Biography
The Cambodian Space Project
Effective period / Period of releases: 2010 - 2015
Members: Julien Poulson, Scott Bywater, Bong Sak, Dan Schwarsose, Ratha K Hahn, Irene Choun, Gaetan Crespel, Bun Hong, Aya Urata, Gildas Maronneaud, Srey Kak Chanthy, Punisa Pov
The CSP was the first band to release a 45rpm vinyl in Cambodia since 1975 - the year Pol Pot implemented the insane Year Zero policy of the Khmer Rouge and trashed all Cambodian culture while inflicting one of the worst genocides in human history. Srey Kak Chanthy (who died in March 2018 in a car accident in Phnom Penh) was born into war and poverty. Like the great Cambodian diva Ros Serey Sothea, Srey Kak Chanthy came from humble beginnings and moved to Phnom Penh in 1999 to find work as a singer. By the time she met Julien Poulson, co-founder of the Cambodian Space Project, she had amassed a great song-book of Cambodian music and was ready to try something new. Poulson had already made several trips to Cambodia before and had dedicated time to making recordings and short films exploring the traditional music of Cambodia as well as the instruments of the Khmer ensembles but like many from the West, had an ear open for Cambodian Rock and was keen to create music that would fit in a space between what once was and what is occurring today. The Cambodian Space Project’s debut single was Knyom Mun Sok Jet Te "I'm Unsatisfied" by Pan Ron.