Carsick Cars – 3 CD – 19th April 2014

Cat #: 158TZM

NOTE: CD has alternate language versions to the vinyl and different bonus tracks in the download!

After five restless years, Carsick Cars, China’s most influential and dynamic indie-rock band, return with their most mature and exciting release to date.

Available in April 2014, ‘3’ is the aptly titled third album for the Beijing based trio. ‘3’ sees vocalist, guitarist and founding member Zhang Shouwang return with his signature sound, seamlessly combining drone with shimmering pop melodies. The result is assured to please established fans and new listeners alike.

‘3’ began with an auspicious start as preview single ‘She Will Wait’ shot to the top position on China’s leading music sharing website, Douban. For this reason among others, ahead of it’s launch in Australia, ‘3’ is already being hailed as one of the most important Chinese records of the decade. Zining Cui of Creative Asia, China’s premier platform for contemporary arts, stated that “China needs a big enough sound to shout out for attention – and Carsick Cars remind us of such a sound.”

Retaining the lineup of the all too brief 2012 Australian East Coast tour, Shouwang, bassist He Fan and drummer Sun Heting travelled to New York to record ‘3’ with producers Peter Kember (Spacemen 3, Sonic Boom) and Hamish Kilgour (The Clean), leaders in indie/psychedelic rock circles. Australian fans of Sino-American sounds and aesthetics will appreciate the cover art by renowned Beijing/Californian contemporary artist Guo Hongwei.

The record, the first full length to be released by the current members, is a logical progression for long standing fans of Carsick Cars. ‘3’, however, starkly contrasts in maturity and complexity from the band’s straight ahead noise-pop self titled debut in 2005. There are a few tracks reminiscent of well known singles from their prior two albums (most notably ‘Reaching The Light’), but most disparate is how ‘3’ showcases the extraordinary technical skill of Shouwang as a guitarist and the potential born from the unity of these three musicians.

While Carsick Cars wind up their lengthy United States tour with psych-drone five-piece Flavour Crystals, ‘3’ will be released in Australia on CD and LP on April 14th through Australasian DIY music specialist tenzenmen. Each format features variations on recording, bonus tracks and lyrics which promises to satisfy Australian fans until Australian tour dates are confirmed. Pre-orders with immediate downloads are available from today at tenzenmen.com .

Also look out for the Flavour Crystals/Carsick Cars split 7” featuring exclusive track ‘Yoko’ available on tenzenmen this month.

“It is pretty clear that this album, probably the most sophisticated the band has yet put out, will also be the most accessible and loved of their work to date” – Zining Cui – Creative Asia

“[This song] has the ability to become an instant indie rock hit. Play it loud and you’ll be singing along by the time the chorus hits.” – Dan Jarvis – Midwest Action!

“3 was well worth the wait. Singer/Guitarist Zhang Shouwang has managed to retain the same energy the band had in their early days, and with the help of bassist He Fan & drummer Sun Heting, they’ve put that energy into what is easily their best album to date.” – Dan Jarvis – Midwest Action! 

Recorded in New York, March 2013.
Producers: Peter Kember (Sonic Boom) & Hamish Kilgour
Cover art by: Guo Hongwei, cover designed by Zhan Pan

The All Seeing Hand – Mechatronics – 1st October 2013

Cat #: 146TZM

Mechatronics is the second album by The All Seeing Hand. It will be available on vinyl and CD from October 1st through Muzai in New Zealand and Tenzenmen in Australia. While the bands’ first album documented the band’s original incarnation as a turntable and drum duo Mechatronics presents the band in its new, three headed form!

The first album was absolute sonic freedom and although improvisation allowed them to reach aural destinations impossible to reach conventionally it meant that often the turntables and drums existed in totally different universes. Fortuitously, there were parts where the band would fall into perfect synchronization and these moments gave glimpses of a way forward.

