Author: shaun tenzenmen

Australasian DIY music specialist and practising poet, amongst other things

Nikko – Gold and Red – 3rd July 2012

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Cat #: 106TZM

‘Gold & Red’ is an album characterised as much by its melodic grace as by its pervasive sense of doom – recorded in the cavernous orchestral hall of Brisbane’s historic Old Museum with Cameron Smith (Velociraptor, No Anchor), mixed by Aaron Cupples (The Drones, Paul & Dan Kelly, SNOWMAN) and mastered by Nao Anzai (Laura, Because Of Ghosts, These Hands). The nine songs here recognise a growing maturity and depth that has been brought to life by the considered approach to the compositions.

NIKKO:
Ryan Potter – vocals, electric & acoustic guitars
Sam Whiting – bass
Jackson Briggs – electric guitar, slide
Blair Westbrook – drums, percussion

Piano by Daniel Kassulke
Violin by Adam Cadell
Cello by Elanor Khan

Recorded by Cameron Smith at The Old Museum & Browning Street Studios in Brisbane, June/July 2011

Mixed by Aaron Cupples

Mastered by Naomune Anzai at Reel 2 Real Mix Master

Photography by Archie Moore
Layout & Design by Sam Whiting & Bronte Coates, with thanks to Trent Evans

Special thanks to Daniel Kassulke, Cam Smith, Nao Anzai, Adam Cadell, Elanor Khan, Jacinta Walker, Trent “Big Dog” Evans, Shaun Tenzenmen, Bronte Coates, Luke Smith, Tom Noakes & all of our wonderful friends & family, anyone who’s ever bought a recording, come to a show or let us sleep on their floor, and the Brisbane & Australian independent music community. Cheers!

Alternative China – 2nd July 2012

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Alternative China tumblr

Underground Baby, Liz Tung, World of Chinese, Live Beijing Music, Jia Huizhen, XP, Split Works, Chui Wan, Deadly Cradle Death, Yan Jun, Raying Temple, Soviet Pop, Torturing Nurse, Li Jianhong, Joshua Frank, Hot and Cold, Howling Into Harmony, Jingweir, Hot Cat Club, Xiao Rong, Brain Failure, Cocktail 78, Sikhara, Perpetual Motion Machine, Xiao He, Layabozi, Beijing Daze, David O’Dell, Inseparable, Old What Bar, Misandao, Red Rock, Yaogun, Jon Campbell, Artspace China, Rainbow Danger Club

Snapline – Future Eyes – 1st August 2012

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Cat #: 107TZM

Back in 2009 Snapline started asking questions such as ‘if there was a future eye – what would it see?’ Would it see a dirty industrial city? A crowded street? A beam from a huge dome?

At this time Martin Atkins (PiL/Pigface) picked out Snapline to work with and create this album “Future Eyes” featuring 11 possibilities and thoughts.

The album was only released in the US on Atkins own label Invisible Records. Snapline, however, didn’t want to see it released anywhere else at the time as their own vision was constantly changing.

tenzenmen is proud to now make this recording available in Australia, at the same time as the latest Snapline album Phenomena – their own revision of the future eyes.

Hira Hira – Now Here Nowhere – 1st July 2012

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Cat #: 103TZM

Life is hard for Hira Hira and they certainly let you know about it on their debut record Now Here Nowhere. Written over the past twelve months, the album touches on themes of cats stuck in trees and probably other things as well.

During the summer they spent 10 days out in the middle of the cheese capital of Australia to swim in waterholes, get sucked on by leeches and record the album. What they came away with was a raw and loud affair. An honest reflection of what the band is.

It should be mentioned that you can listen to the tracks, maybe show them to other people on your website/radio/home stereo and that maybe, if you’re around come to a show and buy heaps of merchandise.

All songs written by Hira Hira
Recorded by Mike Morgan
Mastered by Andrew Edgson @ Studios 301

Duck Fight Goose – Sports – 1st July 2012

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Cat #: 097TZM

Sports is the first full-length from widely touted Shanghai artists Duck Fight Goose, fresh from their invite to SXSW and History 7” release earlier this year.

The eleven-track album combines elements of ambient post-rock and math-rock, with heavily textured songs that build layers upon layers before blooming into complex psychedelic mosaics.

Sports represents a creative leap from Duck Fight Goose’s first release, the straightforward math-rock EP, Flow, and has been roundly acclaimed in the Chinese press as one of the best albums of 2012.

