festival. Tiger is also featured on the For God's Sake recordings.
In the summer of 2005 Loso embarked on a heavy schedule of international touring, including appearances at rock festivals including South By Southwest, the Glastonbury Festival and Patti Smith's Meltdown at Royal Festival Hall.
Bonehead left the group after a few gigs during the US leg of the tour. Sek had guitarist Tom Loso flown out from Thailand, who then became a permanent member of the band. Tom is an excellent guitarist in his own right and he isn't just the rhythm player. He played on Sek's newest albums The Collection (2005) and Black & White (2006); he is seen on the karaoke VCD versions of these albums and also on the Bird Sek Live Concert (VCD & DVD July 2004). Bonehead sometimes played with the band as a guest during the remainder of 2005, notably at a concert outside the World Trade Center
in Bangkok on the 20th of December.
The band played their first Middle Eastern concert in Manama
, Bahrain
at the Delmon International Hotel on January 27, 2006.
They appeared in "Sood Chewit Khon Thai", a concert at Impact Arena
on April 25 along with other Thai bands, including Big Ass
, Bodyslam
, Lanna Commins
and Potato
.
Sood Chewit Khon Thai VCD was released in June 2006 and features performances by all the bands.
A new Thai-language album, Black & White, was released in July 2006.
adaptation of the Ramakien
national epic
on July 28–30, 2006 at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York
. Sek was cast in the lead role as Phra Rama, with Noi
of the band Pru
as Hanuman
.
The first night's performance was disrupted by an altercation between Sek and Noi, in which Sek struck Noi on the head with a shoe. The two musicians then grappled with each other and eventually took their fight offstage. A video of altercation was shown on television in Thailand and was later posted to YouTube
. Sek refused to return to the production and Loso rhythm guitarist Tom Loso replaced the frontman as Phra Rama for the remainder of the show.
Other Thai artists participating in Ramakien: A Rak Opera were the band Modern Dog
, the DJ-production duo Photo Sticker Machine, Belgian-Thai singer Palmy, rapper Joey Boy and singer Rik Vachilipilun. New York singer-guitarist Arto Lindsay
also performed.
At some shows the former bassist Rath Loso has played as a guest. He is now the band's bassist for all the Thailand shows. This is because Chris Borsberry played his last Thailand gig at The Sky Club, Srinakarin in Bangkok on October 28, 2006. Chris is still a member of the band and will play in future International shows.
In November, 2006 a DVD & VCD set called 10 Years Rock was released and features 32 karaoke videos.
Thai rock
Thai rock is a genre of rock music from Thailand. The music genre of rock emerged in the 1980s in Thailand and became widely popular in the 1990s. The sub-genre of string and pop rock began to flourish in the 1980s with bands like Asanee-Wasan and Micro...
band fronted by singer–guitarist–composer Seksan Sukpimai (aka Sek Loso). The band was formed in the mid-1990s in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Its name is derived from a play on hi-so, Thai slang for socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
s and the upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
(from English 'high society'), and is meant to reflect the group's humble origins. It is one of the first Thai bands to achieve success on the international music scene, having played festivals, including South By Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
and Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, and to be produced by a Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
record producer.
Beginnings
One of the first popular Thai rockThai rock
Thai rock is a genre of rock music from Thailand. The music genre of rock emerged in the 1980s in Thailand and became widely popular in the 1990s. The sub-genre of string and pop rock began to flourish in the 1980s with bands like Asanee-Wasan and Micro...
bands of the 1990s, Loso was founded by Seksan Sukpimai (b. August 7, 1974 in Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Nakhon Ratchasima or , often shortened to Korat or Khorat , is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand...
).
Seksan, the son of an itinerant rice-farming family, moved to Bangkok at age 12 and found work in a shop owned by an aunt, making jewelry. He also worked in a factory that made air conditioners. In 1991, inspired by his favorite artists, including Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
and Carabao
Carabao (band)
Carabao are a Thai rock band which is very popular in Thailand and other Asian countries. The group was formed in 1976 by university students Yuenyong Opakul and Kirati Promsaka Na Sakon Nakhon who met while studying in the Philippines...
