“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – Andre Gide
Cat #: 058TZM
The songs tell the story of a private man who is equally compelling and complex; “Chicks Dig Me” explains Michael Crafter when asked to delve deeper into his 7 inches of powerviolence glory, obviously struggling with his raw talent and the mistakes that nearly cost him everything.
Out now through tenzenmen limited to 100 hot pink and 150 black vinyl.
Recorded at 301 studios, 18 tracks of positive brutality.
Cat #: 054TZM
Recorded at Mike Gibson’s Inca Studios, the old home of the NZ SIS, the Security Intelligence Service, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand.
mr sterile: Drums, lyrics, vocals, noises
Chrissie Butler: Bass, vocals
Aaron Lloydd: Bass
Jeff Henderson: Saxophone
Nell Thomas: Gender (Javanese gamelan)
Maria McMillan: Poet, words in Drought
Dean Hapeta: Recording, lyrics & vocals
Mike Gibson: Recording, mixing, mastering.
Artists:
Campbell Kneale
Tao Wells
Garage Collective
James Robinson
Stefan Neville
Jeff Henderson
Andrew Ross
Suhartono
Deborah Barton
Roger Morris
Kerry Ann Lee
For this project, all the above members, musician, word smiths, and visual artists, are included in the pantheon of members-of-mr-sterile-Assembly.
Cat #: 059TZM
2nd Apr 2021 – When I stayed at the Abbotsford Warehouse in Melbourne when organising things for China’s P.K.14 shows there I came across a box of this unreleased album and figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask Rhys and Marcus if they would like some help promoting and selling them and adding BBA to the tenzenmen catalogue. So, that’s how many copies of this album managed to avoid landfill.
Cat #: 056TZM
It’s not surprising if you haven’t heard of Dear Eloise. They are a mysterious band known by very few people. But once you have listened to their songs, they will be branded into your heart.
The band came out around 2007, no definite date. It’s just an extension from a simple idea. Dear Eloise are Yang Haisong (P.K.14’s vocal) and his wife Sun Xia (P.K.14’s former bassist). No more words are needed, you will know how fantastic they are.
In their new debut album, 8 songs, like 8 journals, are the monologue of frail, words that were burnt. Not only is the melody as pure and beautiful as a childish rhythm, but also the background is as noisy as an aged guitar factory. However, the songs have delicate fluctuations and layers similar to a possessed river, the water of which keeps flowing without stop, while rumbling in marvelous dark and light colors. After silence is demolished by noise within a second, a sweet but defenseless angel appears on the ruins with a peaceful and merciful look. She has a voice like a beam of light. Besides, her white feet moving in the darkness not only seem to be a piece of poem flowing in summer, they also sound like mumbling in cool well water or under large shades. In addition, the noise is performed magically and mysteriously appears to build up like looming rain drops. In this aural atmosphere of dimness, the swinging lights bring discomfort and anxiety .
For most people, it is a brilliant album. What is rare is that it attracts people with its’ innocence and purity. Let’s imagine a picture in which the stars scald the sky and we crouch down on the lawn, stretching out our necks putting pressure on our knees. We look up to the dim but exciting glimmer, which hurts our eyes. Will we then cry?
The world you imagine is very far away. It resembles a fading cigarette end or a scar… If you can find meaning to my voice, then you can comprehend this fairy tale. Get out of the fluttering dream, dear Eloise. I am going to take you to a lively and awesome place where there are castles and festivals and days go by with a roar.
Cat #: 066TZM
Originally self released by the band then tenzenmen distributed copies for free into the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Now some copies are being made available right here!
Pangbianr, Artspace China, Maybe Mars, D-22, Beijing Daze, Rustic, QingDaonese, Carsick Cars, Re-Tros, Demerit, Ricky Sixx, Syringe, Little Fast Hand, Bedstars, Queen Sea Big Shark, SXSW, China Daily, P.K.14, Hotpot Consulting, China Music Radar, Zoomin’ Night, Matthew Niederhauser, Subs, Michael Pettis, Tag Team, Outdustry, City Weekend, Liz Tung, Hedgehog
Cat #: 052TZM
Hot & Cold was born in 2005 in New Delhi, India, the brainchild of Joshua and Simon Frank. Sparsely pairing lo-fi bass and megaphone vocals, the Frank brothers’ single Delhi performance incorporated a bedraggled Yamaha keyboard, and involved throwing candy at small children from above.
In 2006, Joshua (20) and Simon (18) relocated to China’s chaotic, industrial capital – a city far better suited to their dirty robotic clangour. At the encouragement of internationally-acclaimed composer Shouwang, they began to accumulate an arsenal of effects pedals, quite literally launching themselves at Beijing audiences in frenzied 20-minute sets.
Even in Beijing – one of the most exciting cities for new music today – Hot & Cold have proudly stuck out. Rather than gradually descending into chaos, their notoriously frenetic performances explode from the get- go. Their debut, Any Monkey is Dangerous captures the band’s shambolic grooves with all the vitality of their live performances. Hot & Cold channel their penchant for obliterating noise through a deep love for the fuzzy anthems of Pavement and Pixies. Their angular riffs and keyboard jabs have drawn comparison to New York no wave and Cabaret Voltaire, while lo-fi drums loops, rollicking basslines, and irreverent vocals evoke the Fall in both sound and attitude. Crystalline melodies emerge from their pulsing sonic chaos, and touches of yesteryear Bollywood hits pierce through the melee.
1994ever 