Alban Sciascia - Nationality: French

PhD candidate and researcher in politics with focus in conflict in South East Asia/United States, previously lived in Bangkok for 3 months and currently resides in Yogyakarta.
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W: Thailand has always been a considered a peaceful place. People go about living with no fear. But all order broke loose and mayhem occurred during April – May. What do you think are the roots of this conflict?

A: The first thing I can say is perhaps that I’m not really surprised by the events of April-May 2010. Since several years, tensions increased between two main clans, the Bangkok society and the rest of the country. If the red people are often considered as coming from Issan area, they can count on more supporters from other regions of Thailand. The Bangkok society – symbolized by the yellow – then multicolored – shirts always seems to be oblivious about the reality that the rest of the country have to face. Election of Thaksin was considered as a change for countryside people. We all know what happened after that.

Concerning the roots, we can talk about the dissimilar economic development known in Thailand, the increase of poverty – without any real public policy for countryside people, etc. But I remember an editorial on the web version of the Bangkok Post. The journalist ask in his article on “What is the real meaning of being Thai?” Since years, successive governments try to develop what they called “Thai-ness”, trying to create and consolidate a national identity and unity which is totally artificial. In his article the journalist asked: don’t we see that there’s no much different than a man from Issan than a man from Bangkok? In southern Thailand, Thai people leaving in South Islands have more in common with farang (foreigners) than with people of Chiang Mai. And what about people in Pattani and Yala province? This situation – I hope you won’t take the wrong way – made me draw a parallel with the Indonesian unity: a central power centered on one kind pf population who owns the political power (Bangkok Society/Javanese Society) and several ethnicity/populations who are politically ruled by a central power who develop different aspirations concerning policy making and populations needs.

Of course, like in Indonesia, Thailand unity has been “protected” by nationalist politics and reference to an emblematic leader (The King of Thailand). Last, but not least, the different parties who struggle for power in Bangkok has surely played a huge role.

W: A lot of floating terms are coining the situation as a civil war, would you considered it to be so?

A: It depends on what we refer as civil war. Of course, we have seen urban battles scenarios during the riots.

W: What are the effects of the riot towards maintaining and enhancing a secure community in Tha iland as well as in the Asia-Pacific region?

A: The violence of the riots surprised a lot of observers. I remember how the information was treated by western medias. Of course, they all sell Thailand as the perfect destination for tourism. During first days, they did not talk about what happened. I remember that I received more accurate information from a friend in Bangkok who sent me a lot of pictures of the riots and the army deployment in Silom. It was totally different with what I can see on CNN, BBC or LCI (French Information Channel).

I think that the main consequence for Asia Pacific region was the increase of tourists in Indonesia and Malaysia. We can take the example of Bali, who became the great winner of the Thai riots.

To get back on a political perspective, a lot of observers have been surprised. indeed, Thailand still is considered as one of the more stable country of the area (as Vietnam and Singapore). For the Thai secure community, you can go back to my first answer: unity of the country has been hit hard.

Concerning other consequences, the effects could be a decrease of foreign investments in Thailand ( Malaysia and Vietnam could win a lot on this side), a loss of trust for Thailand partners. On a security view, effects are limited. Even the Southern insurgents in Thailand stayed quiet during the riots. I don’t think the security balance of the area could be really by the events. If the enhancing of a secure community in Asia Pacific is a long process, it is not really disturbed by internals problems. In my opinion, regular tensions between Indonesia and Malaysia are more threatening events.

The thought of hearing Ucok Harahap’s shriek of hedonism, Harry Roesli and his gang’s jabs at the government or the screams of Deddy Dores in Freedom of Rhapsodia on a Now-Again produced record (and indirectly, Stones Throw) is surreal yet definitely exciting.Not least because Now-Again’s parent label have been releasing alternative, progressive, quirky and forward thinking hip-hop (not to mention spaced out jazz, retro soul, boogie funk, electro-hop, and prog rock) for over 10 years now with proof in the form of Madlib and his many guises, Mayer Hawthorne’s motown-era soul, the nu-prog of Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez Lopez, J Dilla’s magnum-opus ‘Donuts’ and Dam-Funk’s Toeachizown boogie-funk series to name a few.

While Now-Again themselves have released ‘new’ records from funkateers and post hip-hop heads such as The Heliocentrics, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Mr.Chop, Dimlite and the Whitefield Brothers, heir audio and visual work on compilation re-issues and re-packaging is perhaps what they’re best known for.The meticulous research and great artwork that goes into gems such as Forge Your Own Chains -Heavy Psychedelic Ballads and Dirges 1968-1974, Calfornia Funk,
P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble – Winter Winds and Black Man’s Cry – The Inspiration of Fela Kuti makes the prospect of an Indonesian compilation an intriguing one.