, he saved up enough to buy an inexpensive guitar, learned some chord
Guitar chord
In music, a guitar chord is a chord, or collection of tones usually sounded together at once, played on a guitar. It can be composed of notes played on adjacent or separate strings or all the strings together...
s and talked his way onto the stage at one of Bangkok's best-known live-music venues at the time, Austin Pub. Within a year, the 17-year-old singer-guitarist was leading the house band, playing covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Thai rock, indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
and pop, as well as Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
.
First album
Within a couple years, Sek had written 10 songs. With drummer Kittisak "Yai" Khotkam (b. January 22, 1973) and bassist Apirath "Rath" Sukkhajitr (b. September 20, 1967), Sek recorded the tracks in a night and sent the demo tapeDemo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
to Asanee Chotikul of the popular Thai rock duo Asanee-Wasan
Asanee-Wasan
Asanee-Wasan is a Thai rock band fronted by brothers Asanee "Pom" and Wasan "Toe" Chotikul. Among the band's hits is a 1989 song that puts into verse the lengthy ceremonial name for Bangkok, "Krung Thep Mahanakhon" . The elder brother, Asanee, is known for his guitar solos and his wild, "rock...
. Called Lo Society, the band's demo tape was released as an album in 1996 on Asanee's indie record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and distributed by GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry. Artists on Grammy include Bird McIntyre and Loso...
, Thailand's biggest record company. It sold 1.5 million copies.
Celebrity status
Loso released eight more albums, each selling at least 1 million copies ("platinum" status on the RIAA certificationRIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
scale), and some selling 3 million copies.
Among the band's most popular songs is "Som Sarn" (Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
: "ซมซาน" or "Hesitant"), which features an acoustic guitar intro that is widely recognized in Thailand. Another hit was Pantip, with its hook chorus
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
, "ja mai pai Pantip" ("will not go Pantip" or "I won't go to Pantip"). The song is about a man dating a woman and taking her shopping at World Trade Center, MBK Center
MBK Center
MBK Center, also known as Mahboonkrong , is a large shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. At eight stories high, the center hosts around 2,000 stores and services, including the 4-story Tokyu department store, restaurants and entertainment....
and Siam Square
Siam Square
Siam Square is a shopping and entertainment area in the Siam District of Bangkok, Thailand. The area connects to other shopping centres and links to the other shopping districts by sky bridge, such as Siam Center/Siam Discovery Center, MBK Center, Siam Paragon, Ratchaprasong shopping district and...
, but he refuses to take her to Pantip Plaza
Pantip Plaza
Pantip Plaza is an indoor IT shopping mall located on New Phetchaburi Road in Ratchathewi district, Bangkok, Thailand. The sale of counterfeit software and DVDs is one of the reasons for its success and notoriety.-Trading hours:...
because his ex-girlfriend has a shop there.
The band's line up remained stable except for a period where Apirath was replaced by Nattaphon "Klang" Suntharaanu. Klang Loso played bass on the Rock & Roll and Losoland albums and toured with the band. Apirath Loso then returned to bass duties with the band until its demise.
Just about all the band's albums are accompanied by the release of a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
, featuring music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s of the songs. Through the music videos and his appearance as pitchman
Testimonial
In promotion and of advertising, a testimonial or show consists of a written or spoken statement, sometimes from a person figure, sometimes from a private citizen, extolling the virtue of some product. The term "testimonial" most commonly applies to the sales-pitches attributed to ordinary...
for the M-150 brand energy drink, Sek Loso, usually wearing sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
, has achieved cultural icon
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
status in Thailand. He even spoofed his celebrity image with a Sek look-a-like making a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the 2005
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
Thai action film
Cinema of Thailand
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the early days of filmmaking, when King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by Francois-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, where it was exhibited...
, Tom-Yum-Goong
Tom-Yum-Goong
Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, is a 2005 Thai Martial arts Action film starring Tony Jaa. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai...
. The song that accompanies the M-150 commercials, the ballad "Teh Yang Thai" ("เท่อย่างไทย"), is another hit.
Going solo
After the release of the 2002 live album Loso Concert, Loso broke up, with Sek Loso becoming a solo act. Kittisak and Apirath formed a new band, Fahrenheit. Sek released his debut solo album, 7 August, in 2003 and duetted with veteran string and luk thungLuk thung
Luk Thung refers to the most popular form of a style of music found in Thailand. The term is short for pleng luk thung .Luk Thung songs typically reflect the hardship of everyday life among the rural poor. Tempos tend to be slow, and singers use an expressive singing style with a lot of vibrato...
star Bird McIntyre
Bird McIntyre
Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre is a Thai pop singer who released his debut album in 1986. He is also sometimes known as Bird Thongchai, Pe Bird or simply Bird....