On Mechatronics the drums and turntables are in-sync, interlocking, moving, and sounding, like huge cogs in a mechanical production line. Where once any human voice would be scratched samples from ethnic folk records, there is now a real living throat; singing! Rather than just contributing a looped texture the voice now tells an entire story and its rich-tone, gritty screams and percussive yelps drag the drum and turntable rhythm section up to the heavens.

Although all the pieces on Mechatronics stem from this tight palette of overtone singing, turntables and drums the subject matter and images projected into the mind are diverse. From sprawling mechanised assembly lines (Mechatronics), robotic nano-surgery (Surgery) and riot control (Grab & Smash) to shamanistic séances (Cadentia) and hectic theme-music for extraterrestrial road tripping (Maximum Capacity). 

The album was recorded at Scumbag College, a beaten up but much loved DIY studio, lurking under Wellington Airport. The album features contributions from Deane Hunter on guitar and previous live collaborators St Cosmos and Samin Son on vocals.

The album artwork is a fantastically detailed masterpiece from the twisted mind of Wellington prodigy Daily Secretion (a.k.a Hannah Salmon). In perfect visual analogy to the music, it combines the mechanical, the biological and the cosmic into a work of terrifying beauty.

Yes I’m Leaving – Mission Bulb – 22nd May 2013

Cat #: 140TZM

Mission Bulb was recorded live over a period of 6 hours in a rehearsal room at Keynote Studios in Homebush West, a suburb of Sydney. Guitarist/Vocalist Billy Burke manned the 8 track recording machine and acted as engineer, placing microphones where they needed to go, often with unconventional microphone choices to capture the sound.

Many tracks had only been finalised a week or two before recording, and many were done with live vocals, leading to a truly raw and live sound being created. The energy and other various factors on the day of the recording captures a particular time and place that is entirely unique, and would be impossible to recreate exactly again.

The end product is ‘Mission Bulb’, an album that for the first time comes close to re-creating the true sound that is ‘Yes I’m Leaving’.

The Gar – The City of Burning Identities – 18th February 2013

Cat #: 126TZM

Soon after The Gar’s last album release, three years ago, their bass player Wen Jie left the band, which deeply affected the band members’ musical work and life as a whole. This period of time served as an inspiration for The Gar’s most recent work, namely “Love will lost your love”, “Train”, “Time cue” and “Black hole” but it wasn’t until Bo Xuan joined The Gar that the band was truly complete and back on track again. After nearly a year of picking their brains, digesting and starting to make music again, The Gar put together “The City of Burning Identities”, their new EP, for which they invited the drummer of Sober band and famous Chinese producer Guo Yihuan to help out.

X is Y – Never Sever/LP – 18th August 2012

Cat #: 111TZM

In transferring their powerful live act to disc on their latest recordings — “Never Sever” and “LP” — X is Y have taken a self-consciously pious DIY approach, endeavoring to capture and convey the honest minutiae of recorded performance with the intensity of emotional surrender.

The four tracks here are the Never Sever EP. Buy the CD package to also receive the first album on CD.

Never Sever was originally released thru our great pals at miniless – mini019.

Ourself Beside Me & The Gar – 1st July 2009

Cat #: 020TZM

Ourself Beside Me were first formed in 2003 by former Hang On The Box guitarist Yang Fan. Their line-up changed several times throughout the years until Yang Fan (the main vocalist and guitarist) met the then-still-a-drummer Xie Han through the internet in fall 2005, thanks to a shared interest in the British band, Television Personalities. They bonded immediately and started writing songs together. Xie Han started playing the bass and in 2007, through a mutual friend, EMI (who hails from Japan) was introduced into the group as the drummer. It wasn’t until the second half of 2007 that this trio began performing regularly, first at D-22 and then at other clubs in Beijing. Touted almost from the beginning by D-22 regulars as one of the most exciting and innovative bands to emerge from the Beijing scene, these three hard-charging ladies have swept everything before to become among the most admired and inspiring bands in China. 

