The Myths We Made – 11th November 2022

November 11, 2022March 15, 2024 ~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

So much for the myths we made
Throwing rocks at the running police
Looking out from the tenth-floor flat
And dreaming of release

The tunes were busting on the stereo
And cigarette smoke filled the room
Bass was shaking the floor below
They were banging with a broom

Nothing to do and nowhere to go
We made fists and painted shirts
Promised ourselves we’d never stop
No matter how much it hurts

Time went on and the myths grew large
So much, they hung around our necks
Weighed down with hypocrisy
Until the truth could no longer flex

The tragedy of being human is that even when we are doing our best to be kind and compassionate, sometimes we still hurt and get hurt by others. In moments like this, I believe that compassion becomes a matter of faith: Choosing to believe in our own innate goodness, even when others refuse to see it; and choosing to believe in the goodness of others, even when they are refusing to show it.
Kai Cheng Thom

Today I’m feeling:
Relaxed and happy
Today I’m grateful for:
Being able to accompany Amy via video call as she makes her drunken way from the city to her home in the early hours.
The best thing about today was:
Talking to Jochen for a two-and-a-half-hour catch-up on things. It felt very comfortable and natural even though we haven’t talked except via messages for more than a year. We have a common understanding born from our musical backgrounds despite having variations in taste. We get it. Jochen is one of my tribe.
Daily thought
Do you remember a time you let something external bother you too much?
Yes, too many times, unfortunately. Sometimes the situation feels like it can’t be escaped due to financial responsibility and risk for example quitting a job to get away from a shitty manager. In cases like that, it feels like having no control and I couldn’t be brave enough to get away. Perhaps ego also plays a part and wanting to be right to the detriment of my own health. Looking back it is easier to see that I could have understood the situation better and concentrated on the things that I could control rather than get upset about the things I couldn’t. Just thinking about some of those situations now though still winds me up so I wonder if I could behave better if it happened again. I’m weak and in denial. Maybe one day I’ll get it!
Write a thank you letter to someone you love.
Well, I didn’t do this specifically but I did get a burst of energy today writing emails about vinyl production and south-east Asian touring possibilities. Talking with Jochen for a couple of hours sort of fills this criterion too. I don’t consider myself to have many good friends but I love those that I do have and that includes Jochen. He’s one of the good ones.

I took this picture because I was surprised to see this little fella just sitting here camouflaged in the early evening. Better than finding them dried up under the sofa!

No Mandate – No Mandate/Scheme of Things – 1st December 2018

December 1, 2018January 23, 2022 ~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Cat #: 196TZM

Mellow dub grooves, heavy desert riffs, and short bursts of angular punk. This is the sound of new Sydney trio No Mandate. Their debut double EP, “No Mandate / Scheme of Things”, will be released as summer breaks – December 1st, 2018, via Tenzenmen Records.

Moving freely across genres and boundaries comes naturally to the three musicians, thanks to their experience in forward-thinking bands such as Hinterlandt, SEIMS, Meniscus, and many more.

The eponymous No Mandate EP constitutes the band’s foundation: instrumental, reggae-tinged rhythms circle themselves and merge with psychedelic fuzz, ultimately culminating in brief explosions of irregular math-rock.

Scheme of Things takes the dub-punk formula a step further. Understated vocals lead the way into increasingly progressive song structures, ending with Manifesto, a 45-second slap in the face of mediocrity that wouldn’t be out of place on an early hardcore seven-inch.

Creating the two EPs was a practice of grassroots egalitarianism: Jochen wrote the music; Alex recorded it in Jochen’s living room; Simeon created the artwork, and recorded additional overdubs at his home under the supervision of Harry the cat.

Weight: 84.5kg
Resting heart rate: 58

Andy Rantzen and Jochen Gutsch – 5th June 2016

June 5, 2016May 25, 2021 ~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Cat #: 187TZM

EP01

The duo’s debut EP was originally released on Wood & Wire in 2015 and re-released on tenzenmen in June 2016. For this EP, the verses explore the playful, magical and untrustworthy. The music rapidly changes shape, direction, speed and mood. Each piece is exactly two minutes long. This is the realm of the charlatan.

EP02

Released by tenzenmen in June 2016, for this EP, the sound is stripped to a pure piano and spoken-word performance. The lyrics examine the nature of death and dying from the perspectives of the soon-to-be-bereaved and his or her observers. The piano work cycles between cold detachment and intense emotion. This is the realm of the human.

EP03

The final instalment of the duo’s three-part EP series comes out in April 2018 on tenzenmen. This time, sawtooth synths and off-kilter drum machines build the musical framework for Andy’s voice. The lyrics cover topics such as magical thinking, the virtues of simplicity, and techniques for the avoidance of suicide. This is the realm of the realist.

Andy Rantzen is a Sydney-based recording artist and writer best known as part of the duo Itch-E and Scratch-E alongside Paul Mac. Since 1989 he has released a steady stream of material under his own name and in collaboration with Cherry2000, Pelican Daughters and others.

Jochen Gutsch is a German-born musician and composer who lives in Sydney. He has played hundreds of shows internationally and released a large number of albums in various formations, mostly under the name Hinterlandt.

In their duo, Andy handles the words while Jochen handles the music. The chosen format to release the music is a series of EPs on independent Australian label tenzenmen. Each EP is based on a different lyrical and sonic concept and follows a clear set of rules. Each new EP will be added to this album as they become available.

All cover photographs by Lawrence English.

Seaworthy and Hinterlandt (Vivid) – 7th June 2012

June 7, 2012May 21, 2021 ~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

21st May 2021 – If memory serves me correctly, and it may not, and Jochen may be able to verify, but I’m pretty sure I picked him up and drove him and his one man band to this show. Put on as part of the annual Vivid Festival (festival of light, right?) at a small art gallery at the Rocks it was pretty much the perfect place for these two musicians. It was a nice relaxing evening and I remember chatting with Dimity (who took the attached photos and posted to her blog.) Jochen played first and afterwards we chatted about hardcore as he was drinking some red wine, myself Coopers Red and then watch Cam (Seaworthy) play. I like the Rocks at night time – you can feel the history there. This night made a minor addition to that history.