, for the 2004 hit album, Bird Sek. The pair played sold-out concerts at Bangkok's Impact Arena.
Sek, meanwhile, had aspirations beyond the Thai music scene: In Thai music terminology, he wanted to "go inter". He had been reading biographies of his rock idol, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and decided that to achieve international stardom he needed to go to England as Hendrix had. In 2004, he moved to London and enrolled in an ESOL
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
school, and after six months of intensive learning, he could speak English with an upper-class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
British accent
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
. He began writing songs in English and placed advertisements in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
for a bass player and drummer to form a new Loso, auditioning prospects by having them perform the entire Hendrix album, Are You Experienced
Are You Experienced (album)
Are You Experienced is the debut album by English/American rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Released in 1967, it was the first LP for Track Records...
.
The new Loso
With the help of Tim Carr, an American writer and former A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
executive living in Thailand who had worked with such bands as the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Ash
Ash (band)
Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
and Cornershop
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
, a demo tape
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of the band was sent to some producers. The first to respond was Owen Morris
Owen Morris
Owen Morris is a music producer who has worked with rock bands such as Oasis, The Fratellis, The View and The Verve.He started working in the music industry as a sound engineer at Spaceward Studio in Cambridge when he was 16. He continued as an engineer until 1994 when he started producing some...
, who had produced albums by Ash, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
and The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
. Morris was flown to Thailand by GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy
GMM Grammy Public Company Limited is the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand. It claims a 70% share of the Thai entertainment industry. Artists on Grammy include Bird McIntyre and Loso...
to be introduced to Sek. After seeing the band perform before 50,000 people at the Pattaya International Music Festival, Morris was duly impressed. Hitting the studio, Morris produced three songs from the demo album, "I Wish I Could", "I Just Wonder" and "Fly Away", along with "Love Is My Religion" and two "rave-ups" that were improvised and developed in the recording sessions, for Sek's debut English-language album, For God's Sake, which is awaiting release as of December 2006. Sek also recorded some Thai tracks with Owen Morris, "Chun mai sum-oiy" ("ฉันไม่สำออย"), "Karm chun pai korn" ("ข้ามฉันไปก่อน") and a punk version of the earlier hit, "Pantip", which are included in the 2005 compilation, Sek Loso:The Collection.
Owen invited former Oasis member and rhythm guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs to Bangkok to see the band. Bonehead loved the band's sound and ended up playing on some tracks and he also played gigs with the band. Eric and Eddie returned to UK after the recordings were finished for a well earned break with their families. For various reasons Eddie Loso left the band after recording an advert for Yamaha with Sek in London.
Eric went back to Thailand (with new bass player Rob Hudson and Bonehead) to work on the final mixes of the For God's Sake album. In early 2005, the whole crew returned to England to finish the album at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios. There they were invited to play at Glastonbury and the Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
Meltdown Festival. After finishing the recordings Rob Hudson decided to leave. He didn't want to be away from the UK for lengthy periods required to do the Thai concerts, and subsequently the US tour.
In January and February 2005 Sek took Thai musicians Vorabut Tiaprasert (Tom Loso), Tu Loso and Tok Loso (on rhythm guitar, drums and bass guitar respectively) on a very successful tour in Europe. Back in Thailand they toured during March and April at outdoor venues in Nong Khai, Phuket (where Sek donated his income from the gig for the victims of the December 26, 2004 tsunami), also Krabi, Hat Yai, Thung Song, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Chumphon. The outdoor concerts also featured Lanna Commins
Lanna Commins
Lanna Commins is a Thai singer. She is the daughter of an Australian father and Thai mother, Soontaree Vechanont, who is a notable folk singer in Thailand. She spent her early years in Malaysia and Australia, before finally settling down in Chiang Mai, Thailand...
and Big Ass
Big Ass
Big Ass is a Thai rock band. It was originally a pop rock band but the music moved toward hardcore punk in some of the band's recent works. Big Ass latest release is Love, their sixth album.-History:...
