Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thai Ly. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Thai thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The past few years have been filled with numerous highlights but I’d have to say reaching #1 on the British Billboard charts for Robbie Williams’ “XXV” album definitely ranks. It was my first and his fourteenth, where he trails only the Beatles for the most number ones.

My ongoing work with Postmodern Jukebox is always rewarding, as it stretches my skills in unique ways.  The sessions are short, unrehearsed, and we fly by the seat of our pants.  There are no monitors on set and everything is tracked live with no overdubs.  Camera sightlines are critical, so that usually means compromised audio due to the blocking and tight stage plot.  And when it comes to the mix, hitting various blends of thematic aesthetics means every song approach is unique.  And therein lies the challenge that I’ve so grown to embrace and love with this project.

But the most meaningful?  Perhaps a project that involves Jaco Pastorius’ Bass of Doom with my brother from another, Hadrien Feraud. For the uninitiated, the Bass of Doom is the fretless 1962 Fender Jazz Bass Jaco played on all his iconic recordings.  It had been smashed and rebuilt before being stolen back in 1986 where it went missing for 20 years.  Finally resurfacing in a New York City guitar store where it was eventually purchased by Robert Trujilo, bassist for Metallica, on behalf of the Pastorius estate.  Having grown up obsessively listening to Jaco and that iconic tone since I was twelve, makes it absolutely surreal to hear in person as an adult.  And having it come to life in Hadrien’s hands has been nothing short of incredible.  Just mind blowing.  The live in studio recordings we did are coming out beautifully and I can’t wait for the world to experience what we’ve done.

Thai, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a bassist, music producer and audio engineer working in post production for film and television in addition to music. I’m a member of the esteemed Cinema Audio Society as well as the heralded DPA Masters Club.  In a nutshell, I’m 90% music and 10% film.  My credits include Dionne Warwick, George Duke, Pink!, Robbie Williams and countless others.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Definitely the people I’ve shared and shaped my career with. The musicians and creatives that are so insanely talented that I can’t help but feel energized… forever pushing me to “level up”.  I learn something valuable with each and every session and am grateful for having an outlet for my artistic endeavors.  Getting paid to do what one loves is unparalleled.  I dig showing up to a session where everyone is charged to create something of lasting value.  Participating in the unpredictable musical conversation that’s about to occur is incredibly exciting and capturing it for eternity is ultimately fulfilling. Change a player and you change the conversation. I’ve long believed I have the best seat in the house as a producer and engineer.  As professional artistic beings, we leave a happy trail of our existence through recordings and memories. If we do it right, the path is long, varied and well traveled.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think society does in fact support artists… but it fanatically supports only a select handful. And those top selling artists profit financially in ways only 1% will ever experience.  The rest of the working class needs your support.  Pay for and download their singles and albums. Share and like their videos. Go to their gigs. Often.  Buy all their merch. Talk about them with your friends.  Some of the most talented people in our musical communities are virtually unknown to the world and that’s incredibly unfair.  I wish I had the answer as to how to flip the script, but that’s far beyond my pay grade.  Perhaps we should start thinking of every musician we know as a small business owner and maybe then things will begin to change? I dunno. Just as we support the local bakeries and coffee houses, we must support the local musicians. Because despite the devaluation of music’s worth in today’s society, it’s actually more valuable than ever.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thailongly.com
• Instagram: @tl2bass
• Facebook: Thai Long Ly
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tl2bass/
• Twitter: @tl2bass
• Youtube: https://bit.ly/3rK299Z

Image Credits
Cheriss May