Idylls – Farewell All Joy – 20th June 2012

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Cat #: 101TZM

‘Farewell All Joy’ is an intense journey that brings to ferocious light the uglier sides of human experience. IDYLLS balance astounding technical precision and an unbridled punishment across all instruments with a gnashing, multi-faceted vocal input. The 10 harrowing tracks warp 20 minutes through an insurmountable passage of time, with absolutely maniacal arrangements, grinding intensity, and sudden yet progressive drops in mood as key components.

A
01. Funerals In Queensland
02. Paradise of Blood
03. Swine / Virgins/ Utopiates
04. Bombs Reign Youthless
05. Bastardized Harvest / Spring In The Badlands

B
06. Amps For God / Plague Hell
07. Violent Caves
08. Heaven’s Transistors
09. Teenage Noose
10. Susy

This is a co-operative split release with the awesome Monolith Records (monolithmonolith.com) from Brisbane.

Tristan Agostino – drums
Jordan Pulman – vocals
James Horgan – bass/vocals
Chris Brownbill – guitar/vocals/electronics

Additional vocals by Patrick Ruggles, Lochlan Watt, Agador Spartacus. Additional guitars and noise by Karl Hartwig.

Tracking and mixing was a collaborative effort from both James Balderston at Capitalsound Studios, Adelaide, and Chris Brownbill at Sun Distortion Studios, Brisbane. Mastered by Carl Saff.

Keeping up with tenzenmen – 12th June 2012

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New titles

Mere Women – Old Life LP
Due: Late June
After a 2 track 12” release and lots of valuable support shows Mere Women release their debut LP, Old Life.

Idylls – Farewell All Joy LP
Due: Late June
Idylls devastating debut LP Farewell All Joy will come in a selection of coloured vinyls.

Nikko – Gold & Red CD/Double LP
Due: Late June & July
Nikko’s sophomore LP Gold & Red will initially come on CD and later on Gold & Red double vinyl!

Hira Hira – Now Here Nowhere LP
Due: Late June
Life is hard for Hira Hira and they certainly let you know about it on their debut LP Now Here Nowhere.

Sunken Seas – Null Hour digital
Due: Late June
Big noise from New Zealand with Sunken Seas album Null Hour available via your favourite digital channels.

Little Shadow – Possessions CD
Out now!
Brisbane’s Little Shadow quietly drop their corker debut album Possessions.

New photographs

Mere Women at Black Wire
You may or may not know that tenzenmen is too old to jump around and get too crazy at shows these days, instead concentrating on capturing the moment with photographs. There’s a huge backlog of pictures to be processed, hence the latest photos posted are now over one year old.
These are of Sweet Teeth, Kasha and Mere Women and taken at Black Wire Records – let me know what you think? I’m slowly improving.
You can find all my pix here.

This month’s special

You didn’t see the Discover China CD packs special already? 6 CDs for $20 or 10 CDs for $30!

What? You want more?

How about the El Eje Del Mal/Inquiry Last Scenery split 7″ for just $5 plus shipping?

More?

OK – been thinking about that god bows to math CD but $9 is just too damn much to pay? Enter the code “minutemen” on checkout to receive a 15% discount! Valid until June 20th!

Recent posts at tenzenmen.com

  • First China Bridge mixtape is up
  • Teaser tracks up at tenzenmen for 5 upcoming releases
  • Discover China CD packs at tenzenmen
  • Videos for upcoming releases at tenzenmen
  • Daighila interview (Malyasian hardcore punk)

8th Sept 2021 – Having discovered Mail Chimp for newsletters and press releases I kicked off what I hoped would be a monthly update with what was going on with tenzenmen. It was a good time and a bad time! I got so busy that I didn’t have time to do more than six, up until mid-2013, and because I was so busy it would have been the best time to do a newsletter like this! Trying to keep up with Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp and whatever else to try and promote what I was doing was a whole other job that was way less fun than just enjoying music!

Little Shadow – Possessions – 9th June 2012

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Cat #: 105TZM

These six tracks on Little Shadows debut release, Possessions, evoke memories of later Hopesfall, Cursive, and at their more dischordant and punishing, a more melodic Nation Blue. All of this is coupled with vocalist Cam Gillard’s stories being told with a balance of layered analogies, and brutal honesty, whilst delivered in a more angelic and balanced tone than his previous work. It’s a fine moment for a relatively fresh band when they can set the benchmark for their peers in such a seemingly effortless manner.