It is hard to describe their sound. They claim their inspirations began with the sounds from old 60’s and 70’s bands such as the Velvet Underground, Syd Barrett, Can, Tom Waits, Soft Machine and the Fall. There is no denying these influences but they are also heavily influenced by New York’s East Village bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s but with a very Chinese obliqueness to their harmonies and musical approach and the typical Beijinger’s bluntness. They combine the rhythmic sophistica- tion of bands like ESG and Bush Tetras with the eerie but jangly, sinuous guitar lines of Bush Tetra guitarist Pat Place and the strange harmonics of DNA. Amid their drawn-out sessions you can even sometimes hear the long, druggy patterns of the Doors. This is a band extremely sure of its sound and wholly dismissive of any attempts to mold their image or sound into a more pleasing outline. 

Cat #: 022TZM

Gar’s music is some of the purest Chinese rock ‘n’ roll. Mixing the beautiful and sophisticated melodic structures typical of the best Chinese music with basic harmonies and a delight in shifting textures, their songs achieve the shimmering quality of folk-rock but with the hard edge that life in Beijing, with its rapid changes, destruction and reconstruction, has imposed on most of its artists. 

The three members of Gar are guitarist/lead vocalist Zhan Pan, bassist Wen Jie, and drummer Wang Xu. Their standard power-trio format, ordinary equipment, graceful Chinese lyrics, and complete lack of stage posturing and fancy gimmicks make them different from most of the other bands in the scene. On the surface they seem very ordinary, but their shows are full of energy and intelligence. In recent years, a number of alternative genres have been expanding the definitions of indie music and rock ‘n’ roll for Chinese audiences, and along with it there have been changes in trends and fashion, but Gar have refused to follow any of the trends, continuing to explore their own sense of real music based on individual experiences. These are classic songs about youth and time, appealing to every generation and era. While the Chinese indie music environment gets louder, more challenging, and wilder, Gar continues singing their hearts out for their very own generation.

What’s Cool and Unusual – 1st July 2009

in case you haven’t heard, paint it black has moved out of 86 enmore rd and looking for alternative accommodation

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thu 2

red rattler, 6 faversham st, marrickville
6.30 $15

Kino Kabaret

Kino Kabaret is a series of 2 day filmmaking marathons, screenings and parties taking place across Sydney 29 June – 4 July. Each session gives the participants only 48hrs to write, shoot and edit short films and culminates in a screening and party. Come and see the results of this mad filmmaking experiment at The Red Rattler Thursday 2 July!

Just $15 at the door gets you in to see brand spanking new short films made in under 48 hours, live performances, snacks, Coopers Pale Ale and Jamesons Irish Whiskey. The night will also feature music by Sydney based duo MA and installations courtesy of Punk Monk Propaganda.
Dress code for the night is: Fire Walk With Lynch! Eraserheads, Amnesiacs and Elephant Men – prizes for best dressed!

Doors open 6.30pm

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fri 3

Black & Blue Gallery
302/267-271 Cleveland Street
Redfern NSW 2016

Opening Fri 3rd July
3 July – 18 July

I HATE YOUR GUTS!
Raquel Welch

Gallery hours Thurs to Sat 11 – 6pm
Other times by appointment

www.blackandbluegallery.com.au

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fri 3

red rattler, 6 faversham st, marrickville

Femme Guild present HANKY PANKY – Hanky Code Party

Hanky Panky is a harking back to queer sub-cultures of the past as we delve into the rich history of queer semiotics & the socio-political reasons behind it. The party will be both fun & educational as we teach, learn (and unlearn) the ways we express our sexuality through gesture and dress.

Hanky-theme performances by Ginger Snaps, Zahra Stardust & Glittertrash.
Hankilicious DJs Tokyo Pink & Fisty Cuffs
Go-Go Dancers, Hanky Demonstrations and the very cheeky Dirty Little Slide Show, as well as Emergency Hankies for all you forgetful folk.

We invite all our guests to come flagging on the night for a bit of sex-positive fun whether you have one favourite colour hanky or a whole string of them you whip out magician-style from your bottomless back pocket.

Pre-sale tickets available exclusively from MaXXX Black, 1/264 King St, Newtown – $15/$20. We encourage you to pre-purchase your tickets as only a very limited number will be available on the night.