. The tour ended in Bangkok at the Hollywood Awards on April 7 to an audience of approximately 150,000 people. Using video footage from nine of the above concerts Thai-TV made a one hour concert show and it was broadcast on May 1.
The band needed a new bassist so Chris Borsberry (a long established friend of Eric from school days and teenage bands) flew out to Bangkok to be "tested" by Sek and the rapport was instant. Sek had met him previously at the Yamaha advert filming. Chris had got the part as the "Evil Guitarist" with the Union Jack guitar. It was pure coincidence as he’d only gone along with Eric to make up numbers and the producers loved his evil look. It was doubtful if Sek or anyone else realized at the time that he could actually play the guitar. So he swapped from six strings to four and Chris was working in the studio the next day. Two days later he was playing with the band at 2005 Bangkok Music Festival in front of a huge audience!
Following the death of his father, Sek released a song in his memory as a limited edition single called Tiger in June 2005. Only 100 copies of Tiger were released along with a bonus CD of songs from the Pattaya International Music Festival. Tiger is also featured on the For God's Sake recordings.
In the summer of 2005 Loso embarked on a heavy schedule of international touring, including appearances at rock festivals including South By Southwest, the Glastonbury Festival and Patti Smith's Meltdown at Royal Festival Hall.
Bonehead left the group after a few gigs during the US leg of the tour. Sek had guitarist Tom Loso flown out from Thailand, who then became a permanent member of the band. Tom is an excellent guitarist in his own right and he isn't just the rhythm player. He played on Sek's newest albums The Collection (2005) and Black & White (2006); he is seen on the karaoke VCD versions of these albums and also on the Bird Sek Live Concert (VCD & DVD July 2004). Bonehead sometimes played with the band as a guest during the remainder of 2005, notably at a concert outside the World Trade Center
CentralWorld
CentralWorld is a shopping plaza and complex in Bangkok, Thailand. It is the third largest shopping complex in the world. The complex, which includes a hotel and office tower, is owned by Central Pattana...
in Bangkok on the 20th of December.
The band played their first Middle Eastern concert in Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
at the Delmon International Hotel on January 27, 2006.
They appeared in "Sood Chewit Khon Thai", a concert at Impact Arena
Impact Arena
IMPACT Muang Thong Thani is a complex consisting of an arena, convention center and exhibition hall in suburban Bangkok, Thailand. It is located in Amphoe Pak Kret, Nonthaburi Province....
on April 25 along with other Thai bands, including Big Ass
Big Ass
Big Ass is a Thai rock band. It was originally a pop rock band but the music moved toward hardcore punk in some of the band's recent works. Big Ass latest release is Love, their sixth album.-History:...
, Bodyslam
Bodyslam (band)
Bodyslam is a Thai rock band. The band is best known by the unique voice of the leading vocal, Athiwara Khongmalai, and the band's live performance. As of 2010, Bodyslam has released five albums, the latest one is Kraam.-History:...
, Lanna Commins
Lanna Commins
Lanna Commins is a Thai singer. She is the daughter of an Australian father and Thai mother, Soontaree Vechanont, who is a notable folk singer in Thailand. She spent her early years in Malaysia and Australia, before finally settling down in Chiang Mai, Thailand...
and Potato
Potato (band)
Potato is a Thai rock band.The band won numerous awards for their popularity in Thailand. They released their fourth album, Sense, in 2007, and their fifth, Circle, in 2008.- History :...
.
Sood Chewit Khon Thai VCD was released in June 2006 and features performances by all the bands.
A new Thai-language album, Black & White, was released in July 2006.
Incident in Ramakien: A Rak Opera
Sek Loso was among an all-star cast of Thai artists performing a rock operaRock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
adaptation of the Ramakien
Ramakien
The Ramakian is Thailand's national epic, derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana....
national epic
National epic
A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation; not necessarily a nation-state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with aspirations to independence or autonomy...
on July 28–30, 2006 at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Sek was cast in the lead role as Phra Rama, with Noi
Krissada Terrence
Krissada Terrence. is a Thai-American pop singer and actor. He is member of the Thai pop band Pru...
of the band Pru
Pru (Thai band)
Pru is a Thai pop band that formed in 2001 in Bangkok. It was the winner of the favorite artist for Thailand at the 2002 MTV Asia Awards.-Members:* Krissada Sukosol Clapp - Vocals...
as Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
.
