Hybs were a Thai pop duo active between 2021 and early 2024, when their disbandment was announced. The EP “Well Done” was released immediately afterwards, as a farewell gift for fans and consists of their third studio work, after the debut album “Making Steak” (2022) and the remix album “Coldcuts” ( 2023).
Their songs are sung in English (Wee is part Singaporean and his pronunciation is excellent) and this has allowed him to gather an important following outside of Thailand, particularly in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The instrumental backing tracks are a mix of beats alternative r&bkeyboards ambientfunk guitars and delicate vocal harmonies.
“Making Steak” and “Well Done” are works of excellent quality and in perfect stylistic continuity: the fact that one is considered an album and the other an EP is not very indicative, given that on balance we are talking about eight songs for twenty-six minutes respectively and six songs for twenty minutes.
The slow ones include “Satellite”, “Tip Toe” (currently their best-known song, with 240 million streaming between Spotify and YouTube) and “Serenity”, the most snappy moments include “I Don't Wanna Go Home”, “My Dear” and “Fantasy”. In a couple of sections (“I Don't Wanna Go Home”, but also the coda of “Satellite”) the Friendly Fires even seem to resurface, for the unfortunately not many who will remember them, obviously updated to the dictates of current alternative pop (the softer moments wouldn't look out of place on a Troye Sivan album, which is no coincidence very popular in South-East Asia).
Following the dissolution, Hongladaromp adopted the stage name Wim and released his first album as a soloist, “Noice”, released last October 2nd, with which he remains stylistically in the wake of Hybs.
Even if it didn't last long, the duo left an indelible mark on the Thai indie scene: no small feat, given that it is one of the richest in the world, at least in recent years (it should be noted that most of the artists who they express themselves in the local language, and this is an added value, although having preferred English obviously does not take any credit away from the Hybs).
10/18/2024
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM