The Chinese New Year kicks off with the Bangkok return of a chubby monarch’s son and his partner the rapping centaur, a pair better known as Prince Fatty and Horseman.
After all, what could make for a more traditional gallop into the Year of the Horse than heavy doses of afrobeat, disco, reggae and cumbia?
British native Mike “Prince Fatty” Pelanconi is known for his unique and world-renowned reggae and dub production, which under his current moniker emulates 1970s classics with analog recording equipment, while adding an extra dose of tempo to give it a head-bobbing, body-rocking “oomph.”
When not playing instruments, frequent collaborator Horseman rocks the microphone; blessed with a deep, deep, DEEP Rasta voice that is “yang” to Prince’s “yin.” Adding new flavor to classic hip-hop tracks, his signature is showcased on the covers of “Sound of Da Police,” “Baby, I Got Your Money” and of course, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” (which earned a glorious moment on television’s Breaking Bad).
Prince now leads a new label-soundsystem-party-movement-thingy called Tropical Dope. Less than two months after their last event here in Bangkok, a party which practically turned an empty void of a venue into Jamaica II, Prince Fatty and Horseman have come once again to bring “the badddddest party in town” via “no stoned-out dub, just party rhythms all night long,” and with a mission “to take you higher than Tony Montana,” to borrow from their vernacular. The dope gets decidedly tropical along with special guest Ga-Pi beginning at 8pm on Friday night at Cosmic Cafe.
We had the chance to ask them a few questions.
CB: What originally drew you two to Bangkok?
TD: I was sent to Australia once to record for Sony, and on my return I stopped off in Bangkok for a few days and I discovered a new world! I had never experienced anything like it. So we fell in love with each other, and our affair started.
CB: Prince Fatty, you’ve been known to record on vintage analog equipment to keep the flavor of reggae and dub records. Are there any special considerations such as this you take when playing live music?
TD: Yes, I turn up at the airport and am always over the limit with my luggage as my analog equipment is heavy. Somehow I always make it through free of charge. On this trip we got away with it because the guy at check-in was a big fan of Omar Lye-Fook who was traveling with us for the last Tropical Dope party.
CB: Horseman, there’s word that you’ve also came to Bangkok to record a new album. Care to share any details?
TD: Yes of course, me and Prince Fatty are working with Gapi at his studio in Sri Racha. Very inspiring as, while we work, we can see the sea. The spicy food gives us vibes, and the music we are making is off the hook. Fatty wanted me to come here and use Gapi’s amazing collection of vintage ‘70s and ‘80s Japanese keyboards. The original dance-hall sound from the early ‘80s used Casio keyboards. My album shares and updates these influences, as I started out on the sound systems in the ‘80s. As it goes, Gapi is an excellent guitar player, and he knows the reggae feel I am after, so he is playing on the album as well.
CB: Prince Fatty, what are you currently working on?
TD: I have just finished Hollie Cook’s new album and am currently working with Horseman on his music. When I return to my Brighton studio I have my new album ready to mix called “Prince Fatty in the Viper’s Shadow.” This has special guests like Big Youth, Gentlemans Dub Club, Earl 16 and Marcia Griffiths.
CB: You both are widely known for your covers of “Shimmy Shimmy Ya,” “Gin and Juice” and “Insane in the Brain.” Are they any newer hip-hop tracks that you’ve considered covering?
TD: Well, sound system is at the roots of what we do, so yes. We have just done “California Love” by Tupac and “Sound of the Police” by KRS-One so stay tuned, I feel a dance hall version of “P.I.M.P” coming along soon.
CB: What is/are your favorite song(s) at the moment?
TD: Wow, too many to mention, but new artist’s to look out for are Proteje, Chronix and Cian Finn, just to mention a few. Anyone looking to expand the musical horizon should check out Soundway records for the best in Latin and Afro sounds from the past.
CB: Are there any specific artists you take influence from?
TD: Yes, many. Sometimes it’s more of an attitude influence than a direct musical influence. Obviously some of the people that inspire me are mad, so therefore I have to be careful not to take it too far. It’s like method acting, if you have been acting as a ninja all day on set filming, what do you do? Start throwing ninja stars after supper when you get home? I guess I do, so that’s why I get into trouble with music always. At the moment Sly Stone and Rick James are doing it for me.
CB: And what can we expect from the first Tropical Dope event of 2014?
TD: A deep musical journey into the tropics, for me all the best and most exciting music in the world has and is being produced on the equatorial line. From West Africa to the Latin-influenced Caribbean and all the way around the world. Thailand is included in this. The success of the mor lam and Isaan sound for example that people like Zudrangma Records have released have introduced these sounds to a worldwide audience. Often we take what we have on our doorstep for granted, so it takes passion to export these sounds from the past and re-introduce them to a new audience. We are musical archaeologists; and we explore, turn it up loud and roll to the next party.
8pm, Friday, Jan. 31
THB300 entry
Cosmic Cafe, Royal City Avenue, Block C, MRT Petchaburi