The first night's performance was disrupted by an altercation between Sek and Noi, in which Sek struck Noi on the head with a shoe. The two musicians then grappled with each other and eventually took their fight offstage. A video of altercation was shown on television in Thailand and was later posted to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Sek refused to return to the production and Loso rhythm guitarist Tom Loso replaced the frontman as Phra Rama for the remainder of the show.
Other Thai artists participating in Ramakien: A Rak Opera were the band Modern Dog
Modern Dog
Modern Dog is a Thai rock band, formed in 1992. They issued their first album in 1994, selling 500,000 copies. The band has issued five studio albums, selling a total of 2 million copies....
, the DJ-production duo Photo Sticker Machine, Belgian-Thai singer Palmy, rapper Joey Boy and singer Rik Vachilipilun. New York singer-guitarist Arto Lindsay
Arto Lindsay
Arthur Morgan Lindsay is an American guitarist, singer, record producer and experimental composer. He is a 1974 graduate of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida....
also performed.
September 2006 onwards
The band are continuing to tour around Thailand to promote the new album Black & White.At some shows the former bassist Rath Loso has played as a guest. He is now the band's bassist for all the Thailand shows. This is because Chris Borsberry played his last Thailand gig at The Sky Club, Srinakarin in Bangkok on October 28, 2006. Chris is still a member of the band and will play in future International shows.
In November, 2006 a DVD & VCD set called 10 Years Rock was released and features 32 karaoke videos.
Loso
- Lo Society (1996)
- Lo Society Bonus Tracks (1996)
- Redbike Story (1997) (movie soundtrack)
- Entertainment (1998)
- Best of Loso (CD 1999)
- Rock & Roll (2000)
- Losoland (2001)
- The Red Album (August 2001)
- Best of Loso (Karaoke VCD, 2001)
- Loso Concert For Friends (VCD 2002)
Sek Loso
- 7 August (April 2003)
- Bird Sek (June 2004) with Bird McIntyreBird McIntyreThongchai "Bird" McIntyre is a Thai pop singer who released his debut album in 1986. He is also sometimes known as Bird Thongchai, Pe Bird or simply Bird....
- Bird Sek Live Concert (VCD & DVD July 2004) with Bird McIntyreBird McIntyreThongchai "Bird" McIntyre is a Thai pop singer who released his debut album in 1986. He is also sometimes known as Bird Thongchai, Pe Bird or simply Bird....
Live performance at the Impact Arena, Bangkok with Bird McIntyre & Palmy - Tiger (June 2005, a CD single, in English)
- For God's Sake (English language, Digital Download on the iTunes Store, 2007)
- Sek Loso: The Collection (June 2005)
- Sood Chewit Khon Thai (VCD June 2006) Live performance at the Impact Arena, Bangkok on April 25, 2006 (Also features Big Ass, Bodyslam, Lanna Commins and Potato)
- Black & White (July 26, 2006)
- 10 Years Rock Vol.1 (VCD November, 2006)
- 10 Years Rock Vol.2 (VCD November, 2006)
- 10 Years Rock (DVD November, 2006)
- Sek - Album Sek Loso (May 28, 2009)
- The 12 years Jai Sung Mah Concert Live performance (June, 2009)
- Micro Concert with Sek Loso and Big Ass
- Sek Loso - Forever Love Hits. Best-Of 16 Love Songs (CD + Karaoke VCD Feb. 24,2010)
- Sek Loso - Plus (June 2010) CD + VCD, with guests Marsha, Da Endorphine, Khan Thaitanium, Nui Amporn Lampoon & Micro, Dax Big Ass, Toon Bodyslam.
- Sek Loso US Tour 2011 Dates & Venues: August 13-Dallas, Texas @ The Granada Theater; August 14-Brooks, California @ Cache Creek Casino; August 17-Los Angeles, California @ Vanguard Night Club; August 19-Minneapolis, Minnesota @ Myth the Nightclub; August 20-Fresno, California @ Paul Paul Theatre (Fresno Fairground); August 21-Washington, D.C. @ Lisner Auditorium of George Washington University