Grant J Riley

I started Thăng Long Records around Tết 2024, in the Year of the Dragon, and after much deliberation found this was the right name. It works in both meanings: the ascending/rising dragon, and the legendary early name of Hà Nội, where we were based at the time.

There's a specific moment I'd identify as the catalyst. I was walking out of a homestay in Kampot, Cambodia, and heard this tune. It took me ages to track it down: stunning vocals from a Khmer artist called SreyLeak, a track called Saravan Rok Ku, with UK and French MCs on it, released on a label called Klapyerhandz. They were making the fusion I wanted to hear. I was instantly hooked on Khmer vocals, their beats, their sounds.

That sent me digging for the whole Southeast Asian sound, and then it started blowing up. VannDa with Master Kong Nay, Time to Rise, one of the best music videos ever made. A ton of great music coming out of Cambodia, led by traditional multi-instrumentalist VannThann. I dug further: dub from Thailand, Ga-Pi, the Srirjah Soundsystem, things coming out of Jakarta and the Philippines, The Phosphorap label from Myanmar. But where were the Vietnamese recordings?

I come from the UK sound system world: the dub, the bass, the fusion. Squat parties in the 90s, where I was happiest on the third rig doing something different, the 5am slot, playing Depth Charge, LSDiezel, Digidub. One of the day jobs back then was cutting audio samples for Coldcut's live AV shows when they were starting Ninja Tune in London. I'd drive Coldcut, Mixmaster Morris and various others to their gigs and get paid 50% cash, 50% vinyl. Promo white labels, Ninja Tune, Big Dada. Record labels have always fascinated me.

I'd been mainly in Hà Nội since 2015, but was born in the UK and wandered far since early on. Travellers, free festivals, squats and squat parties. Hà Nội was an extension of those meanders that happened to offer opportunities to earn and settle. I now live out on the Red River Delta, in rural Vietnamese family life, off-grid. The only foreigner I know for quite some miles around.

Voilà. Thăng Long.

I sit in my village and manage the label through the worldwide web, so the issues of nations and nationalism have barely come up. Out here in the village, I feel nothing but love and acceptance.

The only real problem I can mention is UK radio presenters struggling with the pronunciation of Thăng Long. It sounds off if you keep the 'h' pronounced. I even had to write a pronunciation guide on our Bandcamp page. Even I still drift toward Tang Long sometimes.

Big radio shouts to Soho Radio London/New York, Sista BB on The Good, The Dub and The Global on RRR Melbourne, RadioZora, Dubmissions, and Space is the Place Radio Show UK. All of them have given us real support.

Coming from a DIY culture, the first thing I had to do was simply do it myself, so I made the Vietnam in Dub LP. From there I stayed connected to the roots of the scene: LSDiezel Sound System making new tunes as Kenny Diezel and Nick, and old mates Infekted Headz bringing a crusty-punk-dub energy that got things going. Some of the earliest releases were also from Ivory Tricks/Sydney Barringer (US/Hà Nội) and Nedule (Ireland/Hà Nội).

One of my biggest inspirations from Vietnam has always been Limebócx, their music came later. But our first Vietnamese-native album came from the ever-wonderful Nguyễn Nhật Minh. His ambient music was a natural home on the Glorious Rant show, and we've been able to release new pieces by him on the label. One of our latest releases is Minh in collaboration with some of Hà Nội's finest synthwave heads: Synchromancer, Đờ Tùng from Limebócx, and Derek Bùi, a project called Open Project.

We also have to mention Trà Đá Connection, a French producer and ex-Hanoite, a grand master at fusing the Vietnamese sound with UK Garage, trip-hop and Western beats.

Hội An, and the ever-wonderful Manuel Orkestar, at Chăm Chỉ Club, now Hoa Lá. I played my ASEAN sounds set and you'll have to ask Linh how it landed, but we've been great friends ever since.

Linh was bigger than I even realised when we met. He's defined the Vinahouse sound and is globally known, especially loved amongst the Vietnamese diaspora. I recently went to a big night of his at the 1900 Club and it was lovingly lapped up by the masses. Our music, our culture and our ages are very far apart, but I think that's exactly where it gets interesting.

Our sound is niche and I'd imagine it always will be. We're in it for the music.

I still think there's huge scope for this Vietnamese fusion, and I still have many of the sounds only existing in my head. Vietnam has this enormous karaoke and bolero culture, but the traditional instruments are fading fast. Out here, the only time I hear musical instruments are at funerals. So if you're reading this and you play the Đàn Bầu or Đàn T'rưng, give us a call. Please.

Massively on the radar. It's the Hà Nội/Hội An connection. Shame it's so far apart physically. Reading the Lost & Found interview with Nico Pocalipse explained a lot of the reasons why this is all quite brand new for Vietnam, at least in this generation. Nico and the band scene are doing one thing, we're in electronics, but of course they fuse, as much as Hà Nội and Hội An do.

It's a small world and a small scene. DJ Matty C introduced me online to DJ AnneSolo, who hyped us to Myro Bytz, and we're excited to be involved. Thăng Long Records will be opening events at Simple Beach in Đà Nẵng this August, and Linh Ku will have some pumping sets in the night slots around town.

For years I couldn't work out why the Southeast Asian scenes were kicking off so independently and not crossing borders much. Now it's here. It's Vietnam's turn, and Hội An and Đà Nẵng's moment. This is where it starts.

Recordings. I think the live scene is doing great. We have the studios, the resources. Just do it on a laptop, let's get on it. Linh Ku is on it with a new studio, and Minh has a great space in Hà Nội.

I'm starting to get enquiries about vinyl from players in Japan, Germany and the UK. We've only been going two and a half years, so all good things come to those that wait. Does anyone know a vinyl press in Vietnam?

I'm really interested to hear artists say what they actually think and feel. Those stories are here in Vietnam, whether through hip-hop, trip-hop, or some fusion we haven't heard yet. We're waiting.

Put your ear to the ground. Read lostandfound.music.

A great new EP from Sydney Barringer on its way. New tunes from Limebócx being finalised. Open Project working on new videos. Everybody working on new music, and always eyes and ears out for new artists too, get in touch.

Growing with merch, hoping to do more shows. One of my big dreams, coming from the Coldcut/Ninja VJ scene, is the cut-and-paste audiovisual technique. There's a whole world to explore out here with this amazingly photogenic country. And after Airtime Asia, a whole load more radio exposure.