This musical collection came up by random selection on YouTube while I was watching "Top Ten Sci-Fi Bikini Babes" or something.
 
I have no idea what it is except that it's Vietnamese. Although the music itself is pretty pedestrian, I was was totally mesmerized by the recording quality and in particular the instruments' tones.
 
There are a couple of sax parts where if it had been a demo for a sample library I'd have gotten my credit card out on the spot, plus there are acoustic piano tracks that embody an elusive smooth sound I've always sought but never achieved. The strings and horns also sound great, even in places where they're clearly synthetic.
 
Maybe somebody familiar with Vietnamese pop music can fill me in on the backstory.
(Note: the good stuff starts about 10 minutes in)
 

 
 

I wish I could.
The sound really annoys my wife. :-)
 
We have a phrase we made up when we lived in So Cal and made a u turns where we shouldn't.
We say "A-Ta-Cow!". which could be Laotian..... I don't know.

Very good sounds indeed........clearly the sax/horns/guitars are from Dim Pro and the percussion (song 2) is from Brio (Indigenus).

bitflipper
This musical collection came up by random selection on YouTube while I was watching "Top Ten Sci-Fi Bikini Babes" or something.
 
I have no idea what it is except that it's Vietnamese. Although the music itself is pretty pedestrian, I was was totally mesmerized by the recording quality and in particular the instruments' tones.
 
There are a couple of sax parts where if it had been a demo for a sample library I'd have gotten my credit card out on the spot, plus there are acoustic piano tracks that embody an elusive smooth sound I've always sought but never achieved. The strings and horns also sound great, even in places where they're clearly synthetic.
 
Maybe somebody familiar with Vietnamese pop music can fill me in on the backstory.
(Note: the good stuff starts about 10 minutes in)
 

 
 

Yeah, yeah very interesting...........now tell us more about the Bikini Babes..........
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I only skip-listened, but that sax does sound the business, even on lappy speakers.

Sci-fi bikini babes... I shoud probably use Dogpile to search this.  (oh and "in-private")

Actually, stop by any nail salon and ask...

Tried that. Wouldn't you know it, the closest hair salon is run by Ukrainians. The business to the left of it could supply a Korean translation, the one to the right Japanese, the next one over, Spanish. It's the frickin' United Nations on the corner, but no Vietnamese.
 
But it turns out I'd forgotten that a friend's wife is from Vietnam so it's possible there might be some insight to be had there. Of course with my luck she might be totally into Lada Gaga and have as little a clue as me about these mystery recordings.

Hey Bit, we have a forum member living in Vietnam. Scoot, or whatever his/her name is now, lives there and posts frequently. Have you tried a pm?

What do you want to ask? The pretty sure manager here was playing this CD to me the other day, but to be honest I didn't like it. I'm pretty certain it's the same guy, the manger said he was well known in Vietnam, and I didn't really see Saxes here, so I can't imagine it's a big scene.
 
EDIT: Just saw AmpFixer's post, I am one and the same.
 

Le Tan Quoc - the next big thing? ... or the result/warning of a Frenchman who spent too long under a sunbed?
 
No Viet language skills - just Google Translate, iTunes,Wikipedia ...
 
Sad City (2008, Saigon Vafaco) is the 5th studio album by saxophonist LeTan Quoc. One assumes recorded/mixed/mastered under the Vafaco umbrella.
 
Biography
 
Vafaco
 (Facebook)
 
iTunes - $9.90