Fat City/Lu Xin Pei – Super Split – 20th November 2012

Cat #: 117TZM

Fat City and LuXinPei are noise and alternative rock bands. Because two bands share each other’s player or idea and been a longtime friends, they make this SUPER SPLIT together. This split is a collection of the bands’ early songs and soundtrack. Though you can find many music genres here the two bands still keep their love to experiment with various sounds and structures in their songs.
CD version is factory made CD-r.
Imported under license in Australia from Zhu Wenbo by tenzenmen.
And thanks to Nisky to provide the cover picture.

All Songs’ Instruments and Vocal by Fat City and Lu Xin Pei
Record & Mix & Mastering by G.B.J.D. Records
Studio : Kill the Poor, Beijing , China
Date: Apr.-Jun. 2011
Album Cover Picture by Nisky, Shanghai, China

Mr Graceless – The Tree Ever Green – 19th November 2012

Cat #: 125TZM

Mr.Graceless’ album “The Tree Ever Green” is the account of their youth’s mood, a part of this era’s memory of the voice of youth.

This record is not merely their music it is their farewell to years past. In the midst of this golden time’s echo we hear those yet unchanged sounds hovering by our ears, the first thumping of a trembling heartbeat, the first tightening grasp of a fist, their hearty laughter on afternoons filled with sunlight continuously pours in.

Nowadays those easily destroyed colors have all been scattered in different directions and the declaration made after yesterday’s fighting has not yet entered into the detached multitudes.

Young girls’ faces have become laden with dust and every memory of the age of youth is now locked. Not a word can push you out the door.

These three seem like withdrawn, inelegant gentleman in the face of everyone while attempting to record everlasting time using simple sounds.

The sweetness and vexation of maturing, the tumult and hot blood of adolescence, these things do not lose the pounding power of melody to leave an aftertaste of those flying ashes and smoldering smoke, winking, and can perhaps take you to…  more

Chen Yuli, the sound manager of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremonies and Zhang Yimou’s movie soundtracks, devoted his talents to the cutting and shaping of these recordings and postproduction. This is the promise of this album’s quality.

白+ – White + – 19th November 2012

Cat #: 124TZM

White+ traveled to Germany in 2011 to record their first album at the celebrated Anderebaustelle Studio, where Blixa Bargeld, frontman of Einstürzende Neubauten, had produced White’s album in 2007. PK14’s Yang Haisong along with Marco Paschke, a frequent collaborator with EN, handled the mixing for White+’s debut album while its cover was designed by Fu Han, the vocalist of Queen Sea Big Shark. One of the most original moments of the album comes at the very end with the acclaimed Beijing musician Han Lei rapping to the theme “reD.”

The album reflects White+’s influences, from German avant-garde music to minimalism. Shouwang’s spare vocal line provides an ethereal accompaniment to the the swelling web of effects and melodies, while WangXu’s drumbeats are the driving pulse that propel the songs forward.

The songs on “White+” are all named after colours, breaking the album down into tracks like light through a prism. Layer those different colors of light back together, and as a whole, they form White+.

Dying Livers/Secular – Quiet Steps – 15th November 2012

Cat #: 116TZM

Credits for Dying Livers:
Recorded at Sun Distortion Studios in mid 2012. Mastered by Carl Staff. Art and Design by Errol Hoffman.

Credits for Secular:
Recorded by David Williams at Wavelength Recording Studio and VIA Studios. Mixed by David Williams. Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music, New Windsor, NY.

Performed by Leon Perkin, Robb Perkin & Joshua Strange. Additional instrumentation by David Williams and vocals by Rob Schlegel in the track ‘Secular’.

Thanks to all our families, friends, partners, bands we’ve played with, Shaun Tenzenmen, Chris Brownbill and Errol Hoffman.

Bamodi – Smell Heaven – 2nd October 2012

Cat #: 118TZM

Bamodi’s 19‐track second LP Smell Heaven (tenzenmen) is just under half an hour of throat­‐banging punk rock that flirts occasionally with power violence, pop and greyhound racing. There are some slow songs, fast songs, and an unlikely cover version of Beat Happening’s Ponytail.

Recorded by Wil Hooper and Matt Bairstow at Stable Sound. Mastered at Chicago Mastering Services.

Keep up with tenzenmen – 17th September 2012

What is tenzenmen?

About a year ago I asked newsletter subscribers to tell me what they thought defined tenzenmen. I got many nice comments such as these,

“a label with a conscience, bold, supportive of its artists, non-commercial, genuinely interested in having its artist’s music heard, the type of label that puts out music which my friends make…above all, I see tenzenmen as an exploratory label where you bring aural treasures from a variety of places and styles and offer them up – we may not have heard them, but trust you and give them a chance based on the fact that you’ve come up with the goods for us before…” – Maris

“tenzenmen represents the unending pursuit of discovering new, relevant and good music that is generally overlooked by ‘majors’, as it doesn’t fit into their particular ‘sales strategy’. There is nothing like music discovery and labels like tenzenmen consistently bring it” – Justin

It’s very heartening to receive these kind words because I often wonder if people understand what I try and do. The back catalogue is rich and diverse and probably overwhelming to most casual browsers. The reason for this diversity is simply a reflection of my own interests in music that has obviously expanded over the years of my life. I can happily listen to some Chinese neo-folk alongside Malaysian screamo, experimental Aussies and Vietnamese death metal! The key factor is the passion and the creativity that has gone into the production of this art, sometimes in exceptional circumstances. I do understand that not everyone else will have such varied tastes and want to buy their own complete collection of tenzenmen releases. Please, if you have a chance, take a few minutes to check out some other releases on the label that you may not have heard before. Go old school and take a chance just by checking record covers (like flicking thru the vinyl bins) – easily done at the bandcamp index page here.

tenzenmen will continue along its merry way, defiant of success and profit, motivated by the love of our music shared. Thanks for your support.

Advance Warning

tenzenmen will be overseas from the beginning of October until the middle of November so no orders will be able to be shipped during that time. Balls will still be rolling with plenty going on in my absence and a big run-up to the end of the year and no doubt another huge one in 2013!

Whilst I’m away I’m a little disappointed to be missing a show I’m organising on Saturday Oct 13th at Black Wire featuring many good friends including crazy Japanese two-piece Mekare-Kare who will have a split 7″ out on Heartless Robot in time for their full Oz tour. That tour and split 7″ is with Perth gonzo’s Bamodi who will have their LP out on tenzenmen by then too! Listen to the split 7″ tracks here (released by our good Perth buddies at Heartless Robot). Rounding out the show will be the ever wonderful Dead China Doll and ever incredible Making.

Nikko tour dates
20 September The Empress, Melbourne (acoustic)
21 September The Old Bar, Melbourne
22 September The Metro, Adelaide

Bamodi tour dates
7 October The Bakery, Perth
9 October Metro Hotel, Adelaide
10 October Bar Open, Melbourne
11 October Gasometer, Melbourne
13 October Black Wire, Sydney