Leng Pleng - Live Music and DJ Gig Guide of Cambodia: Weekly Wrap - Commencing Thursday the 10th September 2015

Sao Paulo, Tokyo, NYC... Phnom Penh!

City gig-goers still have a couple of chances left to catch master percussionist and vocalist Valtinho Anastacio, before he heads off for another far-flung corner of the globe. The Brazilian maestro will be performing at Samai Distillery in Phnom Penh tonight with fellow percussionist Lewis Pragasam and DJ Mr Tenisons. The show will also contain a workshop segment, when members of the audience will have the opportunity to learn percussions with the masters Pragasam and Anastacio. It is not every day that you get the chance to play with a musician who was worked with legendary names like McCoy Tyner, Astrud Gilberto and Eddie van Halen! Valtinho will also be performing a show with Lewis Pragasam and DJ Moto on Friday at The D22, Phnom Penh Tower.

https://soundcloud.com/valtinho-anastacio

Listen to the beautiful music of Valtinho Anastacio on Soundcloud

Music Without Walls, Across Cambodian Borders

J Poulson, pic: CSP Facebook

Wing Commander Poulson of the Cambodian Space Project will be returning to base this Friday night for a rare solo show at The Alley Cat Cafe. Before falling in love with Cambodian psych-rock, Julien Poulson was, in the mid-2000's, the man behind the excellent Tasmanian alternative-rock band The Green Mist (Violent Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie was also a member). First-time visitors to The Alley Cat Cafe looking for live music might be forgiven for thinking they were in the wrong place – the venue is very small and there is no stage. However, the tiny mixing desk hidden behind the bar and the PA speakers mounted high on the ceiling routinely produce some excellent live sounds. 99-99 Arts Group have recently begun a residency on Thursday nights, while this week's Sunday Sundowner Sessions acoustic jam is hosted by the fantastic fusionists Kampot Playboys. The bijou Alleycat Cafe was, as beer-wizened Phnom Penh expats will attest, the venue where the Cambodian Space Project were founded, back in 2009.

The Kampot Playboys: (l-r) Mark, Lee, Chiet, Nget, Kevin, will be rocking

Sharky Bar on Saturday night. pic: Kampot Playboys Facebook

Read the Leng Pleng Q&A with Lafidki

Saphy 'Lafidki' Vong and Jan 'Kinski' Mueller are the two 'mad professors' of the Phnom Penh electronic music scene. Both artists produce amazing sounds from their respective studio bunkers in the back streets of the city. The music of Lafidki is ambient and avant-garde, while Professor Kinski is the brain behind the raggamuffin mash-up music of Dub Addiction. Meta House are putting the two together for an electronic music mini-festival, set to take place this Friday night. Live musicians Anastasia Shepherd (saxophone) and resident Meta House experi-mentalists Electric Universe are also taking part, alongside DJs Mr Brown and Andy Freak. This will be a very creative and extremely cool evening of music.

https://plus.google.com/115830930354475644100

pic: Mayda Miller Google Plus

Mayda Miller is a talented producer, writer, musician (and part-time llama handler) based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her experimental, funky music is produced in collaboration with drummer Michael Bland (who has also worked with Prince and Nick Jonas). As you will see from the music video below, Mayda is an awesome singer and performer. She will be in Cambodia for just a few days, performing a solo show at Sharky Bar on Friday night. You can also catch Mayda Miller at Eluvium Lounge (alongside DJ Mute Speaker) in Phnom Penh on Wednesday.