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sat 4

dirty shirlows, 32 Shirlow St, marrickville
7pm $5

b.i.n.t. , maladroit, dislasystem, null object, sado, killjoy + more

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sat 4

Serial Space, 33 Wellington St, Chippendale
midday

Hey Folks

I’ll be doing a wee showing of what I’ve been up to at Serial Space over the last couple of weeks on this Saturday July 4 from midday. Mostly I’ve been working on the wheelie bin…

For some time I’ve been interested in sound system cultures, particularly around the Caribbean and in South and Central America. Looking to build one locally, it occurred to me that a unique version already exists. John Jacobs <http://patchwrangler.net/> designed and built the original Wheely Good Sound System in the early nineties for use in urban actions/interventions such as Reclaim The Streets.

As part of my residency at Serial Space, I’m hoping to get all the systems in Sydney together. If you do have one, or any kind of portable sound system, mobile-robo disco unit please swing by around on Saturday July 4 at 2pm for some kind of enthusiasts meet / sound clash / road jam – we’ll take it to the streets, yes?

Sven Simulacrum
Please fwd on to anyone you think might be interested

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sat 4

Bandwidth
Clan Analogue Festival
Red Rattler Theatre
6 Faversham St, Marrickville
4PM-late, $7

Clan Analogue is Australia’s oldest electronic music/audio-visual collective. Over its history, many of Australia’s foremost proponents of electronic-based music and visual arts have contributed but, in recent times, the collective has become a little dormant on the public front. While it has never actually gone away, the Sydney chapter of Clan Analogue is preparing to relaunch its public face with a mini-festival of live music, DJ-ing and VJ-ing.

Bandwidth features some long-term members as well as younger groups who have been diversifying the aesthetics of the collective. With some of Sydney’s best underground live acts in their ranks, such as Bleepin’ J Squawkins, Lunar Module, Karoshi, Telafonica, Valley Forge and Kate Carr, along with DJs such as Tigerlily and the godfather of Australian electronic music, Andy Rantzen, the re-emergence of Clan Analogue in Sydney’s music scene is placed to be wildly varied and exciting.

Clan Analogue was birthed in the early 90s warehouse scene and so is proud to be working with Red Rattler Theatre and its ideals of artist run initiatives, community creativity and its D.I.Y. ethos.

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sat 4

The Lock Up, 90 Hunter Street, Newcastle
5:00pm – 9:00pm

The team behind the brand new ARThive studio/gallery complex at 111 Hunter Street are hosting a sweet party at THE LOCK UP to raise some funds to put into the upcoming exhibition program, and to pay for essential items like hooks, lights, paint, etc.
Come show some support, get behind a brand new Newcastle art space.

The Party will feature an ART RAFFLE consisting of new works donated by Simone Sheridan, Angus Crowley, Grant Hunter, Shane Westernhagen, Nicole Chaffey, Anthony Ferris, Jake Penn-Cullen, Sam Hughes, Hayley Wheaton, Emily Roberts, and Michael Randall. This could be your opportunity to walk away with some amazing art for only a donation.

BEN KENNING will be performing an art piece in one of the infamous prison cells of The Lock Up museum.

Live Music will be provided in the Lock Up exercise yard by CRAB SMASHER, SCISSOR LOCK, and MART BRENNAN.

This Event has been kindly sponsored by Nextra Marketown, The Lock Up, and Renew Newcastle.

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sat 4

Kick Start Studios
6-8 Ralph Black Drive,
North Wollongong.
2-5pm, Gold coin donation.

