Cambodian Space Project
Cambodian Space Project played at End Of The Road Festival 2011.
Fronted by Khmer Starlette Srey Thy, The Cambodian Space Project has taken the Kingdom of Cambodia by storm. In just a short space in time, CSP has toured in Europe, Asia, and most recently Australia. The band is presently touring China for the first time and has been invited to attend the South By South West Festival in Austin Texas, as well as other major European festivals later this year.
In Australia, the normally tight-lipped, arts philanthropist David Walsh remarked “Cambodian Space Project? they’re a personal high-light” - at Mona Foma festival 2011. Indeed, Srey Channthy and her cross-culture band has been turning heads - from the rock clubs of Paris to the mountains of Mondulkiri with performances that have her unique Khmer vocals suspended above a psychedelic mix of 60’s Cambodian rock songs and re-workings of traditional songs from the rice fields of Cambodia.
Srey Thy grew up in war and poverty. Life hasn’t been easy, she has worked all manner of hard jobs but has always dreamed of becoming a professional
singer. For many years she worked the Karaoke clubs of Phnom Penh.
In 2009, Thy’s luck changed, she met Autralian music producer Julien Poulson who was in Cambodia making a music documentary, on master Kong Nay (Srey Channthy’s teacher). Poulson was struck by Thy’s talent as a singer and performer after hearing her rendition of Peggy Lee’s Johnny Guitar, and asked her to join him in singing a few more songs at a friends bar. One week later, the diminutive diva arrived on the back of a moto, clinging to two dog-eared song books of her favourites, carefully hand written in Khmer script.
Thy sang her heart out for a small audience of mostly Poulson’s musician friends and before the night was over, The Cambodian Space Project was born and already taking off. Today, The Cambodian Space Project is touring the world and is set to release its debut album through Metal Postcard Records based in Hong Kong. The album titled 2011: A Space Oddyssey - is a cracker, sure to be a hit with anyone into the pych-rock-surf sounds captured on the CSP’s debut.
Listen to Cambodian Space Project:
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