where the ocean meets the rainforest
in the season of winds when its best not to dance under the rhythm of falling coconuts
lying on a fluffy communal chill-bed with my head in the wide curtain of hanging shells
and its surround sound fx in the strong breeze
on Koh Chang, the Elephant Isle everything has its own slow pace,
its very easy to be lazy in the heat of the day
but at night it comes alive with the competing sounds of bad house music set on repeat and all the "DJs" using the same cheap compilation cds that everyone else on Koh Chang has
for the thais on the island its just more "same same" foreigner junk.
except it shouldnt be because its mostly the worst kind of western nightclub attitude and behaviour that i see in europe except its every night
so how could i make a difference?
obviously by respect for the island, its dwellers and their new culture here.
but this island culture was born and shaped changed by western cash.
respect for the island-dwellers sick of same same.
so i start by creating my own set and setting in
magic garden, the extraordinary bungalow village/chillspace that is the
vision of Marcus Schultz (full photo report coming soon) is not quite finished.
in fact the large bungalow area surrounding the power lounge has been a
loud, busy construction area with happy thai & cambodian workers and we have the only finished show bungalow (more are ready by the time you read this)
so instead of running around selling my self to all the hangouts & bars to try and please a drunken western audience with no sense of music appreciation i set up daytime sound in the middle of the construction site where a thai smile or dance is worth so much more to me than artistic death by house music Smile
and i explain to people that the music i bring is not only cheap western drinking music...
but a synergy of global musical influences, ethnomorph & celebration of spirituality & life, art & humanity this is what the island could & should become it could evolve beyond mere party culture and become something richer, deeper & worthy of the intense beauty of this place where monkeys come and tree-chill to reggae music, & geckos lurk on the walls everywhere & laugh their lizard laughs at sweaty tourists.
Marcus can not choose his customers but i hope & pray his Magic Garden attracts the
kind of life-affirming, artistic souls that he knows from events like rainbow gatherings and burning man.
who will save Koh Chang?
www.magicgardenthailand.com
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artistic
devious