Mary Jane Kelly, Epitomes + 1 or 2 more TBA soon

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sun 5

Sydney Park, cnr Princess Hwy & Sydney Pk rd
11:00am – 6:00pm

RULES FOR DJ-ING SUNDAY DUB CLUB

1.0………. FIRST RULE OF DUB CLUB, YOU WILL DISCUSS DUB CLUB

1.1………. YOU WILL ABIDE BY RULES OF DJ-ING SUNDAY DUB CLUB

1.2………. NOBODY CARES IF YOU DON’T TURN UP TO DUB CLUB SO ONLY SUNDAY DUB CLUB MANAGEMENT BRUCE, JOEY (if not barred) AND WALLY HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF ACTING LIKE GOOD SORTS ON DUB DAYS

2.0………. SUNDAY DUB CLUB MANAGEMENT BRUCE. JOEY (if not barred) AND WALLY EXPECT TO BE BRIBED AND GENERALLY SUCKED UP TO FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF DJ-ING AT SUNDAY DUB CLUB

2.1………. SUNDAY DUB CLUB MANAGEMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO
a………. TAKE OVER THE DJ-ING FROM ANY VISITING DJ AT ANY TIME
b………. REFUSE ENTRY TO BEHIND THE DECKS IF VISITING DJ(s) ARE ACTING LIKE TWATS
c………. GIVE ANY VISITING DJs A HARD TIME DUE TO POOR MUSIC CHOICE, GAPS IN SOUND OR IF MANAGEMENT IS JUST FEELING IN A SHIT STIRRING MOOD
(points 2.1(a)(b)and(c)are often in direct proportion to how well you adhere to point 2.0)

3.0………. IF SUNDAY DUB CLUB MANAGEMENT BRUCE, JOEY (if not barred) AND WALLY DECIDE THAT THERE ARE TO MANY DJs ON ANY GIVEN DUB DAY
a………. MANAGEMENT WILL DECIDE WHO WILL PLAY AND WHO WILL MISS OUT ON THAT DAY
b………. DJs THAT DO MISS OUT DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO ON LIKE GOOD SORTS OR HARASS MANAGEMENT OR SLAG OFF MANAGEMENT TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BUT SHOULD GO BACK AND RE-READ POINT 2.0

4.0………. SUNDAY DUB CLUB MANAGEMENT BRUCE, JOEY (if not barred) AND WALLY HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY GIVEN TIME TO AMEND THIS DOCUMENT VERBALLY OR IN WRITING WITHOUT WARNING TO VISITING DJs WHERE OR WHEN EVER THEY FEEL FIT OR CAN GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT.

WHEN YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF DJ-ING SUNDAY DUB CLUB, DUB DAY, WITH OR WITHOUT PRIOR READING OR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THIS DOCUMENT YOU ARE STILL BOUND TO ADHERE TO ALL POINTS AND ANY AMENDMENTS. THE CRY OF NOBODY TOLD ME OR I DIDN’T KNOW THAT, DOSE NOT WORK HERE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS DOCUMENT OR SUNDAY DUB CLUB MANAGEMENT PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RE-READ POINT 1.2
AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

YOURS FAITHFULLY
S.D.C MANAGEMENT

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sun 5

red rattler, 6 faversham st, marrickville
1-5pm

Rock and Writers – Winter of our Discotheque

Sydney writers and bands in a rocking, pulp fiction freakout!

Featuring – The Men from UNCLE, the LangLangs, the Dead Rabids, Ned Alphabet, Darrin Baker and King Wally Otto – direct from the Sound Proof Booth!

“Now is the winter of our discotheque
Made summer by a mad few who, forsaking dignity for glorious folly
Lay plans to freak out both swain and maiden
At the Rock n Writers gig, Red Rattler Marrickville,
Perchance there you may waylay them.”

shaun/tenzenmen
++  i’ll either be at these events or wishing i was there  ++

Facebook posts:

06:45 – Wishes there was more humanity!
13:45 – Good luck Mat

11th Jul 2025 – Mat Norr is a friend and punk rock compatriot in Kuala Lumpur. He had been diagnosed with a life threatening situation (I think it was cancer, but don’t quite remember now) and because he was so desperately poor he would’ve passed away from it. Joe Kidd and friends put the word out and many folks around the world funded his treatment. I saw him a couple of years later, working in a DIY punk store in KL and congratulated him, joking that I had saved his life and he owed me money.