Whiteboard Journal recently sent Egon a few questions with regards to his role in Stones Throw, his visions for Now-Again and a little chitchat about Indonesian records as well as the up coming compilation.

E: Well, I’m not sure if I was ever “head of A&R.” That was a hotly contested title with, at points, Madlib, myself and Jeff Jank wearing the title for some weeks or maybe months. Chris Manak, also known as the DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, who founded and owns Stones Throw is the head of A&R at Stones Throw – he most loves and is passionate about artistic development.So, in the past, where Madlib might have been on a streak for six months where he just did anything he wanted to do, or if Jeff went in and re-edited J.Dilla’s “Donuts” album, Wolf has always been the boss.

Stones Throw, although it’s been accommodating of other artistic preferences over the years, is solely Chris’. Now the administrative side – Chris will tell you he has little care for any of that! So when I first came on, even though I was tasked with, say, the Breakestra’s album or putting together The Funky 16 Corners, I always had free reign to set up the business as I saw fit, as long as I didn’t bother anyone or lose any money. Thank god for that, or we would have ended up like Factory Records or something like that. I guess I just have a knack for it. Or I was able to make enough mistakes when no one was looking or paying attention and thankfully learn from those mistakes!

Tell me about the reason why you established Now-Again records. How does it differ to the work you do for Stones Throw?

E: I started Now-Again to focus on the reissues I had been working on since I was in college; in 2001 Madlib had basically taken a long break from making hip hop music, Wolf was focusing on his Dj-ing and we weren’t signing many acts, and Stones Throw was in danger of releasing only records I’d marked for reissue.

Both Wolf and Jeff were a bit upset with this – not because they didn’t respect the music, but because they didn’t want Stones Throw to be known as a reissue label. I guess I didn’t either – but I was, being the business guy, being pragmatic. We needed records coming out to fill our release schedule.

2003 saw the launch of the book ‘Where is Silas’ to which he contributed 15 pages of drawings. His signature style, of course can be seen in a veggie-filled Tales From Greenfuzz series of comics and its attendant toys, plus his Concept label, Alakazam, which range from graphics tees, prints and accessories.We recently had the opportunity to do an interview with Will, asked him about various topics and find out more about the person behind the drawings.

Interview with Will Sweeney.

Being raised in an art oriented family, did you always know that you will end up taking this kind of path of a career?

WS: No – I wanted to make it in a band till I was about 17, but it sort of became apparent to me that this wouldn’t happen overnight and I had better do something productive in the meantime…so I went to art college as many great musicians have done in the past…Whilst studying in Liverpool I became more confident in my drawing skills and decided to try and get into the Royal College of Art to do an MA. I got in and once I was there, met people who inspired me to really focus on my work and it became an obsession.

The early days of Silas & Maria was a different entity altogether and you’re an integral part of that. What was it like back then?

WS: Oh the good old days! Yes it was interesting and inspiring, it felt great to be a part of that group of people and to be involved in something that was definitely very English – for years many people in the UK were following US alternative culture, indie bands, grunge bands, skate culture..hip hop.

I was also really inspired by the other artists, who I really looked up to – Fergus Purcell, James Jarvis, Ben Sansbury & Lizzie Finn, their styles were very diverse but cohesive and it added up to a fantastic group of artists. I didn’t realise how big the following for Silas was until we went to Japan for The ‘Where Is Silas‘ show at Parco museum.

Your professional work spans from being an illustrator, graphic designer, art director and even entrepreneur. But what do you consider yourself primarily as?

WS: I don’t consider myself a graphic designer or an entrepreneur, I’m an art director in only the most rudimentary sense…I suppose I’m an artist, I used to be more of an illustrator – working more to a brief for other people. Now I tend to illustrate my own ideas!

You’ve seemed to have built a close relation with fellow artist, Susumu Mukai in your projects. How did the relation develop?

WS: We met at The RCA, Su was a fairly mysterious figure then (he still is to some extent) he would rarely come into college but the glimpses that I had of his work

convinced me that he was into similar surrealistic themes as I was, our tutor encouraged us to produce a small exhibition together, along with another guy, Tomi Oladipo. We produced a strange narrative drawing show based in a fantastical theme park called Frownland, I asked a friend of mine to make overproof rum punch for the opening, and everyone got wasted, so it seemed a great success…