The Wake – 19th February 2024

Here the shadow falls, down into the fog
Eyes dead at the singing of the bells
Broke by the vicious cards dealt
Crawling through the sawdust of these hells

Burying bodies, ten-a-penny
Stuffed men once filled with straw
All now quiet and meaningless
Wondering what it was all for

This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper
It never would have come to this
If we’d just kept things simpler

Submitted to Shay’s Word Garden – inspired (and borrowed) from T.S.Eliot’s The Hollow Men


Today I’m feeling:

Good, getting better throughout the day. I started off a little dizzy until my meds kicked in.  

Both my classes were simple and the kids seem invested in a little reading and understanding.  I didn’t push them but the way I structured the reading and questions definitely caught out some of the students who would generally just copy their work.

Today I’m grateful for:

Parthiban in Singapore for paying back his share for the HighVoltage/SpeechOdd 12”, straight back into our Aussie bank account, which will keep Amy happy for a little while!

The best thing about today was:

Being inspired to write a couple of poems during my break between classes.  That two hours flew by today as I caught up some reading, thinking about prompts and ideas.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

In my first class we ran out of time for the last group to read because they were all struggling to understand the questions that I was asking them.  

I was surprised at how quickly the time disappeared.  Oh well, at least I caught about 85% of the class today.

Something I learned today?

Arwith’s band Piri Reis is supporting Converge in Bangkok in May.  He’s going to try and line up a weekend show in Chiang Mai if possible too.  

Either way I’d like to catch up with him if he’s here somewhere during a weekend.

What things do I like to collect?

I’ve answered this or a similar question before, answering with music, books, comics but it got me thinking a bit more about how technology has transformed collecting in many ways.  

With almost everything available somewhere somehow as a digital file collecting physical items is becoming more of a rich person’s privilege.  

Collecting things digitally doesn’t mean much to me but from seeing what some of the younger folks are experimenting with online in games they seem to place value in those things.  

I was intrigued whilst watching an online race over three hundred kilometres on a barren planet in one of the sci-fi games where folks collect and trade minerals.  

I can understand the appeal of these types of games and there may have been a time I might of dreamed of delving into them but I still have some part of me that clings to the physical.  

Unlike those players though I cannot place any value in something that only exists as bits and bytes.

Praewa took this picture because she stole my phone (again). Her face is finally starting to mature as she has had a cute childish face since I’ve known her and it has only recently started changing. She still hasn’t grown taller though which I often tease her about but she could still grow a few more inches yet.

Keeping up with tenzenmen – 16th February 2013

Why are you receiving this email? Probably because you downloaded something free from the tenzenmen bandcamp! Feel free to unsubscribe but please don’t register complaints indicating you were never asked to join this list 🙂

Tough Life
After a six week break around October last year it’s been really tough to get back into the swing of things and it’s only now I’m starting to get back on top of it all. There is a LOT in the pipeline for this year (and as you can see below there’s been quite a few releases already!) so I think this newsletter will probably be quarterly this year to save me a little more time! Keep up with the latest news in all the usual ways – at the website, facebook etc.

Skip Skip Ben Ben – Sacrifice Mountain Hills CD
Out now!
Ben Ben (Boyz & Girl) heads out with her new band, release and familiar dreamy fuzz-pop.

Cartavetro – Here It Comes, Tramontane! LP+CD
Out now!
Italian DIY indie rockers recruited Mike Watt for help on this great slab of vinyl.

Fun – 1/3 7″
Out now!
First of 3 7″s from our fiendish noise rock drinking buddies in Finland.

The Gar – The City of Burning Identities CD
Out now!
The Gar are legends in Beijing and finally produce a new 6 track EP for your listening pleasure.

Chui Wan – White Night CD
Out now!
Experimental psyche rockers from Beijing with their debut release.

Nick Van Breda/zzzounds – Split 7″
Out now!
Two super famous Sydney rockers go acoustic for a clear seven inches. Also available in black.

Noise from China- 2xCD
Out now!
Only the 2nd ever collection of experimental noise from China, compiled by legendary organiser Yan Jun from Subjam.

Dear Eloise – I’ll Be Your Mirror wood backed 7″
This sold out on the day of release but you can still listen and download digital

Daighila/Grinding Halt – Split 7″
Out now!
Malaysian screamo legends Daighila team up with the Netherlands noise monsters Grinding Halt

Birdstriking – CD
Out now!
Debut album from Beijing Indie punks Birdstriking – vinyl soon available thru Anton Newcombe’s A label.

Mr Graceless – The Tree Ever Green CD
Out now!
Dynamic Beijing indie that sold out quickly – now back in stock.

White+ – CD
Out now!
Beijing experimentalists with one of the most appreciated CD releases of 2012 – easily the biggest seller so far!

X is Y – Never Sever/LP CD
Out now!
Double disc from this mathy Shanghai trio – brings to mind Pinback and other Rob Crow genius.

Bamodi – Smell Heaven LP
Out now!
Crazy Japanese influenced Perth punks. FFO: Rudimentary Peni

Quiet Steps – Dying Livers/Secular LP+CD
Out now!
Brisbane’s Quiet Steps come from a long line of Brisbane indie bands wowing Aussie ears over the last 5 years.

Michael Crafter/SMG – split 7″
Out now!
Malaysian grindcore legends meet Aussie semi-legends! Mad thrashing!

Stellarium – CD
Out now!
Debut album from Singapore freak out psychedelic fuzzlords!

Eurpides Berserker – digital discography
Out now!
Made when Dave Drayton (Milhouse, zzzounds etc) was just a baby, banging out ideas quick smart!

Fat City/LuXinPei – Super Split CD
Available now!
Two exciting Chinese experimental groups across 2 discs. FFO: xNOBBQx, Breakdance the Dawn

New photographs
Ted Danson With Wolves at Black Wire
My pictures are pretty much up to date these days!
Check them out and post some comments to let me know what you think.

You can find all my pix here.

Packaging options
Maybe you didn’t know that tenzenmen also stocks Stumptown Arigato packs for CD, tape and 7″!
Plenty of stock available again now!

This month’s special

Hinterlandt – Migration Motion Movement
Get yourself 50% off Hinterlandt’s beautiful CD Migration, Motion, Movement. 3 long pieces that never sit still taking you on the journey of the artist moving from Germany to Australia. Enter the code ‘mmm’ at check out!
Offer valid til 1st April 2013.

Keeping up with tenzenmen – 12th June 2012

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!