Hot Scene: Cambodian Rocks

As the Vietnam War was exploding across the border and the Khmer Rouge gathered strength in the bush, Cambodia's cities reveled in a raucous nightclub scene, fueled by a local interpretation of American rock, soul and R&B. These were big bands wearing matching jackets and satin lapels on their wildly orchestrated journeys into the furthest vanguard of Western popular music, creating a sound that rivaled their American counterparts' in intensity. But the Cambodian rock scene was cut short by the Khmer Rouge, who killed most of the musicians after its coup in 1975. This music would have been lost to history, were it not for two rival compilation series, one titled Cambodian Rocks (Parallel World), the other Cambodian Rocks, Volume 1 and 2 (Khmer Rocks). The Parallel World album's twenty-two tracks feature all manner of virtuosity, from smoking organ interludes and buzzy static-guitar solos to klezmerish clarinet work and even the occasional accordion. The sounds of surf, girl-group garage and psychedelia swirl together, sometimes on the same song. Volume 1, released late last year, offers a different set of equally rocking tunes. Next year, a feature-length documentary about the Cambodian rock scene will be hitting the festival circuit. "The Sixties wasn't just in the United States and the U.K.," says John Pirozzi, the film's director. "There was this incredible musical legacy destroyed so suddenly, and the story deserves to be told."

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