The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #70 – Dead End – 27th December 2020

Shut Down! Dead! Run out of town!  Sheltering over the border, we bring this one last episode before fleeing the despots.  One day we’ll be back!  Look out for DJ Donut Trump – he’ll bring you the future of rock ‘n’ roll.

This week there’s all sorts of music – weird, noisy, experimental, fucked up strangeness, straight-up punk and pop all delivered with no compromise.  Join our other 3 listeners to check out the end!

Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.

Listen right here or Mixcloud, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Chiang-Rai-Alternative-Hour-107307097314670/

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for all the students I have met since I started teaching. I have learned something from all of them.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #69 – Against All Odds – 18th December 2020

There’s a lack of equipment where we are hiding in the cave networks on the edge of Burma. But we made a new show – against the odds! The director is not pleased.

This week there’s music from Chavez, Kurt, bEnt, Warhammer 48k, The Freeze, Tera Melos, Jeff Fox, Bee Vamp, Dreamies, Space Negros, Electric Deads, Secret Snack, Private Dicks, Spycker, Larval and Suspiria.

Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.
Listen right here or Mixcloud, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Chiang-Rai-Alternative-Hour-107307097314670/

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for all the books asked comics that I have waiting to be read. I can choose from fluff to depth depending on my mood.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #68 – Teeth Razor Sharp – 10th December 2020

The demons are attacking our integrity, the bogeyman is coming, teeth razor sharp.

This week there’s music from The Fall, Viletones, The Butthole Surfers, Frank Zappa, Psyche, Super Adventure Club, My Dad Is Dead, Dwarves, Toots and The Maytals, Moff Skellington, Red Forty, Descendents, Sun City Girls and Lucid Rivers.

Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.
Listen right here or Podbean, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Chiang-Rai-Alternative-Hour-107307097314670

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to have another two days off school and be able to spend time at home and with Amy.

Your house is falling down (The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #67 – Frightened and Scared) – 4th December 2020

This one is not a morning scribble but at night and I want to get some thoughts out before I try to meditate which I didn’t do for a few weeks and I can feel my head whirling, whirling.

Step out, step out! Nothing lasts forever. Step out, step out – demolition – look at it fall down.

Distraction. Music is a distraction and I love it. I love my room – my room from youth and now I return – here in my room. No window, ceiling or floor!

Music, music, music. People in and out. Relationships, people – why do I find it so difficult?

Never mind, I think I’m okay. I’m fine I don’t need to find excuses. Inside my head is okay – when I’m feeling okay – I don’t need anything or anyone – except my one true friend. I love Amy very deeply I’m a little scared if anything happens between us but I know I’ll be okay. Everything is always okay. The world spins. And all those cliches. But anyway – it’s not something I think about really – not something likely to happen as far as I know. Out, out, out, you fleeting thoughts – settle down and breathe deep.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to each of my students for the different ways they make me think. It’s a nice challenge to everything.

Imagine a world where children are not sexually harassed by their teachers…

Now listen…..

This week there’s music from The Nubs, The Sawtooth Grin, Jesus Lizard, Theatre of Hate, Spermicide, Gelbart, Abali, Esmectatons, Radio Myanmar, Big Black, Secret Chiefs 3, Miss Madeline, George Danquah, Karate and OMFO.

Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.
Listen right here or Podbean, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Chiang-Rai-Alternative-Hour-107307097314670/ (the Facebook page got hijacked!)

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #63 – Creation Myth – 6th November 2020

A weird one for these weird times.

Highly curated, carefully selected and specifically ordered* for your listening edification by world-renowned DJtenzenmen, who has over 1 year of experience in this business.

This week there’s music from Peter Black, Feed Me Jack, Cause For Effect, Didjits, Api Uiz, Thingy, Banks, Max Frost and the Troopers, Victimize, Men’s Recovery Project, Thinking Fellars Union Local 282 and Caroliner Rainbow Customary Relaxation of the Shale.

Intro and background music by Utotem, Phantom Tollbooth, Daniel Striped Tiger and someone else I forgot.
Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.

Find us on Twitter and Facebook too. Tell us if you like it, tell us if you don’t.

Listen right here or Podbean, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.
* ie totally random.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for the few days I got to spend with the little bird that Kim caught. I’m sorry we couldn’t save it.

My music search this week – 5th November 2020

  1. In a never ending search for music that I haven’t yet heard and might like (that is making me slightly mad) I came across some great blogs that I, surprisingly, hadn’t come across before. First is One Chord Is Enough, with one or two obscure 70s and 80s tunes to listen to. Punk, post-punk and things from when it was exciting to read what was new in the “Independent Chart” run downs in the music rags.

  2. I found the One Chord blog after a search for Rhythm Plague who I was inspired to seek out due to this post about the Rotary Totem label. I think I only found one song by the band of this name but stumbled upon a treasure chest of music from that magical period of 70s and 80s. I downloaded all 160+ mixes and will stick them on the phone to listen to at some point.

    I’m kinda excited as my search for music is still on the ear-out for a tune I heard on John Peel back in 1979. All I remember of the song is it was kinda punky a-la The Users and there was a stop in the music for a shouted vocal of “Who are these people?”. I heard a song from the One Chord Is Enough site that maybe the song but only if I’m misremembering it. I can’t even remember what this song was now – it’s in a pile of 1000s of files to check out. Everything is in the queue. I love this shit!

  3. Another search lead me to the Stewart Lee alter ego of Baconface and his show “Global Globules”. The premise is odd (in a typical Stewart Lee fashion) and the music is freaking killer. Lots of freak scene acid folk psychedelic obscurities from around the world. From the first seven two hour shows there’s perhaps only one band I’ve come across before and that’s Brainticket. If you are familiar with them but not much else then definitely check this show out for more.

  4. Another blog that I’m slowly plowing through is Music for Maniacs. I forget how I came across this one – perhaps connected with an episode of the excellent You Don’t Know Mojack podcast, that has lead me in search of many interesting SST related releases. Anyway, Music for Maniacs is as described – it’s out there, avant and just plain weird recordings and stories about them. I quickly found a series of compilations and downloaded them. They are in the queue for listening.

  5. Music related reading, again from the Mojack podcast, is the New Vulgate – Joe Carducci’s old blog. I skip through some of the non music content and I’m not a huge fan of Joe’s writing but that’s not important. The information is important (to old music nerds like me and Rich Levine). Rabbit holes are here.

  6. I finished reading Henry Rollins first volume of Fanatic! Here’s my tongue in cheek review.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to be back at school and have a routine again. I need routine to keep me focused.

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