Thai ensemble Khun Narin releases first new album in a decade 'III'

KHUN NARIN ELECTRIC PHIN BAND RELEASES FIRST NEW ALBUM IN A DECADE III OUT NOW VIA INNOVATIVE LEISURE CHANNELS SANTANA WITH "BLACK MAGIC WOMAN (แบล็คเมจิกวูแมน)"

Khun Narin Electric Phin Band by Kanrapee Chokpaiboon  WATCH: "Black Magic Woman (แบล็คเมจิกวูแมน)" - https://youtu.be/tevJtmNIrbs LISTEN: III - https://lnk.to/khun_3 WATCH: III album trailer - https://youtu.be/mOcjQXB7CFQ Praise for Khun Narin Electric Phin Band: “Khun Narin is almost too good to be true.” - NPR “one of the most eccentric psychedelic records of the year” - WIRED “indescribably beautiful psychedelia.” - Newsweek (May 15, 2026) – Khun Narin Electric Phin Band, the multi-generational psychedelic ensemble from rural Thailand whose ecstatic performances have quietly become a global cult phenomenon, release, III, their first album in over a decade via Innovative Leisure With the release comes their focus track "Black Magic Woman (แบล็คเมจิกวูแมน)" that stands as a reimagined tribute to patron sonic saint Santana. The track embodies the cross cultural dialogue between Thai musical traditions and western influences picked up from GI's who first started trekking through this land in the 70s often leaving behind broken guitars, speakers, and other musical equipment which has since been repurposed by the band. The result is a revelation that collapses boundaries between ceremonial music and global pop language in real time. Hailing from the valleys of Thailand’s Phetchabun Mountains, Khun Narin Electric Phin Band originated as a celebration ensemble for rural ceremonies, particularly pre-ordination fire rituals. What begins as a spiritual procession often transforms into something more transcendent, musicians of all ages locked into spiraling repetition, rhythms surging forward, the entire village pulled into a shared state of euphoria. At the center of it all is Khun Narin’s handmade sound system, a towering stack of horn speakers mounted on wheels and pushed through the village like a moving stage, its blast of sound pulling people from their homes, many joining the procession with instruments in hand as the parade grows in real time. At the core of the sound is the electrified phin, a three-stringed lute whose piercing, serpentine melodies cut through a dense wall of percussion and amplification. The group first reached global audiences through a grainy YouTube upload that led to their 2014 international debut, introducing a sound that felt both ancient and radically new. Attempts to categorize it––surf rock, molam, garage psych, ritual trance––fell short. As NPR wrote, “Khun Narin is almost too good to be true.” WIRED called it “one of the most eccentric psychedelic records of the year,” while Newsweek praised its “indescribably beautiful psychedelia.” Champions, including Gilles Peterson, Bonobo, and Floating Points, have since amplified their reach, helping transform a hyper-local tradition into a global point of reference. Now, ten years after their last release, originally recorded live in the fields of their village, the band returns with III, their first album recorded in a professional studio. Tracked in Los Angeles following their 2024 US tour and produced by Tommy Brenneck, whose credits include Amy Winehouse, Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Beyoncé, and Mark Ronson, the sessions capture Khun Narin Electric Phin Band with unprecedented depth and clarity while preserving the raw, communal intensity that defines their sound. Across III, the band moves seamlessly between traditional forms and global influences, from the all-consuming medley of “Poet Wong” to the deep-rooted rhythms of “Sut Sanaen.” The phin still soars in sharp, spiraling lines, the percussion still drives with marathon force, but now every element resonates with newfound dimension. III feels like a continuation of something timeless, a living tradition amplified for the world stage. It is music that exists beyond borders, beyond genre, and beyond expectation, communal, kinetic, and joyfully uncontainable.

Khun Narin Electric Phin Band III May 15, Innovative Leisure Poet Wong Pt. 1 (เปิดวง ตอน 1) Sut Sanaen (สุดสะเนน) Bang Fai Saen (บั้งไฟแสน) Oen Ai Nae Doe Yam Thoe Mi Haeng (เอิ้นอ้ายแน่เด้อ ยามเธอมีแฮง) Siang Ta Noi (เสียงตาน้อย) Phuthai JP (ภูไท เจ.พี.) Lam Sing (ลำซิ่ง) Ai Num Chum Chon (ไอ้หนุ่มชุมชน) Poet Wong Pt. 2 (เปิดวง ตอน 2) Black Magic Woman (แบล็คเมจิกวูแมน) Connect with Khun Narin Electric Phin Band:  Instagram | YouTube