One weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to Chiangmai, Thailand and record the Saturday Night Market soundscape. The market, located on Wua Lai Road, is a bustling hub of activity every Saturday night, with vendors selling delicious street food and local crafts, locals and tourists milling about, and the constant hum of activity.

I knew that this would be the perfect location to capture a diverse array of sounds, so I came prepared with my Zoom H6 and Soundman OKM II Rockstudio binaural microphones.

I spent a couple hours wandering around the market, recording everything from the engines of red buses to the chatter of the crowd, and the distinctive sounds of Tuk Tuks.

But what really caught my attention was the traditional Northern Thailand Lanna music that could be heard throughout the market.

This music is characterized by its use of traditional instruments like the Pin Pia, the Zueng, and the Zalor. I couldn’t help but stop in front of a group of musicians and just listen, entranced by the beautiful melodies and rhythms.

I knew that I had to record this music, so I approached the musicians with a friendly smile and gestured to my recording equipment. I was relieved when they smiled back and gave me the okay to record. I sat down and recorded for about 16 minutes, and was lucky enough to have the area almost to myself at the beginning, but as the night went on more and more people showed up.

The recordings are truly unique and special, capturing not only the ambiance of the market, but also the traditional music of Northern Thailand.