Maft Sai & The Isan Clan

Maft Sai and The Isan Clan: Across The Fields

Created especially for Chapters Kyoto, Across The Fields is a site-specific listening journey born from the shared agricultural landscapes of Isan and Japan.

For more than two decades, Maft Sai has explored the musical traditions of Southeast Asia through record collecting, DJing, and cultural projects. As the founder of Zudrangma Records and Studio Lam and The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band, his work is rooted in preserving and reimagining regional musical heritage.

Set amongst the rice fields of Ohara, Maft Sai is joined by Kammao Phinprainn on phin and Khontan on khaen and pi phuthai. Together, they weave traditional Thai percussion—ching, chap, and mong—with field recordings, rhythmic textures, drifting soundscapes, and live electronics.

In the molam tradition, music has long been shaped by the landscape. Melodies often borrow from the natural world, echoing the wind, water, insects, and birds. One well-known khaen melody, Lom Phat Phrao, evokes the sound of wind passing through towering coconut leaves, transforming a familiar moment into music.

Across The Fields follows this way of listening. Moving between tradition and improvisation, the journey invites the sounds of Isan and Kyoto to meet—where memory, nature, and music become one.