All Aboard the Spiked Gravy Train

Cambodia dances to its own tune…

Whilst true in most facets of life, it reverberates loudest musically (no pun intended).

As the ravages of COVID-19 subside to a bad memory, it is heartening the toll on Phnom Penh’s effervescent music scene has been minimal. Since those halcyon days, as the late 50s bloomed into the 60s only to meet with such a vile and contemptuous fate in the 70s, Phnom Penh has always had its musical seeds planted in fertile ground. How could it not? The legacy of those times, when music and culture were celebrated and encouraged under the then King Norodom Sihanouk still resonates in the present. It’s not possible to tread the streets of the capital without hearing the dulcet tones Sinn Sisamouth or Pen Ran emanating from a café, restaurant, or home. It is a legacy that does the country, and its people, proud.

In the recent past, those roots were celebrated, reinvented, and reimagined. Now though, modern recording techniques and youthful mashups have reinvigorated Cambodia’s music scene, providing a much-needed shot in the arm. Personnel, styles, trends, and venues change, but that desire to create, explore, and push the boundaries of sound remains. This has never been more pronounced than now.

Phnom Penh is currently home to a plethora of talent unmatched at any time since the pre-Khmer Rouge 70s. On the local scene, artists like VannDa are taking Cambodia on its first major hip-hop journey while the international scene has reached a rare peak. There has always been an eclectic mix of artists that have thrown up reinventions of the 60s sound, including the unique and always engaging international Khmer-led DengueFever. Dub Addiction and Vibratone venture into reggae (there have always been strong connections between the traditional music of the Mekong region and reggae, but, for now, hold that thought… it may be the subject of a future article).

Music needs transition, this is how it grows. Without that, we’d all be sitting around listening to flutes in a cultural wasteland. Right now there is a new musical dawn here, based more on looking forward than back, and that sun is rapidly rising.

Fresh to the Scene

On the advice of a friend, I went to a concert last week at Sunset Boulevard, a relatively new establishment on Street 460 near the junction with Street 163.  It’s a classy establishment in its own right and well worth a visit for its décor and general ambiance. The musical fare on this particular evening was provided by two new combos, Skin & Strings and Spiked Gravy. Following inspirational sets by both bands, my interest suitably piqued by the sounds on offer, I set out to learn more.

Spiked Gravy has only been active for about a year, although the individuals that form the collaboration have been on the scene in various incarnations since their arrivals in Cambodia. They made their debut as an outfit at Oscar’s on the Corner on Jan 16^th, 2021, and have subsequently gone through a number of changes in personnel since being formed by Arone Silverman and Ricky Haldemann. They now boast a new bassist named Amed.

As the music suggests, the band members are from varied backgrounds, with vocalist and guitarist Silverman from the USA, drummer Haldemann from Switzerland, and recent arrival Amed from Cuba. They occupy the same musical space known historically as a power trio that is often synonymous with virtuoso players. This goes back to the Jimi Hendrix Experience and forms an impressive arc through Blue Cheer, ZZ Top, and Rush, to Motörhead, Nirvana, and Placebo. This is before you delve into the jazz incarnations of this form. (If your first thought upon hearing the words ‘power-trio’ was Green Day, Blink-182 or Muse, then you can see yourself out)

In that tradition, as De La Soul might say, three is the magic number, Jack White would approve. Seeing them play for the first time it becomes immediately apparent that these are some seriously talented musicians. It switched between jazz, funk, Latino, and rock – and that’s in the first three minutes. It sounds excessive, but the rhythm keeps it focused and on point. The set continues apace, eclectic, and always holds the interest of the appreciative audience. The styles switch and slide, never allowing you into a comfort zone but also fitting like an old favorite pair of shoes you can’t give up on. The influences can’t be defined. Just as you think it’s settling into some math-rock vibe, the funk comes to the fore. Even the most ardent musical polymath would be tied in knots trying to figure it out.

The magic behind the mic

Impressed, I set about learning more and sat in on a rehearsal a few days later.

Talks with the lads, focused on their collective musical influences, backgrounds, and aspirations, just how far, and in what direction, are they planning to take this? And that name…

The amicable guys share a musical vision. As Silverman puts it: “At this point, it’s about pushing the music as far as we can take it. I’m very selective about the musicians I will work with, and am somewhat blessed to have hooked up with Ricky.”

Whilst the band harks back to the days of psychedelic experimentation and jazz improvision, this creates a mere backdrop to a modern sound that draws influence across styles and cultures. Silverman also has lofty ambitions to establish a musicians institute in Phnom Penh based upon the Hollywood version inaugurated in 1977 with the same moniker. Watch this space…

Haldemann says that he stopped playing drums for 15 years and just reconnected with the instrument that he started playing at the age of 10. It had “become too much like hard work and was time-consuming”, he said. This period did include a brief stint with a Phuket-based blues-rock band. Fortunately, he is back behind the kit again, bringing his Billy Cobham and John Bonham-influenced beats to SpikedGravy.

Bassist Amed is a Cuban national new to Phnom Penh and the latest recruit to SpikedGravy. He likes to be known as Amed BASS. With his fluid skills across the six-string bass he plays, it is easy to comply. His style is groomed in Cuban jazz, blues, and funk bands. We had a brief chat about the penchant for bass players in Asia to play five and six-string instruments, as opposed to the more traditional four-string version.

Asked about their aspirations and the possibility of recording material drew an unexpected response. Haldeman noted: “Often, bands rush to the studio to record before they are ready, and this shows in the end result. Right now we are all about the stage and honing performance.”

Silverman, who plays in several local bands, agrees, stressing the key, for now, is to “break boundaries musically and push the band as far as possible”. It’s clear he has a real love for performance that drives his superlative and unique guitar style.

Undefinable style

SpikedGravy sees itself as modern jazz fusion tinged with acid jazz and funk. This hybrid is rhythmically and sonically quite unique.

So, to that name then. “Spiked” conjures images of the legendary exploits of the Merry Pranksters in 1960″s America, and “Gravy” is synonymous with the jazz fusion that predated it. 

We discuss the comradery between the new bands. They’re all supportive and attend each other’s concerts and the like. That little touch of competitive yet friendly mutual inspiration between this current young crop of musicians may light the touch paper for a new, Cambodian-based musical genre.

SpikedGravy can be seen live at Oscar’s on the Corner this Saturday, May 7th with Japan Guitar Shop also on the bill (free entry). It is their last show until June at least. The setlist “changes with the seasons”, as they say, as do the interpretations of the current tracks. Give yourself an aural treat and board this Gravy Train…

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Letters and pixels by Pan – Photography website (under-development) live at www.pan-photo.asia

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